Wish I could join you guys but off sick with bad back, Doc said no to cycling. :-(. good luck and enjoy the fish and chips. Hope to riding with you all soon.
If you went there and back on the same route, it'd be about 186 miles.
If those riding back all the way followed us King's Lynn bound riders for the first 17 miles there and then connected back on to the route at Great Massingham, you'd be looking at nearly 190 miles in total.
At the mo, forecast says headwind out, tailwind riding back...
It sounds like Matt S has wisely recognised the imminent Point Of Fettle. No last minute messing around next week. Tinker this weekend and go for a spin, or be riding a long way with an untested bike.
A few things...
Trains from King's Lynn... 5.37pm, 6.37pm, 7.37pm, 8.37pm and 9.37pm. There's a later one too. The journey to Royston takes approx 1hr 10mins. Add a few mins for stations thereafter.. You might need to change at Cambridge for other stations - it depends on the train - check the board. There is no FCC limit on bikes: it's at station staff's discretion. So let's be polite and fair and stagger on-boarding if there's a big turnout, where possible. They've previously been very nice.
The Fenman Pub... opposite the station. It has a pub garden good enough for lots of bikes. If there's a break on the run in to King's Lynn and someone gets there first, the landlord has previously been accommodating on opening his gate to the side of the pub to let us stick bikes either where his car forecourt is, or inside the pub 'garden' itself. Basically - out of the way and where we can keep an eye on 'em. If you're there first, be polite and make a request.
Does someone have a spare tyre to bring along?
I will try and make this Tuesday's Three Tuns club pub night, getting there about 9pm, if anyone wants to talk about the ride. It would be great to identify at least one - maybe two - others who could lead a group if we need to split into two or more groups. Someone who knows the way or trusts their Garmin. I think we could discuss sticking together after regrouping in Ely, whereupon the lanes get very quiet, generally. We will do whatever is safe and isn't a nuisance to other road users.
I admit I'm a bit worried about causing a bit of a backlog going up A1198 Col d'Arrington early on, so please let's keep it tight, single file, no irritating rush hour traffic. Equally, we have the chance to impress how good we can be at club riding.
I might hang around the Three Tuns or t'Rose on return for the A-W-A boys. It's entirely possible if I get a later train and the returning riders don't hang around, it might only be a couple of hours in the pub before they turn up. It would be nice to cheers those brave souls on. I'll play that by ear.
I intend to ride the extra mile and back along the prom to the beach this year, take a souvenir little bag of beach sand back and get a photo of the infamous huts. Can someone get me chips while I do this?
Think that's it? Looking forward to a grand day out,
Damn and double damn .Mrs D now has to work on Friday so i am on school run duties. I'm looking for ways around this but suspect i will be doubtful for Friday.
The capacious saddle bag is available if anyone wants to carry the picnic.
I'm not sure I can handle the truth on your massive saddle bag Tim. I am planning to stick maybe six bottles of Duvel in my bag and a selection of Crumps edibles in my saddle bag to share out loaves and fishes styley in Narborough.
Hopefully a few others have room to do similar?
Reminder: the shop in Narborough doesn't sell anything except cat litter and food bags. I'm not even joking.
Martin, you may be disappointed re the bag of sand, when I was at wells earlier this year there was plenty of mud!! I am intending on bringing my friend Chris if that's ok?
Regarding leading a group I neither know the way nor trust my Garmin!!;)
Phil F: Sure, let Chris come. We just need to split into groups methinks if turnout high.
Martin L Matt S Strappy Nathaniel Pete2 Robbie Will Phil F +friend Chris Vic Tim D [?] Jess L Gwen Stiggers Jeremy P John M Tom D Dominic B John R Robert B James MC Jenny Dave Timmer Nige Stuart R Andy H Ray 'Hills' Nathan Vince Phil K Paul S Gino JMac Tony C Jane Nigel 2 Mark W Allfie Jonathan S (btw IOU £10)
Assuming even a 30% dropout from the list above, we are deffo looking at at least 2 groups to Ely before reviewing the situation. I will appoint Vic as a group garmin reader if no one steps up - as he has done it twice before and I definitely know he has a Garmin.... my ears are still ringing from last year with my 'direction freestyling'.
