• ALL DAY RIDE TO GREENWICH

    Saturday 10 July 2021

    Riders who can't find their way to Beddington Park should meet at the traffic lights in North Cheam where Malden Road meets London Road.  
    Departure from North Cheam 9.15.
    Three leaders (Tim Gibbons, Steph Wyatt and Helen Tovey) will be there to lead you in small groups to the start at Beddington Park.

    The ride will depart in groups from the Pavilion Cafe in Beddington Park at the following times.

    9.45
    Leader Simon Lambourn
    Anna Parsley
    Roger Parsley
    Daniel Arthur
    Helena Arthur
    Brenda Breen

    10.00
    Leader Tim Gibbons
    Mayuri Patel
    Debbie Sands
    Maggie Gibson
    Angela Russell

    10.10
    Leader Dave Vine
    Kasumi Brooker
    Ed Sharp
    Sue Bellamy
    Clive Janes

    10.20
    Leader Helen Tovey
    Ann Bath
    Alice Betts
    Brian Greenwood
    Lilian Chelli

    10.30
    Leader Paul James
    Maggie James
    Tim Court
    Steph Wyatt
    Madeleine Shearer

    Coffee is after about 9 miles at Kent House station.  There is a single loo there, and no other loos until Greenwich.  Use the ones at the start in the Pavilion Cafe if you need. 

    Lunch is at the Dog and Bell in Greenwich, after about 16 miles and after our visit to Greenwich Park.  Note that the public loos in Greenwich Park cost 20p to use; there is one cafe near the Royal Observatory with a loo, but you probably have to buy something that will not be cheap, and lunch is only fifteen minutes later.

    During the afternoon we will pass the entrances of London Bridge and Blackfriars Stations (21 and 22 miles) and close to Waterloo Station (23 miles).  These are the best opportunities for those who might not want to cycle the whole course to return home on the train.  If you peel off to do so, please ensure you tell your leader so that he or she does not start a search, thinking you have been left behind.  There is a loo in London Bridge station which is accessible without going through the ticket barrier.

    Afternoon tea is at Battersea Park (24 miles), from where we take the most direct route back to Morden Hall Park, the official end to the ride (34 miles).  The facilities at Morden Hall Park will most likely be shut by 5pm, slightly before we are likely to get there.  Those needing a loo after Battersea Park, we pass them at Clapham Common (29 miles) and at the Savacentre at Merton (32 miles).

    Risks to watch out for (your leaders have ridden the course and are prepared for these)

    Remember to bring a spare inner tube, and this year a face mask and hand gel.

    We are cycling mainly through parks, along river banks and along designated cycle routes.  Nevertheless it is necessary to traverse some main roads and one or two busy areas and it is Saturday in London, so please stay alert for traffic when we are on the road, especially remembering that cycle lanes are sometimes shared with buses, and for pedestrians when we are in the parks, the tourist spots and the shopping areas of suburbia.  

    It is more pleasant, and safer, riding in a small group but we each individually must look out for our own safety.

    We have minimised your contact with tram lines in the road at Croydon to one very short stretch.  Cross them at right angles and ride for 20 yds on the cycle/pedestrian shared pavement.

    It will be probably be best to dismount at the spiral bridge in the park just before Ladywell.

    It will probably be necessary to dismount also on the embankment at Blackfriars Bridge.

    After crossing Chelsea Bridge, the right turn into Battersea Park may best be done using the pedestrian lights.  Your leader will decide, depending on the traffic.

    For those who like to follow it, this is the link to the route, but please note there are alternative routes, particularly between Ladywell and Blackheath, and around Merton, which your leader may choose to follow.


    We hope you enjoy the ride!

    Paul and Maggie James