The Beacon Message Board

Nic is right, if the collective firepower of the various lights on show with the group doesn't alert air traffic control, we should be ok if not everyone has 150+ lumens!

IanT wrote:Nic is right, if the collective firepower of the various lights on show with the group doesn't alert air traffic control, we should be ok if not everyone has 150+ lumens!

Just don't ride behind Nic if you are epileptic or don't like discos.

I'll promise not to engage the special disco mode. My new Lezyne has a pulse setting which should put everyone in a trance and help promote a restful night's sleep.

At least it shouldn't undo the valves on Conti tubes.....

Excellent ride last night; even saw a live badger, just before it got vaporised by the gazillion watts of light energy emanating from the 7 of us, but mostly from Matt and Nick. Good tip here if you are going on a night ride 4 days after the bike show, and the current must have goodies are ultra-bright lights, you’re going to need some factor 50 cream

I'm still laughing to myself today at the look on the face of the bloke who was minding his own business at a bus stop as we came round the corner led by Matt. You might say his face lit up when he saw us...

I was hoping to make it out again tonight after an absence of a few weeks but the Lezyne light I ordered last week hasn't arrived yet. Hopefully next week...

On the evidence of Wednesday night I have decided that water that comes up to the bottom bracket is a puddle ,from the bottom bracket to the bottle cage is a flood and above the bottle cage you've missed the road and you are in the river, I think we covered all these categories on wed night

You're right there Keith. I though my wheel bearings had had it but discovered that the rims were actually full of water.
You missed the really generous puddle along Icknield street that looked waist deep and caused us a detour.
Oh well, it's better than having to watch 'I'm a celebrity....'

Icknield Street probably was waist-deep, if it flooded as much as it did one day in the summer when I stupidly decided to carry on through it, not realising quite how deep it was.

Nice to get back to dry roads and stupid mph

Did the Wednesday night route today as I prefer to go out later in the day when it's icy. Lots of ice on the lanes. Temperatures don't look like they're going to pick up during the week. You'd be braver than me to attempt it at night, despite wanting to test out my new Cree lamp.

Were were talking about just that today, and we think that is just not worth the risk if the temp is below 4 deg three of us came off today at 10 mph on ice we could see, but it would of been much worse if we had been doing 20 mph in the dark

Yep time to try out the turbo tonight methinks, especially with spin classes not on this week due to AGM.

The temperature is way too low for a safe ride tonight so I'll be going for a run instead followed by quality recovery with a can of beer ....

The ice was very bad this morning on the side roads.

Pedlo Mudguardo wrote:The temperature is way too low for a safe ride tonight so I'll be going for a run instead followed by quality recovery with a can of beer ....

Watch those pavements too. I tried to go out this morning but turned back after I saw a few pedestrians sliding around.

The only place that seemed to be gritted was the B&Q car park. Loads of iced-up puddles on the Stratford Road, so didn't look as though it had been gritted at all.

Commuted by bike today as every day no bother, as usual Birmingham roads were beautifully gritted ! however I did not fancy the Wednesday torchlight run as I thought the lanes would be a bit tricky.

I'll be giving it a miss again tonight as conditions look very dodgy.
Still nursing the road rash and an ever increasing collection of bruises following Sunday's chute.

Have these rides resumed after the holiday? (If they ever stopped.) What about the Tuesday rides?

George wrote:Have these rides resumed after the holiday? (If they ever stopped.) What about the Tuesday rides?

We were out this Wednesday Great fun!

This happening tonight? Windy!

I'm going to give it a go, Tim.

Great. Will be at Red lion car park 7pm

Yep, heading out shortly.

I hope we didn't manage to miss you tonight, Tim. We waited until just after 7 and Nic checked the car park, but we couldn't see you.

Yep I somehow managed to miss you, but my fault didn't get there til just after 7 and was waiting in car park. Hope to be able to make it again soon though probably in a fortnight.

Is there a chainy tonight or are we observing the below 4 degree rule?

I'm not venturing out tonight. I wouldn't have thought there was too much danger of ice given how dry it is, but I've had a bit of a cold since getting back from Sunday's club run, plus my bike is currently in bits on the floor in front of me for a pre-Mallorca service.

