Evolution at Beddington; 16 August ride to Merton Abbey Mills

Excitingly, we might be seeing an evolution at Beddington Park, and we are not just talking about the dinosaurs (which, by the by, have escaped again and roamed off elsewhere).  This Saturday most of the old guard turned up, represented by Paul and Maggie, Anna and Roger, and Sharon, but there was new blood.  

We are getting used to enjoying Dominika's company; indeed she is fast becoming a regular, but today her friend Justyna joined us for the first time and not only that but Jan, too.  We don't think that Jan has ridden with us since 2023.

As ever with Beginners, we had to tailor our ride to suit Justyna, who has comandeered her son's bike from its sad relegation to the shed, had new brakes fitted and this was only her second ride on it, or any other bike, for a long time.  

Thus we opted for a well-tested route, safe and flat to a place where the coffee and cake is reliable, and tossed a coin between Elmers End and Merton Abbey Mills.

We need not have been so cautious; Justyna turned out to be a competent and safe cyclist.

Well-tested and safe?  Yours truly was daydreaming and missed a turning, there was a traffic jam of frustrated white van drivers at the temporary lights on Mitcham Road and when we turned after Mitcham Eastfields onto Rialto Road, a nice, narrow, quiet one-way street, our leader was met head on by a driver chancing his luck in the wrong direction at some speed.  Luckily collision was avoided and we were a little strung out so those further back were not directly affected and may not have caught the note of panic in the "Car down" cry.

All-in-all, though, we had a lovely ride in a very English heatwave (double layers of clothing and a waste of sun cream) and spent an enjoyable and sociable day together.

Not only were the MED cakes their usual standard, but Dominika brought us some home made, featuring Justyna's garden plums.

We very much hope that J and J can join D in riding regularly with us, decimating the average age and giving us all something younger and brighter to chat about.