Peter G probably knows the way OBH/Garmin... Not poss this year Pete?
I'll be around the Three Tuns Club Pub night tomorrow if anyone wants to chat. Possibly not til around 9.15pm though.
Anyone got a spare folding tyre they could bring? Let's make sure it goes into the group at the back if we split into groups.
Garmin or not, if you appoint me to navigate a group to Wells, we have a fairly good chance of ending up in Blackpool!
Without reading glasses, I struggle to read the tiny maps on my Garmin. I crashed into Strappy last year trying to read it in the dark whilst navigating half the group back to King's Lynn. I'm still amazed that we actually got there.
Any thoughts on groups & staggered start for tomorrow. Would it be handy if everyone who originally said there up for it, could
confirm there riding tomorrow. Just a thought, or maybe decide tomorrow at 7.59am !
weather suggests low cloud/mist in the morning so lights / bright clothing a good idea. need to be especially careful on the a1198 which is very busy in the mornings. keep it tight and be considerate to traffic trying to pass.
Safety and consideration of other road users are the two big themes for the ride. That, and pork pies. I bought three massive ones from Crumps yesterday.
Seriously though: let's be brilliant going up the rush hour A1198. And if anyone punctures there or on the one mile on the A10, maybe one or two riders help out - but everyone else carries on and waits at the turn-off.
When hanging around: do so off the road.
I suggest simplicity for groups. It's about getting to Ely. Two or three groups, depending on turnout, a mile/5mins apart. Keep a look out in front/behind to maintain distance. I'll probably go in the group at the back. If any group is unsure of where to go - wait. Though the roads to Ely are pretty easy. We can review everything at Ely cathedral.
First group can go at 7.55am if the numbers look high. I'd rather we just got going where we can.
Let's aim for Wells by 3pm and look to leave by 3.30pm to give an option for the 5:37pm train back for some.
Garmin charged and ready My test on the way back from pub night successfully navigated me from the Tuns to the right turn at the top of the Col de Arrington, hopefully the rest of the route works too.
Comments
Robbie it's unlikely I'm going to do the return journey now, can't see myself riding this month
Meanwhile...
Weather forecast for next Friday looks very good at the moment - so looks like the Classic is go.
Here are the final tweaked routes;
http://www.bikemap.net/en/route/1011050-ashwell-wells-next-the-sea/
http://www.bikemap.net/en/route/1187762-wells-next-the-sea-kings-lynn/
If you went there and back on the same route, it'd be about 186 miles.
If those riding back all the way followed us King's Lynn bound riders for the first 17 miles there and then connected back on to the route at Great Massingham, you'd be looking at nearly 190 miles in total.
At the mo, forecast says headwind out, tailwind riding back...
Mark.
A few things...
Trains from King's Lynn... 5.37pm, 6.37pm, 7.37pm, 8.37pm and 9.37pm. There's a later one too. The journey to Royston takes approx 1hr 10mins.
Add a few mins for stations thereafter.. You might need to change at Cambridge for other stations - it depends on the train - check the board. There is no FCC limit on bikes: it's at station staff's discretion. So let's be polite and fair and stagger on-boarding if there's a big turnout, where possible. They've previously been very nice.The Fenman Pub... opposite the station. It has a pub garden good enough for lots of bikes. If there's a break on the run in to King's Lynn and someone gets there first, the landlord has previously been accommodating on opening his gate to the side of the pub to let us stick bikes either where his car forecourt is, or inside the pub 'garden' itself. Basically - out of the way and where we can keep an eye on 'em. If you're there first, be polite and make a request.
Does someone have a spare tyre to bring along?
I will try and make this Tuesday's Three Tuns club pub night, getting there about 9pm, if anyone wants to talk about the ride. It would be great to identify at least one - maybe two - others who could lead a group if we need to split into two or more groups. Someone who knows the way or trusts their Garmin. I think we could discuss sticking together after regrouping in Ely, whereupon the lanes get very quiet, generally. We will do whatever is safe and isn't a nuisance to other road users.
