ThNRC 2017 - The Heart of DaRKness

In an amazing reversal of fortune, I can make it. Hooray!!!

Amaze! We just need a name for the route to put up a thread. Anyone feeling imaginative?

The thread is up, get your name down: https://www.lfgss.com/events/3422/

Is it an on week?

Ah, now, funny you should say that...

Right, time to put some more cards on the table...

I am entering a period in my life where I'm just going to be a bit shit. It's a sort of surrendering to the whim of fate that I'm going to call my "meh period". It's a confluence of inability and unwillingness that the universe and Arsenal Football Club has foisted on me (fucking Europa League). It will be characterised by periods of being even more flakey and disorganised than usual, possible forgetfulness, intermittent laziness and possible forgetfulness.

Putting the melodrama aside would it be cool if I was a little less hands on? I still want to ride, when I can, but could someone volunteer as a ride leader. Despite my pretence hardly a onerous task, other than having a vague idea of the route and calling the piss stops, toughest part is lugging the fig rolls around.

Anyway, by my reckoning there are only 2 more rides left this season. If someone wants to put up a ride for tomorrow that would be cool but could I suggest that we break step and have the ride next week? Then we do the standard week off and have the season closer on the 9th Nov in the place that dare not speak it's name (hills can't talk anyway). That way it avoids the visit of Red Star Belgrade and ensures properly shitty weather for me to push my bike up Ranmore in.

^You seems to be in the middle of nowhere, aren't you ?

(hills can't talk anyway)

They have eyes but no mouth?

Moving on... This plan suits me nicely as I'm a bit busy this week and not in London during the proposed last off week.

Also, we should do an end-of-season drinks and dinner. I quite liked crashing the West Drinks last year but we could go somewhere else too.

Careful, I think @Oliver Schick owns the copyright on that joke.

The King is dead(ish), long live the King!

.. but I'm also happy to swerve this week as, somewhat coincidentally, I'm working on Crvena Zvezda related issues right now that are likely to keep me in the office too late anyway.

What are the odds on Arsenal being out of the Europa before the quater finals? Then you'll be back in the game for the start of next season....

I cant make this week but could well be on for the week after. Certainly hoping to make the season closer if only because I can get the train home and it's only three stops...

Will the last dinner/drinks be two weeks after that?

New way into Roydon this evening.

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Whisper it - Would anyone like to go for a bike ride this week?

me

Yes pls.

Any preferences for where?

Roydon?

Also please don't look down on me but my new fancy bike needs a turnaround service so I'll be on a variable geared bike tomorrow

If it's Roydon tomorrow I'm interested. I have a new fixed gear bicycle that needs to do a ThNRC to be properly Christened.

I've not got a babysitter yet mind...

In, not done Roydon before but I hear it is excellent.

Your wish is my command...

https://www.lfgss.com/events/3506

Which of the ThNRC routes is flat-ish but that also has a nice pub halfway round? Something picturesque. I feel like Kent 1 has the nicest looking pubs but certainly does not qualify as flat. Potters Bar maybe? Of course I would say Potters Bar though. It's for a non-cyclist friend who I'm going to take for a ride and was going to use one of the routes for a day out trip.

I've always fancied visiting that pub that is immediately before the single climb on the WGC route (plus it's all downhill after that)..

Me and the GF had a nice day out on the Roydon route earlier in the year. Took some brick lane bagels out for a picnic half way round and had a pizza at the station restaurant at the end. The Lock House looks nice too for tea and cakes.

She really enjoyed it. Was a bit less keen on the TT section as she thought it was a bit busy/scary. Which I had never considered to be problematic at all until riding it with her. I think there's probably stretches like this on all the routes which none of us would consider scary but those who don't cycle much would. For reference, she didn't really start cycling regularly till about a year ago but by the time we did the Roydon route together she was happily commuting pretty much daily.

What about a trip to Brighton? If you take the train to Coulsdon it's about 43, 44 miles, and you can stop at the Red Lion in Turners Hill.

@middleofnowhere was it Potters Bar where we had a beer somewhere, waiting for the main peloton?