2011-07-10 NEW DATE - Sun 10am - Ladies Windsor Ride

nb. Date change - 10th July.

Hello Ladies,

Brush the dust off your best hats and lets go hit some Royal Parks and catch up with some stunning views.

Route is outlined below, it will be an easy paced ride, 25 miles to Windsor Great Park, then a pootle down to Windsor Station to get the train home. There are a couple of hills - entering Richmond and Windsor parks, they're not too bad, but the views at the top (and the long runs down through the parks afterwards) really make them worthwhile. I'll leave the route back from Windsor to Home up to those who wish to ride back.

You do not need to ride fixed to come on this ride, all Ladies, all bikes welcome. Some parts of the route are along Tow Paths, but the surfaces are generally good - best to use tyres suitable for gravelly surfaces. The recce had 23's and 25's which were unaffected by punctures, but we might not be so lucky.

START: RICHMOND STATION - meet to the right of the station in front of Costa.
DRINK STOP: Coach & Horses in Chertsey - there is a Convenience Store just before here if you want to buy picnic food rather than carry it from London.
FINISH: WINDSOR GREAT PARK for PICNIC - at the end of The Long Walk
(then ride into town to the station to come home)

I will make up some route cards (of the detailed maps below) for handing round (if you can, please print off a couple of sets of the maps below). We'll also need a Spoke Card. Would be great if some peeps who are good with maps can nominate themselves for directing en route.

Approximate Route (nb. Google maps won't do towpaths,etc for saved maps):

Click for link

Let me know if you want the gpx file for the route.

Higher resolution maps - with full Route Detail - I RECOMMEND PRINTING THESE OFF:
Route #1 - Richmond to the Thames (by Kingston)
Route #2 - Kingston to Shepperton
Route #3 - Shepperton to Virginia Water
Route #4 - Virginia Water - The end of The Long Walk, Windsor Great Park
Route #5 - The Long Walk to Windsor & Eton Riverside Station
I will bring some copies for folk.

Updated Ride Profile - the most notable hill is in Richmond at the start of the ride, there are two small climbs in Windsor Great Park, but they are short.

Top Tips:

1. Check your bike before you come on the ride, make sure your tyres are pumped up and your brakes work
   
2. Bring a spare tube in case you get a puncture (they are quicker than patches)
   
3. Stay together when possible, don't filter in traffic unless you know where you're going!
   
4. If you have a mechanical/puncture shout out, we will stop and wait and fix it - no-one will be left behind.
   
5. If you see a massive hole in the road, shout out and point at it so the person behind you doesn't ride into it
   
6. If I or someone else shouts something out pass it back down the group so the people at the back can hear it.
   
7. Be careful when riding in groups, some are not used to it - look and signal before you move if necessary
   
8. Don't block the whole road - leave a lane for car traffic (especially on busier roads)
   
9. Don't jump lights unless the junction ahead is being corked by other riders, we can re-group on the other side of the junction.
   
10. Put my phone number in your phone - in case you lose us completely (it's in the phone numbers thread)
    
11. Bring picnic lunch and plenty of fluids. I'll mark up where there are suitable refil/shop points on the route.
    
    

List!

1. Long&Winding
   

1. Long&Winding
   
2. KT Bee
   
   

Hurrah! Really looking forward to it. (There's also a v flat and fairly quick route back to London via Runnymede if people are feeling keen ...)

Please ignore if you know this, you can get into the park at the Wheatsheaf (virginia water), saves that bit of the ride along the A3O that can be fairly unpleasant when very busy.

YAY! Sounds great. I'll be riding from Camberwell, so if anyone else wants to join for a feeder ride that'd be great.

1. Long&Winding
   
2. KT Bee
   
3. ms.chris
   

clashes with Glastonbury - booo :(

I can see Thorpe Park on the map. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to ride past that.
I will try and get a TP trip in beforehand so I am less susceptible to temptation.

Please ignore if you know this, you can get into the park at the Wheatsheaf (virginia water), saves that bit of the ride along the A3O that can be fairly unpleasant when very busy.

Thanks for the heads up - will check it out when we do a recce.

1. Long&Winding
   
2. KT Bee
   
3. ms.chris
   
4. Cafewanda
   
   

ms.chris, I'm in Balham so can meet up with you somewhere. Bound to get lost if I attempt to get to Richmond on my own, although I could cheat and take the train.

