Tour de Penge – Sunday 11th June 2017
The 2017 Tour de Penge – a free community bike ride from Penge to Greenwich and back – will take place on Sunday 11th June.
The Tour de Penge is a popular fixture in the local calendar and is part of the annual Penge Festival, taking up to 300 cyclists of all ages and abilities on a guided, safe and off-road route from Penge to the iconic Cutty Sark in Greenwich and back, a round trip of 16 flat miles.
You don’t have to be a member of Penge Cycle Club to join in. For first timers, the revelation that you can cycle along canal paths and through parks all the way to the Thames will come as a wonderful surprise. For regular Tour riders, it is a great chance to enjoy a family ride, take in an ice cream and (hopefully) enjoy the sunshine.
The itinerary for the day is as follows:
Sign on in Penge Recreation Ground SE20 8HU from 08:30am with the ride starting at 9:30am. Gather at the recreation ground with your bikes ready for action. Get there early to meet old friends and make sure you are signed on for the ride. We’ll have some super-cool Penge CC cycle caps and some Tour de Penge T-Shirts available to buy.
We will leave in one large group and make our way to Cator Park with the help of the local police. When we get to the park, we will divide up into groups of 20 or so, with a leader and a back-marker and set off at regular intervals towards Greenwich.
When we arrive at the Cutty Sark, we can pause for the odd photo, drink and snack for about 20 minutes. In a break with our traditional routine, we will then make the return journey in the same groups that we set out with, pausing to let the young ones rest if they need to.
The Route
This is almost the same as in previous years, following National Cycle Network route 21 – The Waterlink way. A Garmin-ready route can be found on Ride with GPS using this link: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/21269262
Finish party – Alexandra Junior School, Cator Road, Sydenham, SE26 5DS
The finish is at Alexandra School and the leaders will be briefed on the short new section of ride to take us there – and it will be well worth it, because we are putting on a feast. We have limitless soft drinks for the kids, a fantastic BBQ and some refreshments for the grown-ups. There is even a rumour circulating that a famous maker of real cream Devon Ice Cream will be there giving away FREE ice cream.
Volunteers
We need volunteers to help the day run smoothly. The key roles we need support with are:
- Leaders and back-markers to take the groups to Greenwich and back without getting lost. Speak with Liz Begley if you can help out here
- Taking turns with the BBQ. Speak to Kate Vergette or Fedelma Hanlon if you fancy yourself as the tongmeister.
Partners
We have great support from the local London Cycling Campaign Group: Bromley Cyclists and Bromley Council’s Road Safety Unit, along with the support of many of our neighbouring cycle clubs, including regular partners, Bigfoot CC from Bromley. Local police will also be on hand to get us off to a good start and help us on the route.
The ride is free to enter.
To sign up early please complete this registration form and email it to tourdepenge@pengecc.org before Thursday 1st June or just print it off and bring it with you on the day to save time completing forms when you arrive – REGISTRATION FORM.
Children must be accompanied by an adult. Please bring puncture repair kit, spare inner tubes. We recommend you wear a helmet, wear suitable wet weather gear or sun cream if it’s sunny and bring a drink and some ice-cream money.
We will have Dr Bike at the start to help sort any simple mechanical problems but do make sure to check your bikes over before the day.
T-Shirts
T-Shirts are available using the same images you may have seen on the posters. They will be for sale in SE20 Cycles from Saturday 3rd June.
We will also be selling them on the day at the start and finish – kids and adult sizes all for £10 each – or if you wish to buy and collect beforehand contact us by email at tourdepenge@pengecc.org (Sizes = kids M(7-8yrs), L(9-11yrs), XL(12-13yrs) and adults S, M and L). There will be other Penge CC branded kit available on the day too.
So, dust down your bike, get those tyres pumped up and the chain oiled and get ready for a great day out.
For any offers of help, as a marshal, support driver or general helper or for further information, contact:pengecc@gmail.com
