Wednesday 9th September. A warm slightly humid Evening saw 7 Cyclists, (all Socially distant), after 1 late cancellation, go via Lower Marsh, Berrylands, New Malden, Motspur park, Cannon Hill, Merton park, South Wimbledon to Wimbledon for refreshments at Wibbas Down Inn (Wetherspoons), Wimbledon chase, Raynes park, New Malden, Norbiton, to Kingston. Total 14 Miles, thanks to John E for back marking.
2 Part ride to Chessington & Bushy Park
Sunday 6th September Part 1. A mostly bright morning saw 18 Cyclists split into 3 groups, leave 5 Minutes apart go via Lower Marsh, Berrylands, New Malden, Motspur park alas the Level crossing was down an inordinate time, allowing group 2 to catch the tail of group 1 😦, Joseph Hood Park, North Cheam, Cheam Park, Nonsuch Park, Stoneleigh, Hogsmill open Space, West Ewell, to Chessington for lunch at the very pleasant ‘William Bourne’ (Stonegate), Bonesgate Path, Tolworth & Greenway, Surbiton, Cranes park to Kingston. Sub total 17 Miles, 1 new face, special thanks to Jon W & Mike F for group leading,, thanks to Ellie, John D & John E for back marking their group.
Map:-www.plotaroute.com/route/860017
Part 2 saying farewell to 8 and welcome to 4 fresh faces, with group 2 in a rush to depart, before group 3 from the morning had finished, so 2 led the way via Skerne Rd, Kingston Gate Richmond Park, the Tamsin trail, (group 1 almost catching the leaders at Petersham gate), Richmond, Richmond Bridge, Ducks walk, East Twickenham, group 1 took a devious detour to pass group 2, 😉 St Margartets, Cole Park, Crane River Path, Twickenham, Fulwell, Hampton to Bushy Park for Tea & Bread pudding at the Pheasantry, Cobblers walk, Hampton Wick gate, Kingston Bridge to Kingston. Sub total 12 Miles, Total 29 Miles, special thanks to Steve J & Mike for group leading, thanks to Amy, Ralph, & John E for back marking duties, thanks to John D for the BP. Thanks to Amy for remembering to take a Photo at Tea.
Bread pudding Picnic ride to Brooklands
Sunday 23rd August. a largely bright Sunny day saw 20, -it would have been 22 but for two late cancelations with 1 extra who did make it, almost being left off the list due to an admin error-, so 21 Cyclists manage to find 4 Leaders, leaving at 5 Minute intervals, via Kingston Bridge, Bushy Park, Hampton, Sunbury, Halliford, Shepperton, Chertsey Bridge, Chertsey Meads (Photo group 2), Addlestone, Row Town, New Haw, West Byfleet, to Brooklands Community Park & the vastly improved Cycle path for our Picnic lunch near the River Wey (Photo group 1 & group 4), continuing on the new Tarmac path, Weybridge, Walton-on-Thames, West Molesey, to Molesey Boat club for Tea & Bread pudding at ‘Eight on the River’, Cafe, with group 4 taking the nearby Molesey Lock Cafe option, Thames Ditton, Portsmouth Rd track to Kingston. Total 29 Miles, very special thanks to Bai, Steve D & Mags for group leading, thanks to Andrea, John E, Mike F & Will for Back marking duties, thanks to John D for the BP
Midweek ride to Thorpe Green
Wednesday 19th August, a mostly cloudy day, with light Rain to start, saw 6 brave (or maybe foolhardy souls), down from the booked 11, set off via Portsmouth Rd, Giggshill green, Thames Ditton, West Molesey, Walton-on Thames, Weybridge, including a new Cycletrack on Heath Rd, Addlestone, Chertsey Meads, Chertsey, to Thorpe Green for lunch at the ‘Rose & Crown’, (an ‘Eat out to help out’ venue :–)), with the Rain now more persistent, but all still happy to continue, Virginia Water village, Windsor great Park, (Photo)
Egham Wick, Egham, Staines Bridge, Riverside, Knowle Green, Ashford, Feltham, Hanworth, Hampton, Bushy Park (with no enthusiasm for an al-fresco Tea stop), Hampton Wick, Kingston Bridge. Total 35 Miles
Special thanks to Steve F for back marking & being ready to lead group 2.
Evening ride to Twickenham
Wednesday 12th August. A Hot, sultry Evening with 2 late withdrawls, saw 12 Cyclists split into 2 groups, leave via Kingston Bridge, Bushy Park, Hampton, Hanworth, Hanworth Park, Leitrim Park, Crane River Park, to Twickenham for refreshments at ‘the Rifleman’ ( now a Twickenham Brewery Pub), Strawberry Hill, Teddington, Hampton Wick, Kingston Bridge. Total 12 Miles, special thanks to Jon W for leading group 2 and to Mike for being on standby, thanks to John E & Chris A for Back marking duties.