1. Long&Winding
   
2. KT Bee
   
3. ms.chris
   
4. Cafewanda
   
5. Yasi
   

clashes with Glastonbury - booo :(

Alex, when did you change your nick?

1. Long&Winding
   
2. KT Bee
   
3. ms.chris
   
4. Cafewanda
   
5. Yasi
   
6. jayloo (anyone want to ride back?)
   

1. Long&Winding
   
2. KT Bee
   
3. ms.chris
   
4. Cafewanda
   
5. Yasi
   
6. jayloo (anyone want to ride back?)
   
7. clefty (might be up for riding back)
   

1. Long&Winding (might be up for riding back)
   
2. KT Bee
   
3. ms.chris
   
4. Cafewanda
   
5. Yasi
   
6. jayloo (anyone want to ride back?)
   
7. clefty (might be up for riding back)
   

Yay! This is just the sort of ride I was hoping for for a longer distance! I was starting to feel really tired/sore at about 40 miles on the Cambridge ride. Doing 25 miles and then eatin' n drankin' and maybe riding back will be perfect! (and if we feel crap we can know the train stations on the way back!)

1. Long&Winding (might be up for riding back)
   
2. KT Bee
   
3. ms.chris
   
4. Cafewanda
   
5. Yasi
   
6. jayloo (anyone want to ride back?)
   
7. clefty (might be up for riding back)
   
8. MotherGirl (deffo up for riding back)
   

1. Long&Winding (might be up for riding back)
   
2. KT Bee
   
3. ms.chris
   
4. Cafewanda (might be up for riding back)
   
5. Yasi
   
6. jayloo (anyone want to ride back?)
   
7. clefty (might be up for riding back)
   
8. MotherGirl (deffo up for riding back)
   

Alex, when did you change your nick?

hey! when I decided to start posting which meant certain people started berating me for it - harsh but fair

clashes with Glastonbury - booo :(

This! I'll either be working at Glastonbury or at a friend's wedding in a field v near Glastonbury, so boo, but woo! too!

1. Long&Winding (might be up for riding back)
   
2. KT Bee
   
3. ms.chris
   
4. Cafewanda
   
5. Yasi (will ride back as cannot afford public transport)
   
6. jayloo (anyone want to ride back?)
   
7. clefty (might be up for riding back)
   
8. MotherGirl (deffo up for riding back)
   

What a lovely looking route! I'll certainly be up for coming along if I'm in the UK during the end of June.

For those finding their way to Richmond from South London, the Upper Richmond Road is a lovely cycle and stretches all the way from Clapham Common to Richmond.

In if I can escape the in-laws who kindly fly in from Oz on or around my birthday every year by coincidence. I'd be up for riding back.

It does, indeed, and it is, indeed, mortari. That's my preferred route west. I will be happy to set up a meeting point for Southies; who is coming, and from where?

hey! when I decided to start posting which meant certain people started berating me for it - harsh but fair

haha! gotcha. good enough reason, I suppose!

It does, indeed, and it is, indeed, mortari. That's my preferred route west. I will be happy to set up a meeting point for Southies; who is coming, and from where?

I'm in for feeder from Camberwell

and might be up for riding back...

1. Long&Winding (might be up for riding back)
   
   1. KT Bee
      
   2. ms.chris (might be up for riding back)
      
   3. Cafewanda
      
   4. Yasi (will ride back as cannot afford public transport)
      
   5. jayloo (anyone want to ride back?)
      
   6. clefty (might be up for riding back)
      
   7. MotherGirl (deffo up for riding back)
      
   8. murtle (girls name :)
      

1. Long&Winding (might be up for riding back)
   
2. KT Bee
   
3. ms.chris (might be up for riding back)
   
4. Cafewanda
   
5. Yasi (will ride back as cannot afford public transport)
   
6. jayloo (anyone want to ride back?)
   
7. clefty (might be up for riding back)
   
8. MotherGirl (deffo up for riding back)
   
9. murtle (girls name :)
   
10. jenny j and oscar j (not riding back...need to double check we can get the double bike on the train tho)
    
    

permission to bring a small cute boy on the ladies ride??