Waseley Hills

A group of sixteen on a ride to Waseley Hills on a mild breezy day.

The route is here.

QEH

An impressive twelve riders turned out on a morning of persistent rain for an enjoyable ride to the hospital for coffee, returning to Bournville via the towpath.

The route is here.

Saturday 5 December 2015 Christmas lunch

15 riders out on a very windy ride to Cannon Hill Park for coffee and then on to the Cotteridge Village Inn against a very strong head wind for our Christmas lunch where we were joined by others and 24 sat down for the meal. The route is here

Maypole

Fifteen riders on a cold and windy day made their way via West Heath Park through Hawksley Estate and a rural lanes to the Maypole. The route is here

Saturday 28 November & Saturday 5th December

Meet as usual at Rowheath Pavilion for 10.00 am start on 28th November proposed ride to Maypole.

Meet as usual on 5th December.  Ride will be via canal to the Vale and then through Edgbaston and Calthorpe Park to Cannon Hill Park for a quick coffee before coming back up Rea Valley Route to Kings Norton and along Pershore Road to Cotteridge Village Inn for our Christmas meal.

Saturday 21 November Gas Street Basin and Harborne Walkway

22 riders out on a very cold windy but sunny morning.  Ride went via the canal into Gas Street Basin where we chose a different cafe for coffee and then on up the Wolverhampton Canal before turning off through Summerfield Park, the Harborne Walkway and Selly Oak Park.  The route is here

Saturday 21 November

Meet as usual at Rowheath Pavilion for 10.00 am start.  Proposed ride to Gas Street basin and return via Harborne.

Waseley Country Park 14 November 2015

On a cold and dull morning 16 riders set off to follow the river Rea route to Waseley.  Light rain on the return journey.  The route is here

Five Ways 31st October 2015

21 riders set out on a mild morning in two groups via Selly Oak, QE Hospital to Edgbaston with coffee stop at Morrisons.  The second group got delayed and did this route which was not the planned route! The return was through Calthorpe Park and Cannon Hill Park along the river Rea Cycleway.  The route is here

Christmas Meal 5th December

Following the request that we get together for a Christmas meal a booking has been made for Saturday 5th December at 12.30 at The Cotteridge Village Inn on the Pershore Road.  24 places have been booked.  

Sainsbury's at Longbridge

On a wet morning 13 riders met at Rowheath and it was decided to do a short ride to Longbridge with refreshments at Sainsburys.  The rain did ease off mid-morning.  The route is here

Dates for your diary

In addition to the regular Saturday rides (meet at Rowheath at 10.00, destinations are decided on the day), longer rides are occasionally organised, either on Saturdays or on Sundays.  Details will be posted here when routes and timings are known.  Routes followed on previous longer rides can be found under the "routes" tab.  The suggested date for a longer ride are either 8th November or 15th November  subject to availability of leaders.

Saturday 17 October

Dull cloudy morning with bits of sun.  10 riders including two new members went with John Bennett on a local route to Northfield and back to Bournville for coffee.  

15 riders went on Sue's longer run to Knowle starting at 9.30 am, stopping for coffee and cake at the Cobblers Cafe and returning by 1.45 p.m. having completed 28 miles.

QEH

A group of approx 20 on a pleasant ride through Cotteridge Park, Cadbury playing fields Raddlebarn/Serpentine roads/University/QEHB for coffee and back via Harborne/Grove lane and Weoley Park Road. 

Brindley Place

Twenty-one riders in two groups to Brindley Place in the city centre.  

The route is here.

Alvechurch Fisheries and Kings Heath

Lovely sunny day.  Group split into two rides.  One taken by John Bennett to Kings Heath via Billesley with 9 riders, the other to Alvechurch Fisheries with 13 riders starting and two leaving at the cafe.  The route is  here

Woodgate Valley

Twenty-two riders in two groups to Woodgate Valley.  Beautiful weather.  

The route is here.

