Healthy Ride 7th March 2020. Report by Bruce Lynn.

21 riders in Dulwich Park ready for the ride on a cold, dry and overcast morning. Set off via the Court Lane Gate and down the hill to Peckham. One rider had a chain problem on Crystal Palace Road. Fortunately was close to Evans Cycles on East Dulwich Road so hopefully was able to get it fixed even though he missed the rest of the ride. At the top of Rye Lane we had to walk past a huge mobile crane, but this meant we had a nice traffic free stretch beyond the blockage. At Peckham Square 3 riders were waiting as arranged. They joined the ride and we continued down the Canal Path, and along Glengall Rd to Cycleway 1 at Oxley Close. Soon left CW1 and took a back streets route to Jamaica Road at Dockhead. Paused to admire the new segregated cycle lane for Cycleway 4. It is not open yet but will eventually form part of continuous safe route from Tower Bridge Road to Greenwich. We were able to ride about 100m stretch to Shad Thames where we turned in and continued the short way to the river at Butlers Wharf. Fine views of Tower Bridge from there, so lots of photos taken. Next continued under Tower Bridge Approach and into Potters Field where we stopped again to look at the upstream side of Tower Bridge – much the same as the downstrean side, actually…

Return route took us first across Potters Field, then through St Johns Churchyard and on to Bermondsey St and CW1 at Rothsay St. Turned east along CW1, briefly joining our outward route at the end of Willow Walk. Turned off CW1 and proceeded via Surrey Square to Burgess Park. Headed west across the park joining CW17 (was Q7 until recently, both signs on bits of the route, clearly we are in transition from the old (Quietway, Superhighway) nomenclatue to the new world to unified Cycleways). Followed CW17 for most of the rest of the ride. The only longish climb came soon – up Camberwell Grove. That took us to Champion Hill. A traffic reduction scheme here has been trialled and is now out to Consultation by Southwark Council. Be nice if the scheme became permanent. The consultation is ending March 15th so you may be reading this in time to respond (https://consultations.southwark.gov.uk/environment-leisure/dogkennelhill-1/ and also see https://southwarkcyclists.org.uk/champion-hill-no-entry-trial/)

From Champion Hill, freewwheeled down the Greendale, rode up and down Calton Ave, then through Dulwich Village and back to Dulwich Park. Pretty much dead on time back at the Cafe with the sky lightening and a Spring-like feeling in the air.

Route at https://goo.gl/Kz7wjr. GPX file below