Hmmm I thought that regarding it being dry the other week and look where I ended up! its just so difficult to tell but the temp is predicted to drop below freezing later.

I really don't want to come a cropper so close to Spring now, so I may well give Weds nights a miss until it warms up a bit more.

I have a parent's evening to attend tomorrow so won't make the Wednesday ride. Given the forecast I should think there'll be others heading out.

Last week's ride was very cold but the conditions were safer than on many previous weeks and very enjoyable in a painful sort of way.

Nick, I have a replacement part for your Crudguards. I'll bring it along next week hopefully.

My phone packed up a few days ago resulting in many lost contacts. If anyone should text could you sign your name, cheers.

If I finish early enough you may see me coming in the opposite direction....

Ditto here Nic I won't be out to tonight either as i'm currently en-route to Plymouth for work tomorrow.

Thanks for remembering the Crud parts though Nic, much appreciated and i'll be out next Weds for sure.

To everyone else venturing out tonight have fun & stay safe!!

Anyone doing this tonight? Says 0c for 8pm on my phone's weather. Been invited to the pub, 5pints or 35miles?

Thinking about it 35miles then 3pints after should be done. Roads are pretty dryso will be there.

Excellent Tim, see you later.

Has anyone been out today on the Wednesday route ? Just wandering if there's the faintest chance of a ride tomorrow night.

I drove a couple of sections this morning and think it's 100% a no go. The last section of lanes were especially like an ice rink

Damn and blast I can't cope with this blinking weather.

Pedlo Mudguardo wrote:Damn and blast I can't cope with this blinking weather.

Its the dawn of an ice age, next year we will be living in igloos's

Are we sticking with the same start time or moving back to the old time now that the clocks are changing? Sunset this coming Wednesday is going to be at 19:45 (if nothing else, we'll be able to see the ice for a change).

I may not be out this coming Wednesday but the 7.00pm start seems more convenient for everybody so I think we'll stick with it. As the evenings draw out we sometimes tack on extra few miles.

Hi

I take it these Wednesday rides are still going on?

If you could confirm the meeting place, distance and pace that would be great.

Have only done a couple of C runs with the club so far but keen to do more now the weather should hopefully be getting better and the daylight hours getting longer!!

Andy

The meeting point is the Red Lion pub on Vicarage Road at 7pm. It tends to be around 37 miles at an average pace of 17mph in the winter. As the nights get lighter we often add a further 10 or so miles to the distance and the pace has been known to get up to an average of 19mph in the summer. There's a core group of around 4 or 5 but it can be into double figures in the better weather. You'd be very welcome to join at any point if that sounds appealing.

Ian

I'm not going to be out again tonight chaps. Having been on the road since 7 this morning driving over 200 miles, I am well & truly cream crackered!

Hoping to be back out soon & enjoy the lighter nights.

Have a good one!

Cheers for the ride. I didn't realise how tough it would be coupled with my fitness level. Thought I would manage it but ran out of steam. Sorry you had to wait, got the route on my garmin, so I will practise it a few times and be fit enough before coming out again. Cheers for getting me back to Kings Norton.

Wondering how people would feel about adding the extra section to the Wednesday ride starting this week. It would mean a bit more riding in darkness until the nights draw out further. I'm happy to wait a few weeks or start this coming Wednesday depending on the general feeling.

I hope to be back this or next week. With Weston in mind the more miles the better for me!

I don't mind either way, really. I'll bring a spare battery just in case!

I hope to join you guys tonight if I get back from Cheltenham in time. Will aim to pick you up in Wilmore Lane just like the old days (you remember, before the ice age)

Tim wrote:I hope to be back this or next week. With Weston in mind the more miles the better for me!

What a stupid thing to say! I meant 35miles is plenty! Apologies for hitting the wall with 8miles to go. Big thanks for waiting up a few times nr end and to Ian for pacing me along.

Roll on next week!

That's pretty much what I was thinking when we were heading up unfamiliar climbs in the dark, Tim. No need to apologise - I was about to hit the very same wall too, so the reduction in pace was welcome!