On arriving at Greenwich I thought our numbers had swelled greatly beyond our normal attendance. However, the final stage of the Tour of Britain was also utilising Cutty Sark Gardens as a meeting point for West Kent CTC.

By the time we had left Cutty Sark Gardens had a puncture and a repair/coffee stop at Three Mills (they wouldn't allow us to fill our bottles here) reached the Carpenter Road crossing of the Lea there were 9 of us.

David, Trevor, Teresa, Agatta, Ronnie, Ray, Anil, Colin and Ian.

The ride was ostensibly to check out the new surface being lain between Lea Valley Viaduct and Enfield Lock which was due for completion on August 18 th . This is one of the roughest sections of the path and I thought the new surface would be welcomed by some. There will have to be a future ride to check out the new surface as it is still being lain and appears to be nowhere near completion. As we approached this section we were met by 8 feet high fences and for the first section of the canal we detoured up an adjacent service road to Pickett's Lock. There were more fences at Pickett's lock and with no escape road we decide to edge our way around the fence onto the uncompleted path. Three or four of us edged around the barriers but Trevor deduced that they could be swung to one side as easily as opening a door. The half finished path was actually a little smoother than the path it was replacing. The path is being widened as well as smoothed. I imagine that on a week day there would be no access on this section as work on the path would be ongoing.

Dinner at the big pub in Broxbourne where you first cross from right to left (the name escapes me). The food was good and the service was quick despite the fact they were very busy. They have a lot of staff.

On the return journey we diverted through Hackney Marshes to take a look at the Olympic site. There was a little work going on there, difficult to tell whether it was construction or deconstruction. There's a long time to go yet and a lot to be done. It will be interesting to see it take shape over the next seven years. It'll also be interesting to see how it affects one of my favourite places to ride.

We were back in Greenwich at about 6PM – 46 miles. Congratulations to the three for whom this was the longest ride they'd done. Thanks everyone who came for a great day out.

Ian Pendleton.