I admit I'm a bit worried about causing a bit of a backlog going up A1198 Col d'Arrington early on, so please let's keep it tight, single file, no irritating rush hour traffic. Equally, we have the chance to impress how good we can be at club riding.
I might hang around the Three Tuns or t'Rose on return for the A-W-A boys. It's entirely possible if I get a later train and the returning riders don't hang around, it might only be a couple of hours in the pub before they turn up. It would be nice to cheers those brave souls on. I'll play that by ear.
I intend to ride the extra mile and back along the prom to the beach this year, take a souvenir little bag of beach sand back and get a photo of the infamous huts. Can someone get me chips while I do this?
Think that's it? Looking forward to a grand day out,
See you 8am. Let's leave promptly.
Martin - 07977 652 247
Sunset is 7.38pm. Anyone getting the 6.37pm train or later will arrive back after sunset.
The capacious saddle bag is available if anyone wants to carry the picnic.
Hopefully a few others have room to do similar?
Reminder: the shop in Narborough doesn't sell anything except cat litter and food bags. I'm not even joking.
Hope you can still make it somehow Tim.
Regarding leading a group I neither know the way nor trust my Garmin!!;)
Martin L
Matt S
Strappy
Nathaniel
Pete2
Robbie
Will
Phil F
+friend Chris
Vic
Tim D [?]
Jess L
Gwen
Stiggers
Jeremy P
John M
Tom D
Dominic B
John R
Robert B
James
MC
Jenny
Dave
Timmer
Nige
Stuart R
Andy H
Ray
'Hills'
Nathan
Vince
Phil K
Paul S
Gino
JMac
Tony C
Jane
Nigel 2
Mark W
Allfie
Jonathan S (btw IOU £10)
Assuming even a 30% dropout from the list above, we are deffo looking at at least 2 groups to Ely before reviewing the situation. I will appoint Vic as a group garmin reader if no one steps up - as he has done it twice before and I definitely know he has a Garmin.... my ears are still ringing from last year with my 'direction freestyling'.
Peter G probably knows the way OBH/Garmin... Not poss this year Pete?
I'll be around the Three Tuns Club Pub night tomorrow if anyone wants to chat. Possibly not til around 9.15pm though.
Anyone got a spare folding tyre they could bring? Let's make sure it goes into the group at the back if we split into groups.
Without reading glasses, I struggle to read the tiny maps on my Garmin. I crashed into Strappy last year trying to read it in the dark whilst navigating half the group back to King's Lynn.
I'm still amazed that we actually got there.
Will discuss tomorrow night in the Tuns.
Any thoughts on groups & staggered start for tomorrow. Would it be handy if everyone who originally said there up for it, could
confirm there riding tomorrow. Just a thought, or maybe decide tomorrow at 7.59am !
weather suggests low cloud/mist in the morning so lights / bright clothing a good idea.
need to be especially careful on the a1198 which is very busy in the mornings.
keep it tight and be considerate to traffic trying to pass.
Safety and consideration of other road users are the two big themes for the ride. That, and pork pies. I bought three massive ones from Crumps yesterday.
Seriously though: let's be brilliant going up the rush hour A1198. And if anyone punctures there or on the one mile on the A10, maybe one or two riders help out - but everyone else carries on and waits at the turn-off.
When hanging around: do so off the road.
I suggest simplicity for groups. It's about getting to Ely. Two or three groups, depending on turnout, a mile/5mins apart. Keep a look out in front/behind to maintain distance. I'll probably go in the group at the back. If any group is unsure of where to go - wait. Though the roads to Ely are pretty easy. We can review everything at Ely cathedral.
First group can go at 7.55am if the numbers look high. I'd rather we just got going where we can.
Let's aim for Wells by 3pm and look to leave by 3.30pm to give an option for the 5:37pm train back for some.
See you in the morning!
My test on the way back from pub night successfully navigated me from the Tuns to the right turn at the top of the Col de Arrington, hopefully the rest of the route works too.
Sadly its domestic duties for me. I might have my own sad little Belgian picnic for 1 in the garden at the strike of 12.00...