Here's this week's news and reports....

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RIDE REPORT

Freewheel 21/09/08

Last year they were calling it the 'Day Of The Bikes'. This year it
was taken for granted that London would belong to cyclists. It's a
short circuit of central London streets closed to motor traffic with
feeder rides coming in from the outer boroughs, now an annual event
designed to promote cycling. Even Boris was out on his bike to join in
the fun.

We started with 34 riders, including 2 from a total of 10 volunteer
marshalls allocated to us from the London Cycling Campaign (LCC).
They'd received some training specifically for this event, mostly in
blocking junctions. We're normally streets ahead of other groups
anyway as we're already controlling traffic at junctions on a weekly
basis and it turned out that our regular riders did this anyway.
However, any extra help is appreciated. We rode up to Streatham Common
station but missed the cut-through over the pavement and ended up on
the wrong side of the Tooting Athletics track on a path signed as No
Cycling. Whoops!

Lots of people headed to the vegetarian cafe on Clapham Common for a
cup of tea but the queues meant that some ended up making their own
way up to the circuit. We joined with the Wandsworth LCC group for the
ride up to Buckingham Palace. Some people did several laps, others
sought out the stalls and activities after doing just one lap. Every
part of London's diverse community was reflected in the riders taking
part although prompting everyone to don a yellow sponsor's bib ruined
the opportunity to see that most everyday cyclists ride without
technical cycle clothing.

The route home highlighted the danger of the cycle route around the
Oval with LCC's so-called static marshalls offering no assistance at
all. It's fine on your own but too difficult with a group as you're
crossing the fast flow of traffic on a red route to turn into a
passageway. Only a handful can actually get on the pavement to operate
the pedestrian crossing lights.

I think one of the things to bear in mind is that all the
inexperienced cyclists of all ages are enjoying that indescribable
thrill you get from cycling that some of us may now take for granted.
Having the comfort of a large group riding from out of town makes the
ride accessible to those who wouldn't dream of pedalling up to the
West End. Yet by using quiet roads, green spaces and cut-throughs, the
ride can be equally as enjoyable on any Sunday. You may not get to use
the Embankment underpass in peace but there are numerous routes that
we take for granted such as the Thames Path, the Wandle Trail, the
Waterlink Way and further afield along the canals and on top of the
Northern Outfall Sewer pipe (coming soon - watch this space!) that can
all be enjoyed without having motor traffic breathing down your neck.

See the pix on Flickr at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pollardshillcyclists/sets/72157607419629615
or
http://tinyurl.com/phc012

---

Freewheel is a great idea but it's not enough. It should be weekly.
That's not a pipedream, it already happens all over the world. The
Colombian capital of Bogota leads the way and closes 70 miles of
streets for up to 2 million cyclists and skaters, EVERY SUNDAY! Watch
this amazing film to see how it works...

http://www.streetfilms.org/archives/ciclovia

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RIDE REPORT

Harmondsworth Great Barn 20/09/08

Only 2 riders took advantage of today's longer ride to see the Great
Barn at Harmondsworth, open for one day of the year as part of
London's Open House event. Taking a reasonably flat and quiet route to
Kingston, the ride cut through Bushy Park and on towards Heathrow.
Harmonsdworth seems to be mostly known these days for its detention
centre and the fact that it is one of the forgotten villages of
Heathrow. But the village centre could be any rural Surrey village,
with its small green, old blacksmiths and parish church.

The weather was great so we had lunch in the pub garden before walking
over to the barn. According to the Open House guide, this great barn
or Magna Grangia is the last in a series of enormous, cathedral-like
medieval tithe barns built on this site in Harmondsworth. Originally
started in 1424, it was recently restored but the offshore
construction firm owners have no real interest in maintaining it. They
purchased it for a nominal sum of £1 as part of a package. The
hammerbeam roof, however, is quite spectacular. As it was free to get
in, we each splashed out 50p to get both of their 2 leaflets about the
barn and the village. We had to wear hard hats because tiles might
slide off the roof! There's not that much to see at the Barn so we
didn't stay long (the leader got a "No Third Runway" badge though!),
and we skipped the village church next door which was also an Open
House site (the Barn is Grade I listed, but the church is a mere Grade
2* listed), and pushed on as it was already nearly 2.30pm.

We called in to Osterley House, another busy Open House destination on
the way back but it was too soon after lunch to justify any tea, so
after a brief break we continued. We took the Osterley Lane
traffic-free route around more of the park to leave at Wyke Green
before heading along historic Mill Plat towards the river at Richmond
and back through Raynes Park.

48 miles. See the pix on Flickr at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pollardshillcyclists/sets/72157607415491503
or
http://tinyurl.com/phc011

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SOUTH LONDON CYCLISTS FORUM

The new forum has levelled out with 67 registered members and now has
74 different posts. It needs people to use it to make it work but it's
already becoming a good resource. Interestingly, most of the local LCC
lists have around 100 members and it took them years to get there so
this is pretty good going for 2 weeks. Why not stick up your thoughts
on Freewheel? Or perhaps you've cycled out to a particularly good pub
that other cyclists would enjoy? There's no attitude on there, you
won't get shot down in flames for asking questions and everybody is
all-ears to find out what you know. Sign up and have a look if you
haven't already.

http://www.southlondoncyclists.org.uk

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NEXT WEEK

A very local, mostly flat ride that will hopefully explore some green
spaces or passageways that people haven't discovered before. We'll
lunch at Woodies, a fabulously quirky pub concealed in a green corner
of New Malden. They do reasonable food including a great ploughmans.
In the afternoon, we'll call into Carshalton's Water Tower, an
interesting historical artefact in the grounds of Carshalton House.
I've convinced them to provide tea and cakes for us so your support
will be appreciated. It's £1 to get in but the interior is very
interesting, especially the plunge bath decked out in Delft tiles.
Bikes are safe just inside the walled area. Try and stay on the ride
for the water tower as it's your last chance this year to see inside.
9:30 departure from the library.

Mark
PHC Co-ordinator
07711 688189

http://www.pollardshillcyclists.org.uk
http://www.southlondoncyclists.org.uk