Round Birmingham ride

An interesting and enjoyable ride led by John Tourt on a very well-researched route which included country parks, towpaths and previously unexplored corners of cycle routes round the city.  Ten riders completed the route, and five more did sections of it. 

Weather calm and dry, though a bit cool.

The route is here.

Maypole

Eleven riders set off in the rain for the Maypole.  Weather cleared later, so dry on the way home.

The route is here.

Waseley Hills

Another impressive turnout on a cool cloudy day: 24 riders, including some on their first ride, in two groups to Waseley Hills.

The route is here.

Photos taken by John Tourt below

Cannon Hill Park

Twenty-five riders in two groups, led by John and Hilary, to the cafe in Cannon Hill Park.  The route is here.

John's photos below.

City centre

Twenty-one riders, led by John Bennett, on an interesting route via part of the Rea Valley route to the city centre, then back via the Wolverhampton canal, Edgbaston reservoir and Harborne walkway.

The route is here.

Worcester country park

Eight riders set off on one of our occasional longer rides, with two more joining us for the first section, until after a coffee stop at Ditchford Bank fishery.  After lunch at Worcester country park, three came back by train and five cycled back to Rowheath, a round trip of about 52 miles.  The weather was fine and the route not too demanding.  A very enjoyable day.

The route is here. 

Woodgate Valley

Twenty-one riders led by John Porter to Woodgate Valley visitor centre.  Lovely warm weather.

The route is here.

Bennie Mollin

We were sorry to hear that Bennie one of our regular members,  had a serious stroke on 24 July and is at present in the QE  hospital and currently in Intensive Care.  His wife Ann has indicated that he is unlikely to be able to ride with us again. 

Kings Heath

21 out on a warm day.  John Bennett took us on an interesting ride on little used paths and the Stratford Canal to the Church cafe at Kings Heath.  The route is here.

We were sorry to hear that Bennie, one of our regular members,  had a serious stroke on 24 July and is at present in the QE  hospital and currently in Intensive Care.  His wife Ann has indicated that he is unlikely to be able to ride with us again. 

QE Hospital Cafe

15 riders out on a cooler and damp day, but weather improved by the end of the morning.  John Bennett led an interesting route around the back of Selly Oak and eventually found the park.  The route is here.

Warley Woods

A convoluted route to Warley Woods, led by Carl.  Fourteen riders set off, of whom seven arrived at the café.  Weather sunny and breezy.

The route is here.

Waseley Country Park

Lovely warm sunny day with 19 riders out, including new member Nick.  The route is here.

Maypole

15 out on a warm sunny day.  Welcome to new rider Susan on her first ride.  Went a slightly different route to Sainsbury's at the Maypole. The route is  here

Alvechurch Fisheries

A large turnout - 24 riders - in two groups, led by John Bennett and Hilary, to Alvechurch Fisheries.  Lovely weather.

The route is here.

Woodgate Valley

Damp morning.  14 riders led by John & Hilary to Woodgate Valley.  The route is here

Stratford on Avon

A longer ride to Stratford had been on the cards for some time at the request of several members of the group.  Fourteen started out on a sunny but cool morning.  Carl left us at elevenses at Wootton Wawen and thirteen had a good lunch break in Stratford by the station where four left us to return by train to Birmingham.  The remaining nine had a good ride home arriving just as the weather deteriorated.  The route is here

Cannon Hill Park

A group of 20 riders led by John Porter to Cannon Hill Park, a relatively sheltered route on a cool windy day.     

The route is here.

Cole Valley ride

John Bennett reports - 

A great Birmingham Cycle Ride - 30 miles of traffic free paths

We started in Bournville, took the Stratford canal then the Chinn Brook and the newly surfaced Cole Valley paths to north Solihull, then back through Sheldon Country Park and the Grand Union towpath via Digbeth and on to the River Rea cycle path.

Each section of the route is well signed and completely traffic free (apart from the road crossings and a mile of streets in Sheldon and Digbeth).

