Newsletter of Greenwich Cyclists — No.21.3 — 27 November 2002
This special edition of Pedal Power is produced for the November LCC magazine stuffing. Greenwich Cyclists are a voluntary local group who exist to get more people on bikes and to organise rides and events.
We run ourselves, are open to all, and have no formal membership. Our above website has full details. Try us for rides, information, help, training, ideas, our monthly meeting and more. And if you want to help too, wonderful.
From 8am onwards on a cold and damp Monday 25 November, a couple of Greenwich Cyclists helped some from Lewisham and Southwark colleagues with a simple, cheap and cunning scheme: they stood in Lower Road SE1 on the busy A200 into London to see just how many drivers were abusing the rather good bus lanes. They took pics of about 94 cars, vans and lorries an hour illegally using that bus lane and risking £80 fines. But that risk is sadly minimal. There’s little or no policing of bus lanes and now the pictures are on their way to Southwark Council, Transport for London, the police, the bus companies and of course the press — to include the Evening Standard, which is printed nearby and 30% of whose vans were straying into the bus lanes too. And they didn’t count the motorised two-wheelers....90% of them used the lane and shouldn’t.
Policing must improve. We’ll now see if our efforts make any lasting improvement. They had a useful deterrent effect on the day and much praise from passing cyclists and pedestrians.
We were told, and the local signs say, that permanent resurfacing was supposed to start on 25 November. It didn’t. Let’s hope it does very soon. Even the Council’s own website says it’s dangerous.
Our ceilidh tickets are going well. It’ll be a wonderful evening. See over.
Greenwich Council has come out strongly in favour of this new £400m (and rising) 6 lane Beckton to Thamesmead toll bridge. But there’s been no consultation yet. What do Greenwich Cyclists think? We’ll consider on 4 December. Join us. A note of the Thames Gateway Forum’s meeting at the House of Commons on 25 November went out to our elist the next day.
e-group: there are 140 of us on our useful elist. It’s essential for fast updates and info. Join via our website.
bike week 2003: 14-22 June 2003. We did a wonderful 14 events last June. Ideas for 2003 please. What do you want to do? See over for the summer solstice ride.
it’s the early fish: our new Billingsgate market ride won’t interfere with your work, shopping, football, parents, family, church or any other excuse. Do it! See over. And get the mistletoe in the next day.
We usually keep in touch via e-mail. Join the e-group, by logging on via our website www.greenwichcyclists.org.uk
If you don’t have access to e-mail or the internet, please contact us with your address. Phone Barry Mason on 020 7232 0444 or 07905 889 005, or write to us at:
Greenwich Cyclists
c/o Greenwich Forum
Trafalgar Road
SE 10 6PQ
You can pick up Pedal Power at the following places:
Below are some of latest rides.... enjoyable, informative, sociable and fun. The short Easy Going rides are designed for families and novices. On train assisted rides, we leave very soon after the meeting time. Expect help with minor problems like punctures but ensure your bike is roadworthy and bring a pump and a spare inner tube. Full list and more details at www.greenwichcyclists.org.uk. We add more rides every week and include more and more rides from neighbouring groups too.
Saturday 30 November: The Regent's Canal. Meet 9.30am Ladywell Bridge,
Ladywell Road SE13 or 10am Cutty Sark Gardens, Greenwich. The Regent's
Canal to Regent's Park then to Southall and Brentford and the Thames path. 40ish miles, all flat and 90% traffic free. Lewisham Cyclists. Roger: 07956 254836
Sunday 1 December: Peckham to Cambridge. Start 9.30am by the Peckham Pulse or 10.15 outside Liverpool St Station on Bishopsgate. But no train. 80 medium paced miles. Flat and undulating landscape with plenty of villages en route. Bring lights. (Southwark Cyclists. Peter on 07968 836057).
Friday 6 December: Fishy preworker: Breakfast at Billingsgate Market. Meet 3.30am at Peckham Pulse or 4am at Cutty Sark Gardens. Back there by 8am, then work or whatever. 07905 889 005.
Saturday 7 December: Mistletoe mission. Easygoing ride to Borough Market for the shopping. Designed for families and improvers, but all welcome as ever. Meet 10am Cutty Sark Gardens for the 5 easy miles riverside ride there. Train or ride back. 07905 889 005.
Sunday 8 December: Becton Greenway and the Bow Island Ride: an explore of the 4 canals that border Bow. 30 slow towpathy miles. Almost no roads. 10am Cutty Sark Gardens. Then to the Woolwich Ferry down the Thames Path, and over. 07905 889 005.
Saturday 14 December: Ceilidh. The Muckers live. Fast, traditional, Celtic, 7 piece fiddle band. Irresistible dancing, pay bar, internal bike-park. 8pm until midnight at the West Greenwich Arts Centre, 141 Greenwich High Road. Tickets include mid-evening buffet and are on sale now. £12 or £8 unwaged/under 18's. £15 on door, if available. 07905 889 005.
Wednesday 25 December: Deserted London: meet 10am Cutty Sark Gardens for a ride into and round empty central London. We'll post-pub lunch somewhere suitable for all, vegans even. Join us anywhere. 07905 889 005.
Saturday 28 December: 10am Cutty Sark Gardens: Locks, Docks and no blooming sales: that slow explore east again. Stay all day for the 30 mile explore, or just do half. 07905 889 005.
14-22 June 2003: National Bike Week
Saturday 21 June 2003: Midsummer Madness Ride: meet 2am Cutty Sark Gardens
for five slow miles to the top of Primrose Hill for sunrise on the longest day of the year.
Saturday 12 July 2003: the legendary Dunwich Dynamo. Number eleven. Coach back tickets from 07905 889 005. See FAQ’s on the website for details.
Monday 22 September: European Car Free Day. The new plans for the central Greenwich one-way system outlined in the Greenwich Town Centre Strategy talk about improvemennt the environment through effective traffic management and "encouraging car-free day type initiatives". We’re looking for a bigger and better repeat of the wonderful opening of the roads to pedestrians in 2000.