PinarelloFan

Dulwich Paragon Cycling Club might be the place for you. They are a friendly bunch and have lots of regular rides into the Kent, Surrey and Sussex countryside. They typically meet at Herne Hill Velodrome or Crystal Palace. http://www.dulwichparagon.com/

MrsR Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I loved this tv programme. Do you need to book > tickets to see the tapestries or can you just turn > up at the gallery? Also is there an admission > charge? No booking required and it's free entry. http://www.victoria-miro.com/

Dangerous or unsafe driving can also be reported via the Met Police's Roadsafe website: http://www.met.police.uk/roadsafelondon/

So am I. Try the Dulwich Paragon website - http://www.dulwichparagon.com/ - and look at the "Club Rides/Saturday Ride" tab which gives information about the regular Saturday Ride. That ride provides a sociable introduction to group riding and meets every week at 9am, setting off at 9:15am.

To be fair to the Paragon, of which I am a member, and Sandperson, the Dulwich Paragon is a pretty easy going and inclusive cycling club. The club's regular Saturday Morning Rides, in particular, are relaxed affairs. From the Paragon website - About Us/What We Do: "We are a pretty active club, consisting of several hundred members. At one end of the spectrum many just ride for the sheer pleasure of being out on a bike in good company and we pride ourselves on being a great resource for anyone who wants to take a step up in their cycling to ride in a group or get a bit fitter. At the other end, we have over 40 BC racing licence holders." And from the Club Rides/Saturday Ride section of the website: "This ride is very sociable and aimed at road cyclists just getting into group riding, (and) those looking for something fairly gentle... Non-members are welcome to come along and have a few taster rides with us to see what we are like." The Paragon also organises an annual charity ride - The Ride of the Falling Leaves - the proceeds of which go to The Lavender Trust which is a charity for younger women with cancer. Agreed. The website could be better laid out. And we tend not to stop off at pubs. (At least during rides. Afterwards is another matter entirely.)

My experience of the new bike shop was, on the whole, positive. Minor routine maintenance and repair job, but the owner stayed open an extra half hour in the evening to allow me to pick up the bike after I was held up at work. So 10 out of 10 for customer service.

The rumour I've heard is that the new bike shop will be on the parade of shops on East Dulwich Road where Ken's barbers is located. And that's all I know.

lozzyloz Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I went to Herne Hill Bicycles 2 weeks ago after > being dissatisfied with Edwardes only to see a > sign on the door saying they no longer do repairs. > Ended up going to Finches in Forest Hill after > hours of frustration trying to do the repair > myself!! I spoke to the owner today (I'm not the owner by the way). Herne Hill Bicycles still do repairs, and their excellent mechanic Ron continues to work there. However, they do prioritise. If you bought your bike at the shop, or are a regular customer, you'll be given priority. Given that they're only a small shop, with a maximum of two people working there at any one time, that seems pretty reasonable. From my own experience, and I've used a number of bike shops and mechanics to repair or service my bikes, Herne Hill Bicycles offers consistently good value in the cycle service department and I now wouldn't go anywhere else.

Oglandia Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > the little bike shop at Herne Hill is great but > doesn't do repairs. all his stuff is quality > though and he's a v likeable fellow. mlteenie on > this thread is highly recommended by Forumites for > the tune up side of things If you're talking about Herne Hill Bicycles, they definitely do repairs. And I would recommend them highly. They've maintained my small fleet of bikes to a very high standard over the past four years.

ed_pete Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Got my dates messed up and thought it was today so > I missed it - Arrrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhh! The designs were on display at the ED Leisure Centre today.

LostThePlot Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I went on the saturday morning ride with them. An > excellent route, and they wait for those of us who > quite haven;t mastered the art of climing hills. > Well worth trying that out if anyone fancies it. > You do have to be able to keep a good pace up > though. 15mph ain that tough, but for three hours > it wears you down! > > I'm wondering if there is scope for a Saturday > ride out in the new year? Happy to organise it, > but not got a saturday free until January! > > E Then you might have seen me out on my bike today. I joined up with the Dulwich Paragon's Saturday morning group at Downe. I think it's pretty important to emphasise that the Paragon, and the Saturday morning ride (the social ride), in particular, are pretty inclusive and we encourage women as well as men to come along to discover the lanes of Kent (and if you try the other rides, Surrey and Sussex too). As LostThePlot says though, two or three hours in the saddle can be pretty arduous, but at least the Saturday morning ride won't abandon you in deepest Kent if you can't keep up the pace.

Selma Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > As there are so many of us that cycle in, maybe we > should try a way to distinguish who we (i.e. East > Dulwich forum readers) are- like tying a yellow > ribbon on our bikes (very naff I know) You could wear the very stylish official club kit of your local cycling club, the Dulwich Paragon [www.dulwichparagon.com]. But back to the topic, I cycle commute fairly regularly between East Dulwich and Victoria, alternating between a fast route (Camberwell New Road and Vauxhall) and a calmer route (via Addington and Cleaver Squares, Lambeth Bridge and Pimlico).