Tuesday 17 November 2009, 8pm: Cycling across America
At
Wanstead House, Celia and Harry Lyons will tell us
about their adventures on a six-month
ride across the USA earlier this year.
Unmissable.
Saturday 5 December 2009, from 1pm: Cycling and carol singing singing Santas
An annual bike ride around Leyton, South Woodford and Wanstead finishing at
Nice Croissant in Wanstead near
The George at around 4.30pm. The event is to raise
money for
Whizz-kidz disabled children's charity by collecting money whilst dressed as
Santa, one of his elves, a reindeer or whatever. Santa outfits available from Lidl for about £7. If you can get sponsorship for taking part, so much the better.
Bring lights - it will be dark at 4pm.
The atmosphere has always been very good in previous years, with lots of support from honking motorists. The weather has not caused problems on any
of the
six rides held to date, but the event will still be held - albeit in a modified form - in the event of bad weather.
We foregather at
Tony's house in Leyton to costume up, and leave there at 2pm, but people are welcome to join and leave at any time.
Please tell Tony if you intend to take part.
Colin plans to be there so you can give him a ring to find out where the ride's got
to, and he'll tell you - if he can hear his phone ring over the sound of angels heralding and/or shepherds washing their socks (and if you're too embarrassed to ask people if they've seen a load of Santas go past on bikes!).
Alan James organises a Cycling Santas choir to sing carols when we stop. Please let Alan know if you can be part of that and bring your
Carols for Choirs
book 1.
Saturday 5 December 2009, from 5pm: Cycling Santas Curry Party - from carol singing to carousing
There's a curry party with prize giving in Aldersbrook after the riding and singing (£7 for curry and bring your own drink). Please tell
Hilary if you're coming to that.
Prizes awarded for best costume, best bike decoration and anything else that Tony deems worthy of a prize. £5 donation for Whizz-kidz from those who didn't do the ride.
Wednesday 23 December 2009, 5pm: Sparkly Cycle Ride
Meet outside
Aldersbrook Library, for a short
family ride round the quiet local streets to enjoy everyone's Christmas lights.
Bike lights essential. All children accompanied please.
Warming drinks afterwards in Aldersbrook Road garage.
Contact
Gill.
Sunday 3 January 2010, 11am: New Year Family Ride
Meet outside
Perry Lodge
for a short ride up the Roding Valley Way to the newly-opened
Ray Park Visitor Centre. 9 mile round trip, nearly all off-road.
Contact
Alan to arrange a Wanstead pickup point.
Friday 10 - Sunday 12 September 2010: Cycling Weekend in Colchester area
The main purpose is to ride around visiting churches on the Saturday (see below), but we make a weekend of it, travelling
up Friday afternoon / evening and back on the Sunday. Anyone is welcome to join us on all or part(s) of the trip.
If you are planning to travel by train, please let the organisers know so that sharing of
railcards and
Goldcards can be arranged and/or
Group Save
discounts organised.
There is apparently no hostel or similar in the Colchester area that we can use as a base, so the current plan is that we will be put up by local people who
wish to support the Friends of Essex Churches Trust, or possibly sleeping bags in a village hall. Spaces could be limited, but we will look into other
possibilities. You can of course book your own accommodation somewhere more sybaritic, but please check the Saturday ride is going to happen before you spend any £.
The total cost each usually includes a £10 (minimum)
gift aided donation to
Friends of Essex Churches Trust in the form of
sponsorship of
June.
Colin will also be seeking sponsorship.
Contact
Colin to express your interest and for more information nearer the time.
Saturday 11 September 2010, 10am - 6pm: National Churches Trust Bike Ride/Walk
The
National Churches Trust is a charity that raises money to maintain the fabric of church buildings.
On the second Saturday in September people all over the country cycle or walk a route
visiting various churches. Others help out by staffing churches so that they can stay open
- and provide soft drinks and biscuits to visitors who walk or cycle. Money is raised through sponsoring these activities.
In Essex (old Essex including East London in this case)
the National Churches Trust branch is called
Friends of Essex Churches Trust
and the walk /
ride is called "Ride and Stride" in several counties including Essex.
Colin has
done a ride on this day many times, but not as many as
June who holds
a record.
See the entry above for a weekend away incorporating this ride and watch this space for
any other related local rides / events I get to hear of.
Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 September 2010: London Open House Weekend
See
www.openhouse.org.uk for more details of this architecture weekend. Dates tbc.
Sunday 19 September 20109, 9-10.30am (date and times tbc): Feeder rides to
London Skyride (formerly Freewheel)
Skyride (formerly Freewheel) is a mass ride around a c. 10 mile central London circuit made of roads open only to cyclists, passing many major attractions.
Estimates say 80,000 people took part as cyclists in 2009.
If you plan to travel to/from the circuit by train, do check for engineering work.
In 2009 these feeder rides (among others) left from east London - going to Tower Hill. 2010's arrangements are to be confirmed, but likely to be similar:
9am from Ilford Town Hall for a ride in along the canals. See
Redbridge LCC's website
or contact
Alan.
10am from Aldersbrook Service Station, Aldersbrook Road, E12 (opposite Harpenden Road) for a ride in along the canals. See
Redbridge LCC's website
or contact
Alan.
10am from Barking station (outside "The Barking Dog") on a route through Docklands that's off-road as much as possible. Contact
Colin.
10.30am from Stratford Station. Contact
Bernard.
The official return rides were at 3pm from Tower Hill.
This is a massive event and many helpers are needed.
LCC will have organised feeder rides to Skyride from most parts of London, so
please offer to help. If you're an experienced cyclist there'll be informal
opportunities to help and encourage new / less-confident riders, but you could also offer the feeder ride organiser your help in advance, or offer it to LCC centrally, or - best of all - register as a marshal.
Spread the word to your non-cycling friends, too. Whatever
you do, register at the
Skyride website.
If you want to be in touch with your ride organiser on the day of the event, establish contact well before the feeder ride. The organiser will be busy as the
feeder ride starts and once the ride gets to central London with so many people about, it is too late to establish contact.
Riders should make sure their machines are roadworthy before the ride. It is illegal and dangerous to ride an unroadworthy bike on the road and it is the rider's responsibility
to ensure that their bike is safe and legal.
The basic "ABC" checks are: AIR - Pump up your tyres to the pressure shown on the sidewall(or as hard as you can get them if using a hand pump;
BRAKES. Check that both brakes operate correctly and that the rider can stop the bike qickly and safely; CONTROL - check you can control the bike and that the handlebars will not rotate when the front
wheel is held still between the knees.