A bit of discipline needed; line up straight, make your mind up. Nonsuch to Oaks Park 22 August

On Saturday there looked to be a vacancy for leading the scheduled short ride to Oaks Park.  Maggie figured that a similar length to last week but with a gentle hill or two would be perfect for her continued recovery.  Our plan was that we would join the short ride and that I would lead if there was no-one else.

Nonsuch Park Mansion was a bit chaotic; twenty three riders including Colin, who did not come with us, and Clive, who had already ridden, a temporarily unsuccessful tyre inflation in hand and a great deal of indecision afoot.  We had no Steve at that stage but with my arrival we still had at least five qualified leaders.  It was like a playground on the day of the teachers' strike and it needed someone to step in and get things moving; it was already a quarter past two.

I announced the Oaks Park ride.  Cobham was on the long ride schedule, and Stuart makes a great leader and (just as importantly) a prompt and effective write-up provider, so we asked him to take on that one.  But indecision is like Japanese Knotweed and several were havering between the rides; shall we, shan't we, yes we will no we won't.  And as soon as I announced that I was going to Oaks Park via Banstead, Nigel offered another route and further indecision.  So, suggesting half of them follow Nigel, half follow me, I just set off, accepted Maggie's invitation to back mark, counted how many I had (nine) before we left the park, and made my way at a moderate pace up Burdon Lane and Dorset Road with Maggie, Anna, Roger, Kristen, Mick, Roland, Frank and Paul B, to Belmont Station and then up Downs Road and Sutton Lane to the Misty Mountains.  From there it was a cruise along Woodmansterne Lane and down Carshalton Road past the lavender fields to tea at the Oaks Park cafe.

No sooner had we got our vittles and sat down than Nigel came along with Karen and newcomer Liz, so there were twelve of us for tea and cake and another glorious opportunity for indecision.  I had been pondering the route home, keeping it pleasant for the inexperienced and had opted for concrete and tarmac with a little bit of rural.  Roland knows this territory well and offered an interesting off-road route but Freedown Lane and the tracks over Banstead Common are a bit bumpy for my taste.  Then Nigel said he was going straight down Woodmansterne Road and Beeches Avenue.  Three choices!

Similar tactics to the start.  Announce what you're doing, make sure the two who've asked you to deliver them back to Nonsuch are with you, and get going.  The pause for the photo allowed further changes of mind so when I set off down the hill I had seven with me, and when I climbed up into the Smallholdings I discovered Nigel had opted to follow me.  So we went down Boundary Road and around Grove Park and took the Westmead route through Carshalton and Sutton back to the war memorial entrance to Nonsuch, riders peeling off as we went until it was just me, Liz and Kristen.

A nice, fresh but sunny afternoon out, good company, a couple of hills.  But, goodness, all this dithering!

Ride to Cobham 22 August

 

By Stuart

A good turnout of riders at The Mansion House in Nonsuch Park today and it was great to see Maggie back in the saddle.  Conditions were perfect for cycling - dry, not too hot, not too cold.  Normally, Steve leads this group but as he hadn't turned up by the time we were ready to leave, I took the reins.  Rob offered to back mark which I gratefully accepted.  I wondered whether Steve may be feeling it in his legs as he did a 90 mile!!! ride yesterday.  I also thought that if he did turn up, he knew where we were going and would almost certainly catch us up. Well, that's what happened - he'd caught us before we left Nonsuch Park!  With Steve, there were ten of us in the group, five girls and five boys.

Off we set taking the normal route to Stoke D'Abernon via Malden Rushett and Oxshott.  I thought the pace was OK as most were keeping up with me but I got a couple of requests to go a bit slower so I obliged.  I knew the route to Stoke D but have only been to Cobham once with the Saturday Gang and couldn't remember the last bit.  I was going to take the main road from Stoke D to Cobham. However, just as well Steve had joined us as he knows the back-roads route.  I asked if he would lead this last bit which he did.  We stopped at Gails in Cobham and there were lots of goodies to choose from.  A particular favourite was the toasted croissant with chocolate and almond flakes (a few of us had it, including me).

