- Ride 1. Royal Parks Loop
- Ride 2. Burgess Park to Dulwich Park
Occasionally we start 2 rides at the same time and from the same location. This was one of those occasions. Was a sunny day, not too hot with a good turnout of about 30 mingling at the start. Always nice to see. After a short welcome from Bruce it was over to the 2 ride leaders to brief riders about their ride.
Ride 1. Royal Parks Loop
Popular ride with 20 or so including Ride Leader (Bruce) and marshals. Rode across Burgess Park and then quiet street route to Southwark Bridge Road. Busier roads to Southwark Bridge and across the City with lots of slow stop lights. Joined Cycleway 6 at Farringdon and followed it to Regent Square. Heading west now on mostly segregated cycle lanes past UCL, then north up Tottenham Court Road and Hampstead Road then west again to Regents Park at Chester Gate. Riders were now experts at efficiently getting through light-controlled junctions, but we were running over 30 min behind schedule. Time for a Coffee Break at the Broad Walk Cafe.
Despite being a bit late decided to stick with a loop of the Outer Circle to avoid walking a section at the closed York Bridge. So a nice 2km of steady cycling that took us to Baker St. Always congested here but everyone kept together as we made a few turns to York Rd. At the right turn off Gloucester Place we used a 2-stage right turn. When arriving at the stop line turned left into York Rd and occupied the roomy Advance Stop Line area. When the lights changed rode straight across on York Rd and continued to Seymour Place. Most riders had never performed a 2 stage right. We all managed it and were through on one phase. Do not use 2 stage turns often, but they can, as in this instance, provide a safe way to negotiate a junction without significant delay. Continued down Seynour Pl eventually turning on to Upper Berkely St, crossing the Edgware Rd, left through Connaught Sq and into Hyde Park from Stanhope Pl.
Took the direct path to Hyde Park Corner then flew down Constitution Hill (no trafffic) and into the Mall. Stopped for a few minutes while police escorted some impressive limos through. We then turned on to Pall Mall to avoid the filming amd demonstratons around Parliament Sq. Round the back of the Natonal Portrait Gallery and on to a traffic free Charing Cross Road (possibly closed for the convoy we had seen in the Mall). Useful as meant easy to get across to the Strand. At Waterloo Bridge there they were. The route of the demonstrators turned out to be across Waterloo Bridge and there were a lot of them. Quick change of plan, across the Aldwych (really like this now it is traffic free). Then along Fleet St joining Cycleway 6 and speeding down to Blackfriars Bridge. This straight section fo the Cycleway would be really quick if there were not so many stop lights! Neverthless were making up time. As we approached the Elephant turned right on to the SW bypass, crossing the busy A3 then in to Portland St (C17) back to Burgess Park. Riders peeling off at various points over the last 3 miles so we were down to about 12. In the end we arrived back at the Burgess Park Cafe at exactly 1.30pm – we had made up all the lost time!
Eventful but very enjoyable ride. Parks looked great and were not too crowded Plenty of positive comments and photos on WhatsApp (Southwark Cyclists). Thanks to Jamie, Nicolas and David for marshalling/backmarking. Route at https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1an3On883zh_5OJ4Pl7zXhtMhZMPaFdo&usp=sharing
Ride 2. Burgess Park to Dulwich Park
Herne Hill Velodrome, photos from Eduardo.
Nine riders including Ride Leader Eduardo. Short notes from Eduardo. “People liked the velodrome. We stopped for a coffee there. Paula joined us in Peckham Rye Park. In general very good route. Good to do again.”
Route map: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1pElCotX1P3H-NopWcpNX3by3wPc6YvY&usp=sharing
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