RIDE REPORT: Petts Wood 14/05/06

9 riders at the library including one who had cycled down from near Petts
Wood so he could return with us. Grey skies but the rain held off all day.
This is quite a suburban ride but it's tempered by a series of green spaces
with pleasant traffic-free cycle routes. The first was South Norwood Country
Park, home to Croydon Arena where the next Love Yr Bike is being held.
Unfortunately, the Visitor Centre was closed.

We picked up the Waterlink Way, a Sustrans route from Greenwich to
Eastbourne and rode through another couple of parks. Then it was up to the
café by golf course at Beckenham Place Park for a mid-morning stop. Their
cake selection was pretty poor but it makes a nice stop-off point. A
puncture enabled a few riders to get a free impromptu puncture repair lesson
from an experienced cycle trainer before we set off for the ancient bluebell
woodlands, hoping last night's rain hadn't created too much mud. It hadn't.

Bromley has 200 unmade roads. I know that because I once asked the Council.
Elstree Hill is a gravel track up a fierce hill. We all made it! Mavelstone
Rd also has a rotten surface but most riders opted for the pavement. Then we
rode downhill past the huge houses to Chislehurst Caves for a quick look
before enduring another unmade road on the way to Jubilee Country Park and
onto lunch at The Daylight Inn near the station at Petts Wood. Nice pub,
good cheap food but out of veggie sausages!

Our rider who was returning back went home to grab his recumbent. A couple
of us had a go in the car park. I found it really hard as you actually need
to turn the handlebars to steer rather than leaning on an upright two
wheeler. It's for sale if anyone fancies a more relaxed riding position.
Drop me a mail if interested and I'll put you in touch with it's owner.

We returned through Normans Park and a couple of Millionaires Rows for an
ice cream stop at the café in Kelsey Park. On nearly all the rides I've led
I've been out to do a recce a few days before. Too much work meant I hadn't
had the time to do this one so I was surprised to see the café had burned to
the ground! It was replaced with an ice cream van and a temporary catering
van. The 7 miles home from here went pretty quickly as we retraced our tyre
tracks around South Norwood Country Park and back through the 'burbs.

28 miles, out for 7 hours. See the pix on Flickr at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pollardshillcyclists/sets/72057594134644091/
or
http://tinyurl.com/sxtr6

Remember to re-read this on the website if you want more info on the places
we visited. And don't use the slideshow option in Flickr if you want to know
where the pix are taken!

===

You may have noticed a dearth of rides listed on the website. That's because
we're picking some new ones tomorrow night (Monday) at our 7pm meeting at
the Mill House on Mitcham Common. All welcome. We'll be sat outside if the
weather is nice.

I've added a family ride for the Bank Holiday Saturday. If you've never done
this ride then you really ought to come - it's a brilliant route and great
to do on your own if you just fancy a local ride. Lots of stops and very
easy pace so kids are welcome if supervised.

The new Love Yr Bike website will be live at midnight. I could do with some
more willing volunteers, no particular task in mind but just being around to
help out if needed. It's going to be a great day. It takes place at the home
of Cycling For All and Saturday's session was already packed so it's going
to be great to see hundreds more cyclists descending on the Arena. Make sure
you click onto:

http://www.love-yr-bike.co.uk

See you next week for the slightly tougher ride than normal out to Denbies
Vineyard. Food is a little bit on the high side so pack a sandwich if you're
on a budget. But it's a great ride out there. 9:30 prompt depart at the
library.

Highly recommended: Lambeth Cyclist's architecture ride next Saturday. See
their website for details:

http://www.lcc.org.uk/index.asp?PageID=1049

Mark
PHC Co-ordinator
http://www.pollardshillcyclists.org.uk
http://www.croydonbikeweek.co.uk
07711 688189