Greenwich Cyclists http://www.greenwichcyclists.org.uk en-us Nucleus CMS v3.41 � Weblog http://backend.userland.com/rss http://www.greenwichcyclists.org.uk/nucleus/nucleus2.gif Greenwich Cyclists http://www.greenwichcyclists.org.uk Welcome http://www.greenwichcyclists.org.ukindex.php?itemid=181 Cycling is a fun and healthy activity that can be enjoyed by all!

Join us on one of our rides, long or short, led by experienced cyclists, and often on routes free of motor traffic.
Greenwich Cyclists visit 4000 year-old Crowhurst yew in Surrey (photo: Francis Sedgemore)
Greenwich Cyclists is a branch of the London Cycling Campaign. We welcome anyone and everyone, and it costs nothing to attend our events.
We have among our members gnarly urban cyclists, road racers, commuters, tourers and young families who want somewhere safe to learn, as well as people new to London or cycling.
Cycling is a great way to get to work or the shops, visit friends, galleries and concerts, and get fit. Our aim is to promote cycling which is safe, responsible and considerate to other road users.

We can...
...organize one-to-one professional training, and provide guidance and advice on choosing the right bike, commuting, or planning rides.

You can subscribe to our email group, and, once you feel you know us better, come to our meetings, which are held on the first Wednesday of each month meeting at 7.30pm in the Armada Centre, 21 McMillan Street, London SE8 3EZ.

On the first Wednesday of each month, at 6.30pm in the Dog and Bell pub on Prince Street, SE8 3JD, we join with friends in neighbouring LCC groups to plan group rides and other events. You are most welcome to join us for these informal get-togethers.

You can visit our old site here]]> Welcome http://www.greenwichcyclists.org.ukindex.php?itemid=181 Thu, 2 Feb 2012 15:02:00 +0000 Upcoming Rides and Events http://www.greenwichcyclists.org.ukindex.php?itemid=211 Bromley's Bearsted
When: Saturday 4 February 2012

POSTPONED UNTIL Saturday 10 March

February 2012


Where: Lea Valley to Waltham Abbey & Broxbourne
When: Sunday 5 February 2012
Meet: 10:00 @ Cutty Sark Gardens, SE10 9LW

RIDE CANCELLED (as at Saturday evening, 4 February).

After looking at the MetOffice synoptic charts, and the general weather forecast for tomorrow, I’ve decided to postpone the Sunday 5 February ride up the Lea Valley. The chance of heavy snow this evening is very high, as is the likelihood of thick fog throughout Sunday. It would be at the very least careless of me to lead a ride along, and possibly into, the River Lea under such conditions.

Please note that this ride will be postponed should there be any ice on the roads on Sunday morning.

On Sunday we ride along the River Lea into Hertfordshire, passing Waltham Abbey and the eponymous woods, stopping to feed and water in a riverside pub in the village of Broxbourne.

The route to the River Lea Navigation will involve negotiating the infamous Greenwich Foot Tunnel, the waterways through the Isle of Dogs, and the Regents and Hertford Union canals. The Lea towpath will then take us north by Hackney, Walthamstow and Tottenham Marshes, before crossing the M25 just south of Waltham Abbey. From there it is but a few kilometres along the riverside through Waltham Abbey Woods and Cheshunt to Broxbourne.

The return leg will be a reverse of the above, at least as far as Springfield Marina in Hackney. At that point we can decide whether to continue south along the Lea, or make a detour across the Marshes, rejoin the Lea for a short stretch, and then head southeast toward the Olympic stadium and Greenway. If we take the latter route, we will then cross the Thames with the Woolwich Ferry, and spin the final 10 kilometres along the Thames Path to Greenwich. Otherwise, it's the Isle of Dogs again, and the wretched foot tunnel sans lifts.

The ride will be fairly long, but the terrain is as flat as a pancake. Bring warm clothing, snacks, lights (lights essential!) and the usual bike repair bits.

Looking at the map, I'm surprised to see how close Waltham Abbey Woods is to Hertford. A day ride to Hertford and back would be nice, but that is perhaps better left to the spring or summer.

Those unable or unwilling to complete the entire ride can bail out at Broxbourne or suchlike, and take a train back to London.

