Three new cyclists on brand new bikes made it thirteen in the group this month. Nervous and fairly inexperienced they were reassured that our routes were mainly off road or through quiet lanes and byways. There is also safety in numbers of course. However, Coombe Wood is on the other side of Croydon and try as you might eventually you have to face central Croydon on a busy Saturday afternoon. Fresh in our minds the story of the tram driver asleep at the wheel not far from where we were about to cycle. But George Street was empty of vehicles as we headed towards East Croydon station and we turned right towards the Law Courts, two of us remembering long weeks of Jury service there last year. Then the gentle uphill through Park Hill Park where our newcomers may have thought they deserved tea but we had more mileage to go and Lloyd Park to navigate. One of our more experienced cyclists meeting the mud knee first and the rest of us deciding to dismount for the tree roots and muddy patches. Then a short cycle down Coombe Lane to the Coach House cafe in Coombe Wood. Very timely as the rain now arrived but we all sat in comfort in the back garden under cover and recuperated before another exciting off road experience through a muddy Coombe Wood on the return journey.
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