Tour de Cake // Concourse du Café 2012 - The Aftermath

BobCatMax

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write up and pics to follow..
 
so i suppose i'll do my quick take on the day! :D

got to the cafe and met up with the boys, got the bike out, ordered a tea and a bacon sandwich, this set the tone for the ride! :LOL:

loads of banter, talk about bikes, politics, putting the world to rights, then we rode a bit and stopped for a cup of tea, more talking of rubbish, checked out a few pretty ladies on the beach front strip, rode a bit more, then stopped for a . . . . you guessed it! a cup of tea and a bit of cake! talked rubbish again, rode back to the start point, then ordered a cup of tea!! :LOL: :LOL:

i don't know how many miles we rode, i'd be surprised if it was 10! that said some of the guys rode to the ride which made it longer for them but for me it was a pure social ride and i knew it.

all in all a funny day! :D :D
 

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Yep another great day out :cool: and good to catch up with you all :D shame about the lack of sun ...but at least it didnt rain to hard !!
did a quick calculation on google maps and i was just short of 60 miles for the day ! and boy did my arse know it when i got home :LOL:
must get a new saddle sorted for the raleigh
picks are looking good as well ..any more anybody ?
Mick :D
 
The day was as kampos described - "grey and uninspiring...but at least it wasn't wet!"

A gentle little spin down to the local train station to meet the latest victim to the south east contingent for 8.45 and we were off. An easy 15 miles on beach promenade and quiet tarmac, talking bikes and getting warmed up for the inevitable sugar and caffeine highs and lows. All too soon were in in Shoreham, crossing the sea locks to our starting grid at Carats Café. Jonnyboy's monotoned mystery van loomed out of the sea mist and we set him right getting to the car park.

Bacon, coffee & OJ ordered fairly promptly and we settled in for the teeming throngs of Retrobike riders to arrive.

Purley Squire arrived resplendant in fluro yellow and warpedboy2 appeared soon after out of the gloom and joined up with Jonnyboy in the carpark, leaving the three of us wondering what was could be happening in that van.

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The starting time came and went in a flurry of chat ("just say yes you fool!"), bacon and steaming mugs of tea, but we were at least one man down. Missed calls, a cryptic voicemail and unanswered call backs left us in a state of confusion. The appearance of yet more bacon kept us busy until my phone rang again. Godders was en route..from Haywards Heath no less..

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Yet more chat and one last final drool over Jonny's new machine and we were off, out into the murk to hunt down and devour the cakes of Brighton's seafront.

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Before we'd even had time for the first rushes of caffeine to settle down, the rain worsened and we were all too quickly at the next stop. I'd not tried this one before, and we'd snubbed a marvelous Gelato café in favour of a "truck-stop" mobile one..warpedboy2 claiming "there's no seats outside that one..and it's only good for ice-creams". I conceded the point.

An eccles cake the size of his head for godders, tea coffee, assorted soft drinks,more cake & racing smokes and more chat for the rest of us..

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Chat continued along with our leisurely pace and increasing blood sugar along to the Marina and out onto the sea wall, with only a brief interval for me to discover how good disc brakes are with skinny tyres on wet slimy concrete. A quick stop, photo op and an angry old man with wavy arms and comments about cycling on the sea wall and we were on to Rottingdean and the mid point cake shop.

A crunchy 15 minutes later after negotiating the pebble strewn sea path and we'd arrived, only to discover we'd been beaten by a pro.

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Sorely chastened, we busied ourselves bemoaning modern tat, notching our heart attack risk up a few points and shaking out the coffee jitters.

Sugar levels now at an all time high, the weather clearing and our molars no longer floating, we set off for the final push back to Carats for more tea and cake past the finish line. Luck would have it that a following breeze and most of us talking ten to the dozen on cheap, powerful coffee would see the 9 miles back pass quick and easily, punctuated only by a winners podium for Jonnyboy, a swift adieu to godders setting off back for his 20 miles trip home, and dozy waddling pedestrians littering the Brighton sea front bike lanes.

Cake tea and testiculating (waving your arms and talking b*ll*cks) at Carats and we were done

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A little shy of 19 miles in 3 hours. Good byes were said and myself & kampus set off back to Angmering with Purley Squire in tow for more sightseeing.

my tripmeter showed 48 miles for the 8 hours I'd been out, though with all the good chat and easy cycling it certainly didn't feel like it.

This one is always a good day out, whatever the weather throws at us & for me one of the highlights of the RB South East Calender. A Grand Day Out.

cheers all







:D
 
Cheers lads

Another great RetroBike day, what a pleasure to see you all. I seemed to have boundless energy yesterday, so after leaving BCM I made it as far down the coast as Littlehampton before turning around.

Then started to get hit by some heavy rain on the outskirts of Shoreham harbour, got lost trying to find the bridge across to the East side, before finally making it back to Brighton around 7pm.

Tired but happy and best of all, no sore bum today (avoided the rent boy hang outs on the return trip). :roll:

I will post up my proposed "Urban Retro" ride very shortly.

*Watch This Space* OK here it is
http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=226320 :)
 
Firstly ; I'd like to thank everyone for making a noob feel very welcome - wasn't sure exactly what to expect but I had visions of a grimfest head down bum up thrash so what actually transpired was a relief as well as good fun!

Was cool to meet and chat and ride with you all ; did get a couple of pics which I will post up later on once they are on the PC.
Two last things:
1. jonnyboy's new bike makes me almost sick with jealousy ; truly a work of art.
2. Can I has "retrobike rider" tag now pls? :D
 
Pics then:
A familiar cake stop from an unfamiliar angle:
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"Action" type shot ; excuse the wobble but phone cameras are tricky on the move:
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Sorry I couldn't join you lads, but I was committed to helping the Friends of Three Cornered Copse with some trail maintenance, so I was destroying huge quantities of brambles whilst you were destroying huge quantities of cake.

I don't see any Retrobike awards mentioned there - best cake stop of the day? Least tasteless retro build? Least sensible clothing? Most inaccurate weather forecast?
 
Given the weather/conditions, i think it w as a miracle any one turned up at all!

we're all winners :LOL:

you're right though, there should have been some. I will endeavour to thinnk up something stupid enough :)
 
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