Francis
(07840 191336 – no texts please)

Where: Gravesend
When: Saturday 11 February 2012
Meet: 07:00 @ Cutty Sark Gardens, SE10 9LW

The purpose of this ride to Gravesend and back is to escort to Greenwich Chris Leakey and Liz Wilton – a British couple on the final leg of a charity-funding, cross-globe cycle tour from New Zealand to England. Liz and Chris began their epic adventure in Auckland in September 2009, and on Saturday 11 February will end the journey by the Gipsy Moth pub in Greenwich, where there will be a celebratory do in the afternoon.

See the project website for details...

www.bikeabout.co.uk

As I write (14:00, Thursday 3 February), the couple are in Frankfurt-am-Main.

The final leg of Chris and Liz's global sojourn will involve riding along National Cycle Route #1 from Baltic Wharf in Gravesend, stopping in Dartford, Erith and Woolwich to pick up riders, and hopefully raise more money for the Child's Dream charity. The aim of the project is to raise funds for a school for underprivileged children in South East Asia.

The ride from Gravesend to Greenwich will start at 09:45, so those of us cycling out to Gravesend to meet Liz and Chris will have to leave Cutty Sark Gardens very early indeed! It takes an hour and forty-five minutes to cover the distance at a brisk pace, and we must allow for stoppages, hence the 07:00 start. If that is too much for the booze-addled or sleep-deprived among you, an alternative would be to catch a train to Gravesend. The meeting place is Baltic Wharf, DA11 0DD, which is around 600 metres NNW of the station.

The other stopping points are detailed here…

www.bikeabout.co.uk/BikeaboutLondon.shtml

Let's give our sore-of-arse friends Chris and Liz a warm to Greenwich!

Francis
(07840 191336 – no texts please)

March 2012


Bromley's Bearsted
When: Saturday10 March 2012
Meet: Bromley South Station or Catford Station

Approximately 45 miles - includes quite a few hills, predicted ascent/descent of around 3000 ft ..... The ride will be entirely on road and on lanes for 99% of its length, passing through many peaceful villages and, especially in the 2nd half ... very little traffic. We'll have a pub lunch somewhere en route – perhaps at Westwell. If anyone wants a GPX file to see exactly where we are going – please email Andrew: kayacan@aol.com and he will send it to you. Trevor and he will also be going to the Black Horse pub at Thurnham after the ride – hopefully back to Bearsted station by about 4:30 pm. Meet Andrew Fergar on Bromley South Station Forecourt at 09:05 for the 09:23 direct service to Bearsted – ETA 10:08 OR Meet Trevor Hughes by the ticket machine at Catford Station (NOT Catford Bridge !) at 08:45 for the 09:03 to Bromley South , where you will change onto the Bearsted bound train

Andrew Fergar 07717 693 701 Trevor Hughes 07775 928 953

April 2012



London Cycling Campaign Election Campaign Event
Date: Saturday 28 April 2012

Why: CTC/CTC London is supporting the LCC Election Campaign Event in support of its campaign to make roads in the Greater London safe and inviting as in Holland (Netherlands) for cycling.

Please try not to book any ride or event on this day so that we can have a good turn out.

Time: To be confirmed

Location: central London, feeders to be confirmed.

Supported by: The London Cycling Campaign and CTC/CTCLondon

October 2012



South Bucks CTC Camping/cycling weekend
12-14 October
St Leonards - a few miles east of Wendover

Indoor camping (bring everything you need for comfort except the tent), also outdoor camping for tents, campervans, caravans. Breakfast provided for campers. Hall available 4pm Friday till late Sunday afternoon.
Each day a mixture of rides will be available, a cooked meal on Saturday night (vegetarian option available), slide show, quiz etc. Suitable for families and occasional cyclists as well as more regular ones as the rides vary in length from, say, 12 miles to 60+. Normally only costs about £30 for the whole weekend. More details will follow later in the year. Make the most of this part of the Chilterns in case that stupid railway goes ahead...


]]> Rides and Events http://www.greenwichcyclists.org.ukindex.php?itemid=211 Thu, 2 Feb 2012 14:01:00 +0000 Jubilee Greenway, Sunday 22 January 2012 http://www.greenwichcyclists.org.ukindex.php?itemid=239
Given the nice weather, it wasn’t surprising to be greeted with a good turnout for the Jubilee Greenway ride. Fourteen left Greenwich, though one went AWOL somewhere around the South Bank. ’Tis a mystery.

