Cyclists in Southwark: Christmas Day Ride 2017

As the festive season approaches and the Christmas lights are lit, the motley Dog & Bell Crew reconvenes to confirm that there will be another traditional Christmas Day Ride this year. This event has taken place every year since 2001 when it was inaugurated by Barry Mason, the founder of Greenwich Cyclists.

We cycle from Cutty Sark Gardens along National Cycle Route 4 past Russia Dock and Rotherhithe to meet up with more cyclists at the Southwark Needle. We then ride around London looking at some of its fascinating and lesser-known features on a route that takes us up to Edgware Road. Many people just come for a couple of hours, but if you can stay longer we can have lunch at the Beirut Cafe, where we have eaten for the last two years. This restaurant is a Lebanese restaurant which opens as usual on Christmas Day.

Previous years have seen upwards of 100 cyclists of all ages, genders, ethnicities and body-mass indices take part, and we usually get a few skiving Santas thrown in.

Those wishing to come on the ride are asked to bring warm clothing, water, snacks, lights, basic tools and a spare inner tube in case you have a puncture (particularly important for this ride as there will no public transport on Christmas Day). Active parents are most welcome on the ride, provided that they are accompanied by at least one responsible child, and behave themselves. All should have at least basic road cycling experience.

Distance of the ride: 16 miles (one way).

The ride is brought to you by the South East London Commissariat for Social Cycle Rides Planning (aka the Dog & Bell Crew) under the auspices of Cyclists in Southwark.

Ride Organiser: Nigel Bee (tel 07415 315 690, email [email protected] )

Nigel Bee will be leading the feeder ride from Cutty Sark Gardens to the Southwark Needle, leaving at 10am, and Keith Jones will be leading a Tower Hamlets Wheelers feeder ride (https://www.towerhamletswheelers.org.uk/diary), leaving from the Beigel Bake in Brick Lane, at 10.30am. Bemondsey Bill Owen will lead the main ride from the Southwark Needle via the City to the West End. Nigel Bee will then the final leg of this ride, for those who want lunch at the Beirut Cafe, from Whitehall through the Mall and Hyde Park to Edgware Road.