Campaigning for and promoting an enjoyable non-polluting way of transport

T h e   B a r n e t   C y c l i s t
The Barnet Group of the London Cycling Campaign
Affiliated to the Cyclists Touring Club

 


Number 289

November 2009

The projected LCN+ route through Barnet

Part of the projected LCN+ route follows Dollis Brook north from Hendon Lane. I had a go at the route from Lyttleton Brook as it goes under the North Circular and joins Dollis Brook. Some of my route is along the brook where it runs parallel to the Gordon Road and Finchley Way - I've been cycling this bit since I was about 10. At no point on the route did I see a 'no cycling' sign that was easy to spot.

A superb ride started with seeing a heron that had just caught something small and furry or feathery. The path under the North Circular has just been relaid but soon becomes lumpy once you start following the brook. The underpass under Hendon Lane is narrow and a bit dark and the path soon gets to Windsor Open Space with plenty of families out for a walk and one family out on bikes. Past there and on to the short bit of road that takes you under the tube line and back on to the path by the brook. Here the path is twisty and, at places, only a foot wide as it crumbles away in to the brook. Approaching Lovers Walk things get busy again, lots of people walking dogs and people just out for a walk. This bit isn't on the LCN+ route but doesn't have any visible 'no cycling signs'. Not recommended for those who don't like crumbling paths and drops either side with slippery leaves to add to the fun, also beware of trees that lean over the path. But it does come with parakeets as a bonus. After that it's familiar territory for most as the route goes back alongside the brook and up to Whetstone and Barnet.

It's a great short ride but you need to consider others that use the paths; I hung back or waited a few times for people to clear narrow bits, but by not appearing to be in a hurry or demanding to get through no-one even scowled at a bike on bits that are usually signed 'no cycling' - I don't know what happened to the signs, maybe they're overgrown.               Keith

 

Sunday 1st November - TUAG Turn Up And Go
First day of a new month - celebrate with a Turn Up And Go.
Nothing planned - go where the group decides. Come a bit earlier than 10am for a coffee then be ready to leave at 10.
Meet: McDonalds near Tally Ho, North Finchley N12
Time: 9.30am for coffee and route planning - ready to leave at 10am.

Sunday 15th November - 'It'll be over by Christmas'
Imperial War Museum ride via Paddington
The route will be through East Finchley - Hampstead Garden Suburb - Kilburn Kensal Town and along the Grand Union Canal to Paddington for a meal stop. There are various food outlets, pubs and a park for those with sandwiches. From there we continue through Hyde Park - by Buckingham Palace and over Westminster Bridge and on to the Museum (free entry, donations welcome). Return journey via Kings Cross for those wishing to return by train, or cycle back to Tally Ho.
Ensure your lights are working and bring a puncture repair kit.
This is a change from the usual leafy country ride, with a fair bit of town traffic here and there. The pace may be a bit higher than usual as the objective is first to get to Paddington for food and then off to the museum to spend as much time as possible there. If you're lucky there could be the added attraction of cycling along the south bank when it gets dark.
Meet Tally Ho Corner 10:00 am or East Finchley library 10:20 am.
Ride leader: Malcolm Nightingale tel: 020 8449 3253 or 07985813966

Thursday 26th November - Monthly Meeting
Meet 8:00pm Carey Hall, Trinity Church, Nether Street, North Finchley N12.
Following the usual business and tea we have another chat about bike holidays and long rides.
Malcolm and Graham on Majorca and Michael Franks on C2C (not CTC!).
Bikes can be stored in a garden within the grounds - please do not bring bikes into the church hall (new carpets!).

Sunday 13th December - Xmas ride and meal
Book early for this popular date - click here for a booking form.

No December meeting

January sees the annual photo competition.
Various categories - holidays, rides and others including Photoshop/enhanced.
Dig out your pictures, print them off, bring them.
Get snapping now!

Rides: please bring a spare inner tube that fits your bike - so much easier to change this than fix a hole if you get a puncture. As the clocks will have changed, it is likely to be getting dark as we get home - so lights and reflective gear please!

Please note: Participants on rides must be over 16 unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. Insurance is your responsibility. Barnet Cyclists cannot accept liability for you or your possessions. It is your responsibility to follow advice and the Highway Code at all times. Your participation is the acceptance of these terms.

 

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MEMBERSHIP NEWS

WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS:
K Fenton, Marc Hartog, Fernanda Lake, Kevin Lake, Steve Mayes,
R McLauchlan, Mayur Shah, Maria Vernazza, Paul Willis

We look forward to seeing you on a ride or at a meeting soon.

Please phone me if you need any information:
Jo McKenzie 020 8449 4813 (Membership secretary)

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  Barnet Cyclists Committee

Click here for your

2009 Planner

(pdf)

All contributions, letters, cuttings, cartoons, etc. for the next newsletter to be sent to
The Editor, 106 Long Lane, Finchley,
London N3 2HX,
or e-mail to wunohsix@btinternet.com.

You can also contact us by e-mail at info@BarnetLCC.org

and see our discussion group at
groups.google.co.uk/group/bcnz/

 

Sunday 18th October - Gunpowder Park and Lea Valley
Jo and Ian leading the way through Trent Park

Sitting outside, drinking tea in warm afternoon sunshine is maybe not what you would expect on a ride in October, but it is what we were doing at Forty Hall on Peter Baker's ride. To get to this point, about 20 riders gathered at Trent Park to head to Cheshunt for lunch via some offroad tracks north of Crews Hill. The uphill sections allowed some of us to admire the scenery at a very leisurely pace (does sound better than getting off and pushing ... ).