Surfaces are good throughout.  Some of the road crossings are busy and require you to wait and walk.  Some of the barriers are both unnecessary and unfriendly, and some of the vegetation is overgrown but, heyho, it was still a great day out, with plenty of rest stops and watering holes en route.

Photos from John Tourt

King's Heath park

Fifteen riders, led by John Bennett, to King's Heath park, back via the Stratford canal.

The route is here.

Liz's café, Lydiate Ash

Sixteen riders, led by Carl, to Liz's café, near Lydiate Ash.  

The route out is here.  The route back was via Rubery, Bristol Road to Longbridge, then the Rea Valley route to Bournville. 

Digbeth

Another cold windy day.  Fifteen riders led by John Porter to Digbeth.

The route is here.

Waseley Hills

Very cold for the first weekend in May.  Fifteen riders, led by John Porter, to Waseley Hills.

The route is here.

Cannon Hill Park

Nineteen riders, split into two groups for the road sections, to Cannon Hill Park for an early coffee stop, then back via Highbury and King's Heath parks.  It rained as we were setting off, but cleared up later.

QE Hospital 28 March

Mild but damp day with showers off and on.  Only 6 riders out.  John Bennett took us on a good route to the QE Hospital for coffee.  The  route is here

Sainsbury's Longbridge

An eventful ride, shortened and diverted to Sainsbury's to deal with a cut hand, from where the rider (John) was taken off by ambulance.  The rest of us left the cafe to find that Richard's bike had been stolen, and the bolt cutters used to do the job had been left on the ground.  The police were informed, and Sainsbury's have CCTV footage of the theft.

The route is here.

Some photos taken by John Tourt on the way back:

Gas Street Basin

A cold cloudy morning.  Eleven riders started on a ride via the canal to Gas Street Basin, then down the Fazeley/Grand Union canal to Digbeth.  Returned via the River Rea route to Stirchley.

The route is here.

Asda cafe, Barnes Hill

14 riders out on a good day, led by John Bennett along the Merritts Brook Greenway and Senneley's Park to Asda at Barnes Hill.  Returned via the Bournbrook Walk Way and Selly Oak.  Mechanical problems near Selly Oak, where Richard's crank fell off three times!! and he headed off to Halfords for assistance.  Bennie also had brake and computer problems.  This meant the group got fragmented at the end.

The route is here.

Cannon Hill Park

John Porter led a group of 14, including some welcome new riders, to Cannon Hill Park.

The route is here.

Waseley Hills

Another cold day.  Ten riders led by John and Hilary to Waseley Hills.

The route is here

The map site we were discussing is here.  Select the map of your choice from the box on the left, slide the bar bottom left to reveal current aerial view.  

Maypole

Nine riders, including a new rider, Alison, on a ride led by John Bennett to Sainsbury's cafe at the Maypole.

The route is here

Cozy Café, Digbeth

Very cold.  Ten riders led by John and Hilary to the Cozy Café in Digbeth.  Canal towpath to Gas Street, then via the towpath along the Fazeley canal through the city centre.  Parts of the route, particularly beside the long flight of locks, are not very bike-friendly, but there is a lot of historical interest along the way, including bridges and tunnels which, from above, you wouldn't know were there.

The route is here.

No ride

V cold icy conditions.  No ride.

Queen Elizabeth Hospital

A large group on a very cold day.  Fourteen of us rode via Selly Oak to the hospital for coffee, while John and Hilary took two newcomers on a separate introductory ride.  

The route is here.

Digbeth

Very cold, but turned out to be not as icy as we feared.  Seven riders led by John Porter on an interesting route to a cafe in Digbeth recommended by Bennie.

The route is here.

Maypole

Very windy but dry and bright morning.  Eight hardy souls out for a slightly longer ride to Maypole.  Got very cold on the return leg. The route is here

Cannon Hill Park

Cold and wet for our first outing of 2015.  Eight riders for a short trip to Cannon Hill Park, where the rain got heavier during our coffee stop, so we returned by the same short route - here.