England : London Sunday London ride

[Blue Hills]

Good stuff alex - I used to lead lots of rides and I would always say it is a good idea to ride them first - tech can only go so far.

 

[rb58]

This would suggest a date closer to April. Seem sensible?

I have a Sunday London Ride Ghost Signs tour planned for 7 April, and 21st is Easter Sunday, so how about taking the 'ride for food slot' on 28 April? I'd provisionally thought we could head for Windsor that day - going west is the best plan as 28th is London Marathon day. We might need to think about a different start point too, as HPC will be difficult to get to. And I agree with @Blue Hills , a recce is best if possible.

What would be really cool is if we could sneak on and ride the track.

 

[Nick Saddlesore]

@AlexB: This is one of our regular Central London routes which perhaps you could adapt.
Maybe start from Albert Memorial?

 

[topcat1]

@Mark Grant is local,sure he'll have a quiet route (bushey park then along the river walton to weybridge ) ...ish

Also need to check bike parking

 

[Mark Grant]

When I read the suggestion I was trying to remember if there is a section of the banking we could ride on.
If I manage to have an early day this week I'll go and look.
I know there is a section within the Brooklands Museum but I seem to recall a section we could possibly play on.

 

[Trickedem]

I can confirm the ferry is running again. It seems slower than before due to automated docking. You no longer have to mix it with cars and lorries though. There is a separate entrance
and waiting area for bikes.

 

[rb58]

I know there is a section within the Brooklands Museum but I seem to recall a section we could possibly play on.

If we ride the banking @Trickedem can show us his falling off trick.

 

[Mark Grant]

I took a spin out to Brooklands this afternoon.
There are sections of the original banked track that we could ride along, probably won't want to venture to far up the banking though as it is pretty mossy / grassy.

This is the best bit, mildly banked.

This is the steeper section near Railway straight, its only short as the museum is on the other side of the fence which crosses the track.
A bit iffy walking on that slope in cycling shoes!
I'm not sure I was actually allowed in this bit but it didn't specifically exclude cyclists.

You can see a Concorde just inside the museum fence and a smaller one next to a roundabout.

 

[AlexB]

I dropped them an e-mail yesterday.
Their bike parking seems to be by the shop, so not really inside the site, but it's across the bridge as far as I can see, so possibly not very obvious or exposed.
They do group discounts if we can get a large enough group (15+).

Cycle.travel's revised route from central London looks like this: https://cycle.travel/map/journey/89447
I'm not familiar with the far end of that route, so would welcome any comments from locals. It's a pretty good routing algorithm which I generally trust.

I'll try and ride out one weekend in the next couple of weeks.

 

[rb58]

I dropped them an e-mail yesterday.
Their bike parking seems to be by the shop, so not really inside the site, but it's across the bridge as far as I can see, so possibly not very obvious or exposed.
They do group discounts if we can get a large enough group (15+).

Cycle.travel's revised route from central London looks like this: https://cycle.travel/map/journey/89447
I'm not familiar with the far end of that route, so would welcome any comments from locals. It's a pretty good routing algorithm which I generally trust.

I'll try and ride out one weekend in the next couple of weeks.

Nice one. Is this now firm for 28 April?

 

[AlexB]

Nice one. Is this now firm for 28 April?

If you don;t mind, I'd like to test ride the route and have a look at things like the bike parking provision before I confirm.
I'd also like a "plan b" to offer if this doesn't look viable.

At the moment, plan b is possibly a ride in the opposite direction to Eynsford Castle, which was recommended by Sam.

 

[rb58]

If you don;t mind, I'd like to test ride the route and have a look at things like the bike parking provision before I confirm.
I'd also like a "plan b" to offer if this doesn't look viable.

At the moment, plan b is possibly a ride in the opposite direction to Eynsford Castle, which was recommended by Sam.

Okay, but if we can't do Brooklands, then we can go to Windsor as per original plan.

 

[rb58]

I did a preliminary recce for a ghost signs tour today. There be hills. And more hills. I may amend the route, otherwise @Nick Saddlesore will moan

 

[Nick Saddlesore]

otherwise @Nick Saddlesore will moan

Advance Moan.
But London hills don't count, except for Swains Lane and ?College Rd up to Crystal Palace.

 

[Mark Grant]

Cycle.travel's revised route from central London looks like this: https://cycle.travel/map/journey/89447
I'm not familiar with the far end of that route, so would welcome any comments from locals. It's a pretty good routing algorithm which I generally trust.

I'll try and ride out one weekend in the next couple of weeks.

Personally, from Kingston Bridge I'd go down the 308. Along the river is OK, a bit gravelly, but there'll be lots of walkers on a Sunday morning.
I'd then go along the Hampton side of the river, passing Port Hampton where MTBs were built during the war then over Walton bridge and along Walton Lane to Weybridge.

Just my 2 penny worth.​