I asked Steve if he wanted to lead the ride back.  He said I could as it would give him a chance to have a chat with the others.  Fine by me.  Back via Stoke D, Leatherhead, Ashtead. Epsom, Longmead Road and across Hogsmill Open Space.  This route takes us past a bungalow where I used to live so I pointed it out to the group. Wendy wondered why I'd moved (it is rather nice) and I had to explain that I lived there with my parents as a teenager back in the 1960s and before I got married (my dad was a Fleet Street printer which was a well-paid job back then but it did mean he had to work nights).  I then took the group past my current home as it is not much of a detour on the way back to Nonsuch Park and we also went down Karl's road although not past his house. 

A most enjoyable ride with a lovely group and many thanks to Rob for back marking.  I clocked about 26 miles to and from The Mansion House.  With thanks to my fellow riders, Helen, Jackie, John, Kasumi, Ken, Lorraine, Rob, Steve and Wendy.

A promise kept; Beddington Park to Streatham Rookery, 15 August

There was, allegedly, a considerable drop in temperature on Saturday but it did not feel that significant at two in the afternoon as we made our way in a hurry to Beddington Park, having cut it fine making the fig ice cream.

And there, awaiting us, was a healthy assembly of Beddington Park regulars plus a couple of very welcome extras; Clive, a newcomer, and Karen, on a whistlestop tour of Beginners venues since her appointment as the new Beginners representative on the SWLCTC Committee.

Regular readers will know that last time at Beddington I allowed lethargy and the other riders to persuade me to go on one of our regular rides to MED when I wanted a change.  Maggie, on her first ride for a long while as she continues her slow recovery from that torn rotator cuff, volunteered to take first-timer Clive on a gentle trip to MED while I announced we were going on our first visit to Streatham Rookery in four and a half years.

They begged.  They pleaded.  They even mentioned Coombe Lane, which includes a ride through the trees, a precipitous gravel descent to a main road, crossing the Purley Way twice and a fairly lusty hill.  But no.  Leadership is leadership; Streatham Rookery it was going to be.  Thus Roger and Anna, Ken, Sharon, Paul B and backmarking Karen set out on a ride slightly longer and slightly hillier than the Beddington Park norm.

Four and a half years is a long time and there are some intricate bits in downtown Norbury, so I had taken the precaution of digging up Colin and Shirley's instructions and plotting them on Ride with GPS.  And I had forgotten some of the delights inherent in this route.  The Waddon tram stop where nobody likes a cyclist.  The path under the Mitcham Road where drivers do a U-bend and get two opportunities to refuse to let you across on the zebra.  The sheer tranquility of London Road in West Croydon on a hot Saturday afternoon.  The tree-lined glades and waterfalls of Thornton Heath.  How the riders leapt for joy when instead of going along the busy Green Lane I chose the upward way; Norbury Hill.  I admit I had not allowed for the fact that the unpaved section of Gibsons Hill would be quite so sandy and pebbly, but apparently there had been no rain there for a while.  So thrilled were they all with the climb up Gibsons Hill that not one of them opted for the push-through-the-Grove option.  And were those tears of joy I saw glistening as we sat in the sultry heat regaining our breath in the heavy air having skilfully avoided decapitation from the low-hanging bough on the brief roller coaster path at the top of the Grove, where we thrilled at the romantic panorama of Croydon and the faraway music of its police sirens? 

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers, after Gibsons Hill

The kitchen equipment was out of order in the cafe and I admit I had to count to ten several hundred times to keep my cool and say nothing at the girl serving coffee, who was the epitome of casual inefficiency.  And Paul B's comment that the gents up there was a bit seedy merely reflects that he has never been to Old Delhi in the summer's heat.