As the group was relatively large we did try to keep in two groups with Peter leading the first and Jo the second. On busy roads this is a bit more considerate to car drivers as they can see a gap they can use when overtaking.

The Lea Valley was looking lovely and cycle paths allow you to meander through the country park. The whole valley warrants further exploration - just a pity it isn't a bit closer.

South of the M25, we did a lap round Gunpowder Park which we had visited in less clement weather last year. This is another area where you can cycle round car free and this time we went south into the Osier Beds which have hides for birdwatching.

Thank you Peter for the very thoughtful route planning and keeping us all in order. More tea anyone?

Alison

Peter Baker devised the route to the Lea Valley and Gunpowder Park, and is first here through the gates to the Park.

 

Charity Rides

This recently surfaced in a pile of mail belonging to my daughter. As it's dated 4th August 09 we will have to ask John if he managed the three remaining rides, or how comfy the slippers are. Bearing in mind he's complaining that his average is now 'only' 13.5 mph it means that for most Sunday rides he would still have got home by the time the usual ride reached the lunch stop.
Remember these are all charity rides and represent a hell of a lot of time, hard work and discomfort by one person and not just for the sheer pleasure of being buffeted by wind and rain, fixing punctures with cold, wet hands and arriving at the finish only to ride home afterwards. The sunshine, cameraderie and great rides add to the personal achievement. That's a lot of people he's helped out.               Keith

SPROCKET JOHN RIDES AGAIN (and again and again)
The 19th July and I completed my 41st ride, London to Southend. I have 3 more to go this year. The ride was quite hard, headwind all the way plus rain. I completed the 60 miles in 3hrs 54 mins - I am getting slower, I think it might be time to change my cycling shoes for slippers; for the first time I got the train back to London. By the time I had got back to London and home I had done 85 miles at an average of 13.5 mph; I was home indoors by 3:15 pm.
The 3 rides left are the Sussex Coast, London to Windsor and the New Forest Ride.
I have listed the rides completed and the mileage plus my best times on some -
Essex Coast Ride - 60 miles
London to Southend (3 hrs 30 mins)
London to Cambridge (3 hrs 10 mins)
Wessex - 50 miles
Wessex - 100 miles
Norwich - 50 miles
Norwich - 100 miles
Basingstoke Big Wheel - 56 miles
London Bike Event - 26 miles
Suffolk Coast old route - 60 miles
Suffolk Coast old route - 60 miles
London to Windsor short route - 30 miles
London to Windsor long route - 40 miles
Manchester 100 (under 6 hr certificate)
Essex Castle - 50 miles
Essex Castle - 75 miles
Richmond to Oxford - 60 miles
Ealing to Oxford - 57 miles
London to Brighton - 60 miles
N.L.H. ride - 20 miles
N.L.H. ride - 40 miles
The Classic Oxford - 60 miles
New Forest ride - 50 miles
Little Havens ride - 63 miles
The Orchid ride - 75 miles
The Vale of Aylesbury ride - 58 miles
Essex ride (boat assisted) - 60 miles.
 
John Harding (Sprocket John)

 

CYCLE RESPONSE UNIT

At our September meeting we had a talk from Ashley Sweetland and Charles Harvey who, as well as being Barnet Cyclists, are both members of St John's Cycle Response Unit. Indeed, Ashley is the Staff Officer. The aim of the service is to deliver emergency first aid, right where it is needed - 'get to the sickest quickest'. As getting 'normal' ambulances through large crowds can be a problem, using bikes to get first aiders to the site of accidents makes a lot of sense. But it's not just a matter of jumping on any old bike with a few elastoplasts in your pannier. The riders must be trained to at least National Standard Level 3 and are tested on their ability to manoeuvre a heavily laden bike in tight spaces, often at slow speeds. Try testing yourself by marking out a 10x10ft box and cycling round inside of this space three times without putting your foot down - then try it the other way round!

The bikes they have selected are Specialized Rockhoppers which are modified to carry 40 kilos of equipment. This means spending £200 on rebuilding the back wheels and fitting them with Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres.

This is well worth doing as they haven't had a wheel fail yet. Other equipment includes: rear panniers costing £650 and modified to carry potentially life saving bits of kit like defibulators, Specialized Air Force helmet (£25), Goretex jacket (£85). The clothing bill for one person runs to £250 in all. So the investment in any one rider in terms of equipment and training is not inconsiderable. The service currently has 25 members in London with a pool of 11 bikes which will rise to 15 by Christmas. Understandably those who wish to join are subjected to interviews and assessments and need to be able to commit to on-going training and attend at least 12-15 events a year. The group is two thirds men and one third women.

For further information see
www.sja.org.uk/sja/volunteer/first-aid/cycle-responder.aspx

 
You may have noticed that many trees are shedding their leaves.
But don't let this beautiful time of year fool you - just a thin layer of leaves can be as slippery as ice. Treat them the same as ice and you should be OK. As they rot down they can get even more slippery so be careful when cornering and braking and look where you are about to put your foot when dismounting.

 

Got cycling bits in your garage that are not needed but you do not want to bin them?

Then our Rummage Box could be for you. Just pop them into the box at each meeting.
If you want any money for them make sure your name and price are marked.

Any item not taken away must be removed from the box at the end of the meeting.
 Go on, bring something to the next meeting - it could make someone's day.
This really is re-cycling! Ian Ollier

Opinions expressed in this newsletter are the views of the contributors and are not
necessarily those of the Editor, Barnet Cyclists or the London Cycling Campaign.