Spokes rides
Canterbury to Bridge
Sunday 3 February Meet at Canterbury East Station at 10.30am. The route will depend on the on the weather and who turns up - it could be short both ways or a longer route out , with a short ride back via Patrixbourne and the North Downs Way. There will be at least one long, not-too-steep hill on the return, and a very short steep hill on the way out, or possibly a few more short hills both up and down if the longer route is taken. Lunch at the Red Lion, Bridge. Maps will be available so two groups could take different routes and meet at the Red Lion. Leader: Beatrice Shire (beatrice.shire@cantab.net, 07484 863554) 
Teynham to Doddington
Sunday 2 December 2018 Meet At Teynham Station 10.30am. A short ride through the surrounding countryside with the intention of having lunch at the Chequers Inn at Doddington. Down hill all the way back. Suitable for all types of bike. Ride leader: Nigel James Spokes rides...
A summary of our most recent rides... December, Teynham to Doddington A short ride through the surrounding countryside with the intention of having lunch at the Chequers Inn at Doddington. November, Canterbury to Hastingleigh A 25 mile circular route on quiet roads on The Downs with lunch at The Bowl, Hastingleigh. October, Teynham to Upchurch A 30 mile ride - some off road - parallel to the Swale to Upchurch. The return route will be inland skirting south of Sittingbourne back to Teynham. September, Canterbury to Fordwich A fairly short, mainly off-road ride on National Cycle Route 1 (NCR1) to Fordwich where we will refresh ourselves at the George and Dragon, before riding back on the same route. August, An Ashford meander A meander around the villages to the west of Ashford. Suitable for all bikes with no major hills and a lunch stop en route. July, Canterbury West station to Chartham The ride will head to Toddlers Cove where Wheel Potential will be showing off the equipment and bikes they have available to try or borrow for the ride - see www.wheelpotential.com for details and then on to Chartham for lunch and a drink at the Artichoke and return the same way. June: Faversham to Bowl Inn, Charing Around 22 miles in total from Faversham to the Bowl Inn at Charing with , hopefully, lunch there and then back to Faversham. May: Minster to Deal circular ride A ride to Deal via St Augustine's landing site then to Sandwich, reaching Deal via the golf club. Return journey via Fowlmead Park. Around 25 miles, suitable for all bikes. April: A marsh meander A 25 mile ride on flattish terrain around some of the lesser known parts of Romney and Walland marshes. March: Chequers Inn, Doddington A 25 mile (40km) ride through the quiet lanes and beautiful countryside between Teynham and the Chequers Inn at Doddington. February: Lord Whisky Animal Sanctuary, Stelling Minnis A 20 mile (32km) very quiet ride up and down the valleys of the North Kent Downs to the Lord Whisky Animal Sanctuary. The Sanctuary provides a lifeline to animals who become homeless or who have been injured or abused, vital veterinary care to those on low incomes and cattery/kennel facilities for pets. January: Going nowhere... ...or cul-de-sacs in the Ham and Luddenham marshes. An easy ride of 15 miles suitable for all bikes exploring cul-de-sacs in the Ham and Luddenham marches. Discover and enjoy the beauty of the flat, bleak marshes around Faversham. - to paraphrase a remark made about the Fens, "Any fool can appreciate mountains, it takes a person of real discernment to appreciate North Kent's marshes"! |
Spokes monthly rides There is a Spokes ride on the first Sunday of every month at 10.30. Our rides are a celebration of slow riding and a leisurely exploration of the beautiful Kent countryside. We ride on cycle paths, quiet roads and country lanes - you will often be surprised how few cars you see. We plan to cater for cyclists of varying experience and ability; we are certainly not all lycra. As we ride at “chatting” speed, it’s an opportunity to catch up with old friends and meet new ones. We stop for a relaxed lunch at a cafe or pub and our rides always start and finish at a railway station. So in short, a Spokes ride is an unashamed escape from day to day living and an opportunity to enjoy Kent and enjoy your bike. The small print...
Could you lead a Spokes ride? We're always looking for people to lead our monthly rides. A ride can be any distance to any location and suitable for any type of bike - and cyclist! The only requirements for a ride are it follows a circular route starting from a railway station and there's a lunch stop. If you're interested, please contact our Rides organiser, Andrew Wyvers, to find out more about what's involved Catha's seat
Catha’s Seat is a remote spot on National Cycle Route 18 and the Stour Valley Walk, with two handcrafted solid oak benches and cycle parking. It is named after Catharine 'Catha' Keegan, a dedicated cycling campaigner who helped plan National Cycle Route 18 from Ashford to Canterbury. Catherine's mission was to create safer cycling routes and encourage their use, so Catha's Seat and the annual picnic provide opportunities for everyone to discover or re-discover this route as well as the joys of cycling and walking in the glorious Kentish countryside. To find out more about Catha's seat and the annual ride and picnic, please visit http://cathas-seat.org/. 
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