The long downhill made every inch of the double climb worthwhile and the lads smoking weed and apparently trying to set fire to Micham Common provided a charming insight into the local customs.

Seriously, thanks to everyone for your company and to Karen for back marking.

I had a great time, and the others all thanked me, and Anna was perfectly polite in asking if it might be another four and a half years, at least......

 

New cyclist ends up in the drink; Beddington Park short ride 15 August

 

New cyclist ends up in the drink 😳

By Maggie

Clive joined us at Beddington Park today but thought the planned route to Streatham  Common was just a touch more than he felt up to. However,  he was very happy to cycle along the Wandle Trail with me to M.E.D. at  Merton Abbey Mills. This is an area he knows well and we discussed the alternative byways and paths on offer. So much so that after tea and delicious pumpkin and ginger cake I suggested he lead  me back on the route he favoured.  

Thus we cycled to Morden Hall Park via the Dene city farm car park.  Imagine my surprise when we parked our  bikes by a tree and  Clive's shoes and socks were discarded and he was in the water along with a lot of other aquarobics enthusiasts.  I looked around, happy families were submerged, others were sitting waist deep on picnic chairs and one group had a table in the water too! What's not to like in a heatwave! The people who live along the Wandle know how to keep cool .😎

There were  more surprises too.  A different track out of the park to cross into an estate and a path into Ravensbury park thus avoiding the road works on Morden Road.

We cycled back along the Wandle Trail and went our separate ways home at Poulter Park. Thank you for your company Clive and we look forward to seeing you again – pedaling or paddling!

Pelicans, Parks and Palaces; All Day Ride Saturday 8 August

Madeleine writes:

A motley but friendly crew gathered at Nonsuch Park on the morning of Saturday 8th August. All present and correct, two groups set off in a timely manner, pulled as they were by the golden magnetism of our nation’s capital. In fine spirits and good accord, they were led up to and onto the Wandle Trail by their trusty leaders, Karen and Julie. The latter overtook the former when our K carelessly misplaced her back marker, the redoubtable, snap-happy, shutter-buggy Susan B.

The delay for Team K resulted in an unplanned meet up of the groups in King George’s Park, Earlsfield, where they were also joined by the pretend leader, Madeleine (alas too full of shingles to do the whole ride). And so on to a welcome, relaxed and high-quality coffee break at The Ship on the Thames at Wandsworth.

Onward ho! Back on the saddle, the ride continued along the Thames Path, through Battersea Park, across Chelsea Bridge and so to Westminster. From there, the route skirted St James’ Park & Green Park (with viewings of "pelican island" and Buckingham Palace along the way). Then through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens to a picnic lunch in Holland Park. Lovely - depending on what you brought with you.

With the odd bridge or several thrown in....

All this under the beating sun of the hottest of drought-inducing summers. All parks were brown, but we hope that they might regain their former green, if it ever rains again.

The afternoon took the trusty riders back across the river via Hammersmith Bridge. Fatigue and the heat started to tell on the crew as they bumped along the roughest mile of the Thames Path to Barnes. Dear Kirsten took her leave just before before the last big push: up, up, up to Putney Heath.

Wimbledon Common, swathed in dust and beige, felt like a more likely backdrop for giraffe and zebra than wombles. And caution was taken as the desert sands on the tracks snatched at our tyres.

Struggles were rewarded at the Windmill cafe where thirsts were happily slaked and ice-creams gratefully nibbled and slurped…

After the welcome rest, some enterprising sorts took trains from Wimbledon Station. Meanwhile, a brave and hardy few followed the route back to their homes or Nonsuch Park, making the round trip of 36 miles in 27-28 degrees.

The route was pleasant with some nice sight-seeing highlights. But the good nature and humour of the group was the making of a lovely day out.

Riders:
*Karen C* - leader
Sue B
Kirsten
Mark S
Sharon S
Madeleine (coffee to tea)

*Julie B* - leader
Alice B
Frank B
Jackie R
Karl M