With a slow pace into the stiff westerly wind, it took us a while to reach the café in Upper Ground by the National Theatre, where we stopped for an exchange of fluids and early lunch. From the South Bank it was onwards through central London to Hyde Park, and then another refuelling stop in Kensington Palace Gardens.

Camden Lock - Jubilee Greenway ride, 22 January 2012 (Francis Sedgemore)

The pace slowed again once we left the traffic in Paddington and joined the Regents Canal towpath. Camden Lock was heaving with Spanish tourists doing their Cool Britannia bit, but once we had cleared that trendy bottleneck, the canal-side riding was free and easy all the way to Victoria Park in Hackney. By this time the sun was low in the sky, and the light reflecting off the water and walls particularly lovely.

A path closure prevented us joining the Greenway at the planned point, so we continued down the River Lea to Stratford High Street, where one tired rider left to catch a train home. The rest of us continued on the Greenway to Beckton, where we left the path and spun through the various bits of Beckton Park toward the Albert Dock.

After crossing the Thames on the Woolwich Ferry, the Bromley contingent and a few others headed off toward Shooters Hill, while the remaining four rode the final 10 km along the Thames Path to Greenwich.

The Jubilee Greenway is proving to be a popular and appreciated Sunday cycling route.

Francis]]> Ride Reports http://www.greenwichcyclists.org.ukindex.php?itemid=239 Sun, 22 Jan 2012 22:04:13 +0000 Fog on the Thames (Jubilee Greenway, 20 November 2011) http://www.greenwichcyclists.org.ukindex.php?itemid=237
By the time we reached central London, the fog was beginning to lift, and we were greeted by the eery sight of the Shard building floating in the sky like a Saturn rocket viewed across the Florida Everglades. From thereon it was blue skies and a chill air as we made our way through the South Bank, Vauxhall and Westminster, and on to Hyde Park. The lunch stop was the café by Kensington Palace.

After a short spin through Bayswater, we were on the Regents Canal, with the pace slowed by numerous bipeds and quadrupeds sharing the towpath. Camden Lock was packed with trendy food chompers, as per usual.

Onwards to Hackney, where we left the Regents Canal and made out way through Victoria Park to the Hertford Union Canal and River Lea Navigation. Instead of joining the Greenway before the Olympic Stadium, we decided to check out the new stretch of cyclepath flyover by Bow, the creators of which received an award at the recent London Cycling Campaign AGM. Tom and Claire Crispin, young newlyweds on a bicycle made for two, left us at this point to make their way home via Limehouse. Jane, with a head full of cold, also decided here to forgo the pleasures of the Greenway and Thames Path.

That left four to navigate the perilous highway known as Stratford High Street, and join the Greenway on the other side from the Olympic stadium/Pudding Mill Lane. Note that our detour on the new cycle flyover didn’t really help us move from the Lea Navigation on to the Greenway; we still had to join the traffic on Stratford High Street, and pray to our respective gods of choice for the preservation of body and soul.

After only a few minutes on the Greenway, we disappeared into a thick bank of fog, and it continued thus all the way east and south through Beckton Park to the Woolwich Ferry terminal. The ferry was now closed, owing to the fog, so we stopped to view boats and buildings floating on clouds, with the twinkling lights of the city at dusk helping to give a sense of geographical perspective.

Thames by fog - Jubilee Greenway ride, 20 November, 2011 - Francis Sedgemore

The lack of a ferry crossing left us with no choice but to ride through Silvertown, across Bow Creek, and along the Thames Path north-side to Millennium Gardens in Poplar. Here we crossed the river through the Greenwich foot tunnel.

The surviving four were back by 17:30, after a pleasant if slightly odd day’s cycling that ended as it began in thick fog.

Special mention should be made of Jen, on her first Greenwich Cyclists group ride. Sixty kilometres broke this young lady’s personal daily record by several hundred percent, and she can now proudly call herself a Jubilee Greenway veteran. Southwark’s Colin H-P and Gig from Lewisham were the other two riders.

