Archive by Author
February 18th – Rides for Everyone – Bushy Park and the Thames
February 18, 2012 by Paul Luton, under All Posts.
We meet at Strawberry Hill station at 10.30. and cycle through Bushy Park to Hampton Court. We then follow the Thames downstream to Teddington Lock, pausing for coffee en route, and hence back to Strawberry Hill.
Seven of us met up – equally divided between Skyriders and LCC members. There was quite a stiff headwind on the way south through Bushy Park and past Hampton Court but we enjoyed some glimpses of sunshine and the wind blew us through Kingston to coffee at the YMCA Hawker Centre. We regained Strawberry Hill in advance of threatened rain.
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21st January – Rides for Everybody – Chiswick House
January 21, 2012 by Paul Luton, under All Posts, Events, Ride Reports.
We meet a Mortlake station on the Green side at 10.30. A riverside ride takes us to the pioneering landscape gardens of Chiswick House and coffee. We then cross Kew Bridge and return to Mortlake along the South Bank of the Thames.
Four of us met at Mortlake and enjoyed a riverside ride to Chiswick.
During the coffee break another two riders, who had been uncertain of the start, joined us and the six of us rode against the wind to Kew before being blown back along the towpath to Mortlake.
Notable – toucan crossings without visible permission to ride on the footway to be able to use them.
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8th January 2012 – Rides for Explorers – Box Hill
January 8, 2012 by Paul Luton, under All Posts.
Our traditional antidote to Christmas Pudding.
We meet at 10.15 on Twickenham Embankment (by Eel Pie Bridge) and cycle through Horton Country Park and Ashsted Common to the cycle track through the Mole Gap. Then we go up Box Hill (not actually that steep) to be rewarded by a spectacular view and lunch at a friendly pub. The way back is mostly downhill so not too late back but do bring lights.
Wow – thirty one of us met up so thanks to Jonathan as back-marker for avoiding losses en route. The mild but cloudy weather still made the country park and common attractive and the view from Box Hill is always special. A shock however to find our usual accommodating pub converted into an up-market pub-restaurant. After a drink most of us pressed on to Headley Common where the refreshment van came up with a variety of snacks.
The reunited group then enjoyed the downhill ride with flashes of sunlight getting back to Twickenham by about 4.30.
Thanks to Andy for the route profile:
How many helpings of Christmas pudding make 2,076 C ?
Not certain how to play this route next year without a suitable sheltered lunch spot on the top. Any suggestions gratefully received.
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Rides for Everyone – Saturday 17th March
January 1, 2012 by Paul Luton, under Events, Rides, Rides For Everyone.
Crane River Ride
Meet Richmond Little Green by theatre at 10.30 We cross the Thames and head up the tributary river Crane. Passing the nature reserve we try the new cycle path on the Hounslow bank before regaining the Thames in Twickenham and returning along the tow-path. Coffee break somewhere depending on weather. 10 miles , low traffic and pretty flat.
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Richmond Entries for Cycling Facility of the Month ?
December 3, 2011 by Paul Luton, under Uncategorized.
A nice clear logo to show where cyclists should ride
(Staines Rd Twickenham)
Textured paving and sign clearly show the end of shared use of footway. Just turn right to move to carriageway — over the fence !
(Sixth Cross Rd Twickenham.)
Fortunately there’s a convenient warning painted on the ground in case you don’t see the car before you hit it head on!
(Church Road, Richmond)
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Community and Police Partnership meeting report
November 30, 2011 by Paul Luton, under Community.
A few items of cycling interest.
Bike Theft. – the police reported 506 bikes stolen (from street ?) and 683 “non-residential burglaries (mainly bikes stolen from sheds) for the year so far. The latter is a 7% increase. I did ask whether this usually unlocked sheds – apparently not always. Expensive bikes are being targeted. One decoy bike was stolen and quickly taken to Westminster. The Borough Commander – CSI Chalk who is himself a regular cyclist – will send on more details and I will add them here.
Sgt Boulton of Richmond Park Safer Parks Team told me that they had a problem with cyclists not wanting to mar their lightweight bikes with a lock and then leaving them outside a cafe. They will tag bikes on request.
Usual complaints from an individual about cyclists on the footway in Broad Street , Teddington. Why on earth would anyone do that when congestion traffic-calms the road pretty effectively ?
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Rides for Explorers Sunday 4th March 2012
November 21, 2011 by Paul Luton, under Events, Rides, Rides For Explorers.
Meet on Twickenham riverside at 10.30. We head up the Crane then some unavoidable suburbia to cross Shortwood Common into Staines. We follow NCR4 past Runnymede and up Coopers Hill to our lunch stop at the Sun Inn, Englefield Green. We then cut across Windsor Great Park and Chobham Common descending to Chertsey to return along the Thames.About 37 miles.
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Residential Cycle Parking
October 17, 2011 by Paul Luton, under All Posts.
We discussed the problem for cyclists living in flats. Lambeth seem to have solved it.
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Surrey Cycle Guides – available again.
October 8, 2011 by Paul Luton, under Rides.
Anyone who has joined our southerly rides will have benefited from these excellent maps. They are now available again (but at a modest price rather than free, but still good value) from main Surrey libraries.
See this website.
