Rides for Explorers – Sunday 6th May
May 4, 2012 by Paul Luton, under Events, Ride Reports.
Windsor Great Park
Five of us met on a overcast Twickenham Riverside. We headed up the Crane then some unavoidable suburbia to cross Shortwood Common into Staines. After going through Egham we decided to avoid an undoubtedly muddy Coopers Hill and tackled Tite Hill with the steep section at the top. Breathing heavily we were soon back into greenery and our lunch stop at the Sun Inn, Englefield Green. We then enjoyed the traffic free roads across Windsor Great Park, especially the descent to Blacknest Gate (a number of our party seemed keen to break the 38mph limit). We then made our way through Sunningdale and Chobham Common descending to Chertsey to return along the Thames. About 37 hilly but scenic miles with only a few drops of rain .
Contact our rides coordinator, Paul, to let him know if you’re coming along or if you want to ask any questions about the ride - rides@richmondlcc.co.uk
You can find a route for the ride here - Route
Meeting point for the ride:
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Feeder to The Big Ride
April 28, 2012 by Paul Luton, under Campaign, Ride Reports.
Join the Big Ride
LCC are organising a Mass ride in London on 28th April in support of “Go Dutch”. We will be meeting on Richmond Little Green at 10.00 to ride to the assembly point in Hyde Park and home again after the ride.
About 30 of us braved a rainy morning to cycle up to London. The actual ride of 10,000 cyclists was impressive – just imagine how many might have turned out on a sunny day. On the return most seem to have opted for a dry train but two father and daughter duos with trailer bike/trailer cast an eye on CycleSuperHighway 8 and enjoyed Battersea Park and Wandsworth Park.
Some photos taken by the Richmond contingent (thanks to Tim Lennon, Jamie Crick, Ivan De Marino and Aniello Del Sorbo):
Will the rain stay off? -
Gathering in Richmond -
Line up before the off –
At Chiswick Bridge -
Arriving in Hyde Park -
At the event -
Gathering on Park Lane -
A sea of cyclists -
And from beyond our group of hardy cyclists:
A video of the gathering at the start:
London Cycling Campaign’s analysis of the day (their photos show just how many people were there, estimated at 10,000!)
Write up on the event from Mark at ibikelondon
Coverage from Danny at Cyclists in the City
Front page news in The Times (which includes more photos of the event)
The event was picked up by both the BBC and ITV
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Rides for Everyone – Saturday 21st April
April 20, 2012 by Paul Luton, under All Posts, Ride Reports.
Mortlake to Isabella
Meet outside Mortlake Station at 10.30. We cycle east, passing Burton’s tent, to Barnes Common and then up to Richmond Park. The Tasmin Trail takes us beside the Beverly Brook (the beavers have long gone) then we turn up to Isabella Plantation. After a brief look at the spring flowers we return to Pen Ponds for coffee and enjoy a freewheel back down to Mortlake. Back about 12.30.
Four of us set off after some problems with identification.( LCC have now supplied some more flags so the ride leader will , in future, be more easily seen .) Despite cloudy spells we enjoyed dry weather and usual and unusual sights including a pedal driven rig for filming cyclists.
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Rides for Everyone – Saturday 17th March
March 17, 2012 by Paul Luton, under Ride Reports.
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. 11 miles , low traffic and pretty flat. Back around 12.30.
Well we got the light rain as forecast but four of us had a pleasant ride nevertheless. Crane Park was the quieter and bird-life abundant.
Coffee in the park having been rained off our thanks to the Rivers household for their hospitality.
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Rides for Everyone – February 18th – Bushy Park and the Thames
February 18, 2012 by Paul Luton, under Ride Reports, Rides For Everyone.
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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Rides for Everyone – 21st January – Chiswick House
January 21, 2012 by Paul Luton, under 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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Rides for Explorers – 8th January 2012 – Box Hill
January 8, 2012 by Paul Luton, under Ride Reports.
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 Explorers 2nd October
October 2, 2011 by Paul Luton, under All Posts.
Through Woods and Fields to Bookham
Meet Twickenham Riverside by Eel Pie bridge 10.15. We head south crossing Littleworth Common, and Esher Common to Cobham and then a path across open fields and wooded Bookham Common.
After a pub lunch we return taking in Oxshott Heath and Princes Coverts.
About 35 miles avoiding main roads and using fairly smooth tracks – most bikes should cope.
Eight explorers started off , including two from the Netherlands – the fame of RCC rides is spreading – showing that any bike (including Dutch uprights with no gears and a satchel hanging from the handlebars) is suitable for our rides!
A bit of a hold-up over lunch but enjoying the sun in a Surrey beer-garden is not too stressful and we were back in the borough by 3.30 after a Golden Afternoon.
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Rides for Everyone – Saturday 17th September – Sandycombe Lodge
September 17, 2011 by Paul Luton, under All Posts.
Open House London Ride – Art and Society by the Thames.
Meet on Twickenham Riverside , by eel-pie bridge at 10.00. We cycle down the Thames past Orleans and Marble Hill to visit Sandycombe Lodge Designed for his own use by Britain’s greatest artist JMW Turner. We continue over Richmond Bridge to Petersham and Ham House: built in 1610 for a courtier of James 1st , sumptuously decorated by a close friend of Charles 1st and enlarged for a chief minister of Charles 2nd. We have time only for a look at the outside and a coffee but if anyone wants to drop out here the house is open free today from 12 and there is lots to see. We return to Twickenham over Teddington Footbridge.
Only 6 miles cycling but allowing for visits will take about 2 hours.
In the event Just four of us turned up (the closure of local rail lines cannot have helped). We were given an extensive tour of Sandycombe Lodge 
before making our way across Petersham meadows – the gates of which are cycle-possible rather than cycle-friendly and the surface rather worse. The paths around Ham House were well used by cyclists of all ages and by the time we had finished our coffees the house was open so we had a brief look round. (PL being a NT guide)