Francis

p.s., Please note that my scheduled ride for next Saturday is cancelled, as I’m out of London for some days this week, and will likely not be back before the weekend. I will instead be in Holbeach, Lincolnshire, and possibly internet-incommunicado. However, if I do make it back by Friday, I may decide to do a ride on Saturday, in which case I will email details to the Greenwich and Lewisham lists.]]> Ride Reports http://www.greenwichcyclists.org.ukindex.php?itemid=237 Mon, 21 Nov 2011 08:52:50 +0000 This is a new item http://www.greenwichcyclists.org.ukindex.php?itemid=236 News http://www.greenwichcyclists.org.ukindex.php?itemid=236 Wed, 2 Nov 2011 21:04:55 +0000 The Idiots Tour of Route 66, Saturday 29 October 2011 http://www.greenwichcyclists.org.ukindex.php?itemid=235
One of Greenwich’s lesser kept secrets is the perennial building site that is Cutty Sark Gardens. It is a maze to navigate for pedestrians and cyclists, and Thames Clippers do themselves no favours with the bit of path near the entrance to the boat terminal. Totally inadequate signage, including details of restrictions on the particular lifeforms that may use this hallowed passage.

Now I am aware that the footpath along the front of the old naval college is technically off-limits to cyclists, but when funnelled into it on leaving Cutty Sark Gardens, unable to cut straight through into the college grounds and along the official cycle path, I couldn’t care about transgressing the rules. What I object to is being shouted at by some pea-brained creature with an evident over-fondness for pies. The gobby one, clad in a Thames Clippers vest, tried to block the path with his hand as I passed at the front of our group. This would have been unfortunate for him had his hand made contact with my person. Luckily for him, it didn’t, so I proceeded on my way, having completely ignored his protestations.

Seemingly peeved at such humiliation, the vested one then turned his attention to another of our number, calling him an “idiot”, and declaring loudly that children used the path. Golly gosh! Children? Who’d have thunk it?

Once we had freed ourselves from the spiritual death grip of Greenwich Town Centre, the ride continued at a gentle pace eastwards to Woolwich, with the prospect of a cup of coffee at the Firepower café, and the first bacon sarnie of the day for our very own Dr Senior.

Thamesmead tour, 29 October 2011 - chav-calming water feature (Francis Sedgemore)

From the Arsenal it was on to the borough border with Bexley near Thamesmere lake, where we cut south along leaf-strewn paths and childebeest-calming water features. Past Birchmere lake and a car boot sale, Comrade Coordinator Austin left us for a luncheon appointment, and the rest of us continued along the “Route 66” cycle path toward the heart of downtown Thamesmead. The café in Morrison’s supermarket wasn’t as busy as we had anticipated, and the food was cheap.

An overheard conversation near this point:

Small child asks her mother: “Why are all these old people on bikes?”
Mother to daughter: “I guess it’s because they must really like cycling.”

From Morrisons we headed south and west, leaving the main road by Gallions Park. After a quick tour around the houses, we spiralled our way up High View Tor, to be met at the top with a splendid panoramic view of London.

Thamesmead tour, 29 October 2011 - on High View Tor (Francis Sedgemore)

The return to Greenwich was along the same Thames Path covered a few hours previously, and we were back by four o’clock. It was a good ride, largely flat and gentle of pace for the less experienced cyclists, yet fairly substantial, with a total distance covered of around 40 kilometres. This must be one for the Greenwich Book of Rides. If any of you wish to lead a tour of Thamesmead, or simply enjoy it for yourself, I can provide a GPX file.

Francis]]> Ride Reports http://www.greenwichcyclists.org.ukindex.php?itemid=235 Mon, 31 Oct 2011 10:26:25 +0000 Links http://www.greenwichcyclists.org.ukindex.php?itemid=234
- LCC

- Sustrans

- Bikeability

- Cyclist's Touring Club

- Southwark Cyclists

- Lewisham Cyclists

- Bromley Cyclists

- Young Lewisham and Greenwich cyclists

]]> Links http://www.greenwichcyclists.org.ukindex.php?itemid=234 Sat, 29 Oct 2011 17:13:58 +0000 About Us: http://www.greenwichcyclists.org.ukindex.php?itemid=233
Contact Us:
]]> About Us http://www.greenwichcyclists.org.ukindex.php?itemid=233 Sat, 29 Oct 2011 17:11:14 +0000 Dr Hoo's autumn outing http://www.greenwichcyclists.org.ukindex.php?itemid=231
Onwards to Gravesend by road rather than Thames Path, we set a brisk pace, and an hour and thirty-five minutes later arrived at the café on Gordon Promenade. Which was shut, and didn't open for another 30 minutes. At Gravesend were waiting for us John from Hither Green, New Eltham cabby Dave, and sans bike, with a copy of the Grauniad tucked under an arm, and cleat-less shoes on feet, Jurek, with whom I had cycled a similar route two weeks previously.

