Author Topic: First mini tour of the year  (Read 7080 times)

PH

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First mini tour of the year
« on: February 08, 2018, 08:11:46 pm »
I don’t know what it is but from time to time I feel an overwhelming desire to see the sea.  Well that’s my excuse, so being owed a couple of days off work, I chucked a change of clothes and an extra jumper in the smallest panniers I have, booked two nights in my favourite seaside hotel and set off. 
Derby where I live is the furthest English town from the sea, a nice round 100 miles by a suitable bike route to the traditional seaside resort of Skegness (Yes I know small beer to some of you!) Plan was 100 miles there, 50ish mile loop day after and 100 miles back on the third day.  I hadn’t planned on it being the coldest week of the winter.
Day one – set off later than expected, waiting for the ice outside my home to look like it was thawing.  Wind was biting and I was of course riding straight into it.  I could just about manage the wind and cold but about half way it started snowing and that was a step too far.  I headed to the nearest train station in Lincoln and was at the seaside by teatime.  Fish & Chips and a pint and everything was right with the world.
Day two – you’d have to be mad to go riding, it was freezing, I spent an enjoyable day exploring the area by bus and train, spending the afternoon in Boston.
Day three – a bit of snow overnight, still bitterly cold but with a lovely clear blue sky. After a hearty breakfast I set off with the intention of getting on the train if it got too much.  The first few miles were mostly on quiet lanes and there was plenty of ice to avoid, which made it slow going.  After a couple of hours it’d warmed up and I was now mostly on B roads where the traffic had cleared the road.  All was well till the sun went down, by this time I’d passed the last practical train station and still had thirty miles to go.  It became so cold so quickly, caught me out a bit, I let myself get cold before I stopped and put extra clothes on, by that time it was too late and I didn’t get warm again till I was home a couple of hours later.  As you do, with the cold I got slower, therefore colder, slower… I was crawling by the time I got home.  A mile from home and I noticed I was going to be a touch short of the 100 miles, so did I go round the block to make it up?  Of course ;)
Thorn Mercury by Paul, on Flickr

few more photos here
https://www.flickr.com/photos/phbike/albums/72157693185041655/with/40118027192/

lewis noble

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Re: First mini tour of the year
« Reply #1 on: February 08, 2018, 08:58:16 pm »
Well done, Paul!!  and a great achievement . . . . the terrain in that part of the country gives no respite from a headwind or the cold, very little shelter for long stretches.

That's a good ride by any standards, more so in present conditons.

Lewis
 

jags

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Re: First mini tour of the year
« Reply #2 on: February 08, 2018, 10:45:24 pm »
 ;D ;D some crazy guys on this forum ;)

anto.

Danneaux

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Re: First mini tour of the year
« Reply #3 on: February 08, 2018, 11:30:25 pm »
You sure did well, Paul. That snowy ground stands in mute testimony to the cold.

Best,

Dan.

geocycle

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Re: First mini tour of the year
« Reply #4 on: February 09, 2018, 08:41:37 am »
Nice report.  I love these mini adventures.  We've had a cold few days so I can imagine the conditions and the mental battles on whether to keep going or bail out.  I'm thinking of a Cumbria to Suffolk route this summer which will be my first experience of long flat days on tour which intrigues me.
 

StuntPilot

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Re: First mini tour of the year
« Reply #5 on: February 09, 2018, 10:53:41 am »
Good job! As Alastair Humphreys would say - a 'Microadventure'!

http://www.alastairhumphreys.com/microadventures-landing/

PH

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Re: First mini tour of the year
« Reply #6 on: February 09, 2018, 12:41:55 pm »
Good job! As Alastair Humphreys would say - a 'Microadventure'!
Ha, I think it was to Microadventure what Glamping is to camping.
Thanks all for the comments, it falls a bit short on any definition of "Epic" - Trains, Hotels, Cafes, pleasant route, and at all times there were simple bail out options.  Still nice to have been away by bike this time of year. 

PH

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Re: First mini tour of the year
« Reply #7 on: February 09, 2018, 12:48:23 pm »
I'm thinking of a Cumbria to Suffolk route this summer which will be my first experience of long flat days on tour which intrigues me.
Choose your route with care, that part of the country gets it's reputation because there's no mountains, certainly some of the flat bits are very flat, but don't be fooled into thinking it's all like that.
I did so :-\
On an attempted fast E2W, Lowestoft to Ardnamurchan, I thought I'd start with a couple of long easy days, but the rolling countryside put me so far behind I bailed out half way in Applby.  Re jigged the route and did it with ease the following year. 

Swislon

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Re: First mini tour of the year
« Reply #8 on: February 09, 2018, 02:37:24 pm »
Bike looks wonderful Paul, you've set it up great.
I love these mini adventures too as they are probably about all I will manage myself.
Thanks and keep posting!

Cheers Steve

dogcart

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Re: First mini tour of the year
« Reply #9 on: February 09, 2018, 10:10:35 pm »
I tend to do mini tours with not a 'stan in sight. It's good to read about similar adventures.
I live on the N.Yorks- E.Yorks border and it is very flat in many directions. Terrible for cycling! There's a head wind in every direction and no hills to free wheel down.
Give me the mountains any day.
Nick

jags

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Re: First mini tour of the year
« Reply #10 on: February 09, 2018, 11:09:27 pm »
that doesn't sound good ,i'll lend you a few of my hills if you wish i have load's. ;D ;D

anto.

Pavel

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Re: First mini tour of the year
« Reply #11 on: February 10, 2018, 11:41:37 am »
Paul, what do you carry in your bags.  Do you carry cooking gear and or camping gear?

PH

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Re: First mini tour of the year
« Reply #12 on: February 11, 2018, 08:36:33 am »
Paul, what do you carry in your bags.  Do you carry cooking gear and or camping gear?
Depends on the trip, for a short break like this with a couple of days in a hotel, I've got some off the bike clothes in one pannier and my camera bag is in the other.  The saddlebag contains just what I'd have on any ride this time of year, spare gloves, any waterproofs I'm not wearing, tools and a jetboil so I can make a brew anytime.

The other end of my spectrum is camping for a couple of weeks, but nothing that could be described as "Expedition" That setup can be seen in this thread

http://thorncyclesforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=12758.msg95089#msg95089