Challenge ride to Walliswood
Group 1, Weare Street Duck pond
Group 2 Fetcham Meadows
Sunday 9th August, A hot steamy day was perhaps not the best day to pick one of the Hillier rides we might do, but having to plan, organise sub groups & book ahead at the moment meant we had to stick to the plan. 14 Cyclists (after 2 late cancellations), split 3 ways, leave via Kingston Rd Cycle track, Chessington, Claygate, Princes Coverts, Oxshott, Fetcham (Photo 2, (who is the masked crusader? Me thinks it might be Chris)), Bookham, Effingham, with group 1 deciding wrongly in hindsight to use the Bridleway past the Roadworks, groups 2 & 3 wisely walked past the obstruction, Whitedown, Abinger, Holmbury St Mary, Forest Green to Walliswood for lunch at the always delightful ‘Scarlett Arms’, then Okewood Hill, Weare Street (Photo 1), Ockley, Capel, -where things started to go slightly awry-, 2 of group 1 decided to take a detour to visit ‘Dorking Brewery’, then had to backtrack, hence Group 2 caught up & took the lead, Newdigate, Henfold, Stonebridge, -only to lose 2 of group 2 off the front (a reminder to listen to instruction from leader if you get in front)-, hence Group 1 retook the lead, Pixham, A24 Cycle track to Burford Bridge, for Tea & Bread pudding at ‘Rykas’, with group 3 splintering, some heading for Leatherhead & Train, 1 missing a turn & heading straight for home, the last man standing joined group 1, the 2 groups remaining electing to take an easier less Hilly route than planned, Leatherhead, Ashtead Common, Horton, West Ewell, to Tolworth. Total 49 Miles, special thanks to Bai for leading group 2, & Mags leading group 3, thanks to John E, Steve F & Will for back marking each group, thanks to John D for the BP.
Bread Pudding ride to Northolt
Group 1 Northala field
Sunday 26th July , a mostly bright day with light rain at the end of the lunch breaks, & steadier Rain after the Tea stop, saw 15 Cyclists, split into 3 groups of 5, having managed to find an alternative to Garmin’s non functioning Website for group 2, leave via Kingston Bridge, Teddington, Twickenham & the new ‘Railway Path’, Isleworth, Syon Park, Brentford, South Ealing, Boston Manor Cycle track, Hanwell, Churchfield Rec, High Lane Path, Southall, Greenford to Northolt for lunch at the very hospitable ‘Crown’ (Sizzling Pubs), all 3 groups electing to stay in the Garden, then Northala field, (Photo group 1), Southall, Norwood green, Osterley Park, Osterley, Hounslow, Whitton, to Kneller Gardens for Tea & Bread pudding, -with group 2 finding an alternative route, & temporarily mislaying 2 members, oops-, 
group 3 arrived before 2 (Photo group 3 at Tea), Crane river Park, Fulwell, Bushy Park, Kingston Bridge, to find group 2 had found a different route to Bushy Park, usurping group 1 in the process. Total 29 Miles, very special thanks to Carl & Bai for leading groups 2 & 3, thanks to Mike, Ralph & John E for Back marking each group, thanks to John D for the BP.
Map:- www.plotaroute.com/route/1212522
Midweek ride to West Horsley
A warm Sunny day saw a total of 12 Cyclists gather, (with 1 very lucky that another had dropped out), split into two groups of Six, 5 Minutes apart, leave via Portsmouth Rd Track, Long Ditton, Hinchley wood, Esher, Fairmile, Cobham, encountering a few CTC Wayfarers, Hatchford, Ockham, to West Horsley-, somewhat earlier than expected, due to being in smaller groups, for lunch at the very convivial ‘King William IV’, then East Horsley, Effingham, Great Bookham, Fetcham, Leatherhead, Ashtead Common, to Epsom for Tea & Refreshments at ‘the Old Moat Garden centre Cafe’, & soon after the second group arrival, another phlanx of Wayfarers, ( I think we left them some Cakes, 😉), West Ewell, Tolworth, Berrylands to Kingston. Total 33 Miles, 1 new face.
Special thanks to Steve F for leading group 2, thanks to John & Mike for Back Marking the 2 groups.
Note: I forgot to get the Camera out, so if anyone did take any Photo’s they are willing to share, let me know.
Evening ride to Molesey
Wednesday 15th July, a very overcast evening saw 11 Cyclists gather, split into two groups, as per the current Covid rules, group 1 left via Lower Marsh, Berrylands, Surbiton, Long Ditton, Hinchley wood, Littleworth Common, Esher to Molesey for refreshments at the Bell, with mixed results for the ‘Greene King ordering App’, joined soon after by group 2 & 1 special guest, after ‘refuelling, a few going directly home, it was safe enough to consolidate into 1 group for the return, via Thames Ditton, safely negotiating the Roadworks on Portsmouth Rd, & the Cycle track to Kingston. Total 13 Miles, thanks to Steve F for back marking group 1 & Ralph group 2.
Map:-www.plotaroute.com/route/1207451
Happy 1st Birthday to the New Malden to Raynes Park Cycleway!
A few people from Kingston Cycling Campaign and Merton Cycling Campaign met on the New Malden to Raynes Park Cycleway this afternoon (socially distanced of course) to celebrate its first Birthday which is due tomorrow, 13 July 2020.
The New Malden to Raynes Park Cycleway (also referred to as ‘Cycleway 31’) has transformed cycling and walking between the two locations since it opened. It opened up previously underused Thames Water land allowing people to cycle and walk between the two locations in a safe environment for the first time. After our successful campaign, the Cycleway was built with separate walking and cycling paths (instead of a single shared path) reducing conflict for people using the route too.
This afternoon we counted over 130 people on bikes in just an hour using the Cycleway with over a third of these being children either cycling with family or friends. There were a similar number of people walking too. This level of usage clearly demonstrates the desire for safe cycle and walking routes.
It doesn’t seem a year since Will Norman (London’s Walking and Cycling Commisioner) formally opened the Cycleway (and what a year it’s been since…) but we are delighted that this new link is being heavily used by the community just one year after opening.
We expect that this Cycleway would be even more popular if it connected to safe cycle infrastructure at both its ends. We therefore will continue to campaign for the construction of the Kingston to New Malden Cycleway along Cambridge and Kingston Roads.
The proposed Kingston to New Malden Cycleway would pass close to the beginning of the New Malden to Raynes Park Cycleway providing a safer link onto it. The Kingston to New Malden Cycleway was approved by Kingston Council earlier this year but currently does not have any source of funding to start construction. In the meantime, people will continue to be put off cycling on these busy and dangerous roads.
Kingston Cycling Campaign 