After tea and a chinwag on the prom, six headed east out of Gravesend, and onto the Hoo Peninsula at Lower Higham. With the motor traffic behind us, the pace eased, and we enjoyed the winding lanes and fruit trees of the Hoo as we rode north toward Cliffe Pools, and east to Cooling.

After passing Jools Holland's gaff (Cooling Castle), we stopped at the church of St James, which provided inspiration to Charles Dickens for his novel Great Expectations. Just down the road from the Cooling church, we parked up at the Horseshoe and Castle pub, where a dejected-looking Katie from Lewisham, who had just witnessed our beloved Wales lose a major international sporting contest by just one point, sat on a wall. Food and ale sorted that out, and a short while later our spirits were uniformly high.

20111017-terra-finis-allhallows-francis-sedgemore.jpg

Our route now took us up Lipwell Hill and on to High Halstow, before turning northeast to Allhallows: Terra Finis, the End of the Earth. I say that, but over the water, in the far distance, one could just about see Southend, about which we shall say no more. At this point, Jane did the honourable and comradely thing, and dipped her toes into the North Sea on behalf of all of us there assembled.

It was a wee bit nippy on the Allhallows prom. We didn't stay long, choosing instead to begin our return journey through the eastern and southern sides of the peninsula. I made a slight navigational error on leaving Allhallows village, and missed the turning to Stoke, which would have taken us down the eastern edge of hilly Hoo, with a good view of the Medway estuary to our left. We instead retraced our outward track through St Mary Hoo, and rectified the mistake at Roper's Green, by Hoo Saint Werbugh.

From there it was a straight westward run past Upnor and Lower Higham, where all but three of us opted for a train-assist back to London. Jane, Adam and I rode on to Gravesend, and a chocolate stop at a petrol station infested with some serious-looking young rozzers, urban combat fatigues bulging with policing kit of various kinds.

After leaving Gravesend for the second time in a day, and with our blood-sugar levels sufficiently boosted, the pace picked up for a fast spin along hilly roads through Northfleet, Swanscombe and Greenhithe. After a short and quietish lakeside detour off the A206, in a place marked "Void" on my map, it was onward to Erith.

At Erith, peace and quiet once more. There we stopped on the pier to admire the sunset, and then continued along the river past Thamesmere, Plumstead and Woolwich. And finally, the 10 kilometre home run from the Woolwich Ferry to Greenwich Pier, with the twilight sky a deep shade of red, courtesy of London's air pollution.

Eleven hours and just shy of 140 kilometres after our early morning departure, we arrived at Cutty Sark Gardensin Greenwich. And we all felt fine. On Sunday morning I was even fit enough for Eric the Unready's wrong-way spin around the Locks & Docks, about which we will no doubt hear directly from the Comrade Leader.]]> Ride Reports http://www.greenwichcyclists.org.ukindex.php?itemid=231 Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:11:30 +0000 Foot Tunnels http://www.greenwichcyclists.org.ukindex.php?itemid=230
Dear Sir,

Greenwich Cyclists object to The Greenwich (Prescribed Routes) (No. *) Traffic Order 2011.

The general effect of the Order would be to prevent pedestrians (and cyclists) accessing the Woolwich Foot Tunnel “at such times as it is necessary for the purpose of avoiding the likelihood of danger to persons using the tunnel or for the cleansing, maintenance, repair, improvement or reconstruction of the tunnel.”

The reason for our objection is that Greenwich Council which manages the Woolwich and Greenwich foot tunnels has acted irresponsibly and without any regard for the travelling public by allowing a situation to develop where both tunnels are currently closed, despite assurances to ourselves and the wider public that alternative arrangements would be made, and should not be given statutory power to repeat such mismanagement.’

Objections to the foot tunnel closures can be e-mailed to: jessop@projectcentre.co.uk]]> Foot Tunnels http://www.greenwichcyclists.org.ukindex.php?itemid=230 Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:19:56 +0000