Richmond Park road surface?

Cubic

Hi,

I've heard that the road is being resurfaced again. Does anyone know what the state of the road currently is? Is it rideable on my dainty racing bike?

Thanks.

jonginge

Doesn't sound good at the momemt:
http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... &start=520

notsoblue

Queens Rd is pretty awful at the moment, loose grit everywhere and huge clouds of dust.

asprilla

Queens Rd was terrible last night between Ham Gate and Kingston gate. I assume that will have got longer today. I'm hoping clockwise between Roehampton and Kingston is clear tonight (fingers crossed since they had diversion signs sending traffic that way this morning).

cjcp

The stretch between Richmond Gate and Sheen roundabout is also covered with gravel. Not fun going down Sawyer's. Better off going anti-c/w.

Verbal

Yep, Had the day off on Monday after getting back from holiday so thought I'd show off the tan and try and sweat out some of the alcohol by having a tilt at my 3 lap PB but half way round the 1st lap felt like what I should imagine a dusty day in the Paris Roubaix would feel like. Gravel flying everywhere and I saw a few workman lorries around as well so they're definitely giving the road the once over. Went home after 1st lap, kind of lost my speed and my mojo....

marcusjb

Looked to go out and do some laps last night not having read about how bad it was - it was pretty awful (Queens Road) - if you drift away from the clearer tyre tracks and end up in a pile of grit it is pretty dangerous. I wanted to swap 23mm tyres for something more in the region of 2.3 inches!

I carried on (going anti), but then came on the next stretch (Sheen Roundabout up to Richmond gate) - it looked cool, it was like a tube of dust stretching off into the distance - but I saw a chap in front of me hit the gravel and slide everywhere and then give up - so decided to abort and head off left towards White Lodge etc. - went out of the park at Ham Gate and have vowed not to return for a week or so. I think what it really needs is some heavy rain to wash a lot of the gravel away.

Does anyone know if they are going to resurface any other stretches?

For what it's worth - under all that gravel the section on Queen's Road feels a lot better.

Also (from riding through on Friday evening), they appear to have sorted out the bumps going over the bridge coming up Sawyer's from the Roehampton Gate.

Well worth avoiding for the forseeable!

notsoblue

I'm not sure how they intend this new road surface to turn out, but for the near future Richmond Park looks to be totally ruined as a destination for cyclists. I really hope it settles down and becomes more rideable. Has this surface been used elsewhere in the park or is it new?

cjcp

They laid gravel/chippings last September, just before the Duathlon. Genius.

I'm no civil engineer, but I don't know how this is an improvement on last year's resurfacing attempt (given the complaints they received) and what this is supposed to achieve.

Cut short my ride last night.

roger_merriman

well i'll be avoiding it for a while the only fairy visit was last year on the first attempt.

hopefully get rid of all that tar, guess see it on the meet up! inspite of the fact I live very close by I rarely visit as if I have time I go surrey hills.

theives

I decided to write to Boris Johnson and Zac Goldsmith the new Richmond MP.

This is Zacs reply so maybe something will happen. Fingers crossed.

"Thanks very much for your email.
With your permission, I'd like to forward your message to the Highway
management Group at Richmond Council, as well as Simon Richards at the Royal
Parks Authority. I'll also bring it up with the Surface Transport team, who
I'm meeting on 13th July in Westminster.
Very best wishes in the meantime
Zac Goldsmith "

rjsterry

theives wrote:

I decided to write to Boris Johnson and Zac Goldsmith the new Richmond MP.

This is Zacs reply so maybe something will happen. Fingers crossed.

"Thanks very much for your email.
With your permission, I'd like to forward your message to the Highway
management Group at Richmond Council, as well as Simon Richards at the Royal
Parks Authority. I'll also bring it up with the Surface Transport team, who
I'm meeting on 13th July in Westminster.
Very best wishes in the meantime
Zac Goldsmith "

A shiny new MP is always a good bet for this sort of thing; they are still nice and eager.

rjsterry

cjcp wrote:

They laid gravel/chippings last September, just before the Duathlon. Genius.

I'm no civil engineer, but I don't know how this is an improvement on last year's resurfacing attempt (given the complaints they received) and what this is supposed to achieve.

Cut short my ride last night.

I understood it was a defective aggregate used - presumably a porous stone that got obliterated by freeze-thaw action making the whole lot disintegrate. Do the new chippings appear to be a different stone?

cjcp

rjsterry wrote:

cjcp wrote:

They laid gravel/chippings last September, just before the Duathlon. Genius.

I'm no civil engineer, but I don't know how this is an improvement on last year's resurfacing attempt (given the complaints they received) and what this is supposed to achieve.

Cut short my ride last night.

I understood it was a defective aggregate used - presumably a porous stone that got obliterated by freeze-thaw action making the whole lot disintegrate. Do the new chippings appear to be a different stone?

Did an extra lap again tonight, but went anti-c/w. It's better tonight - more of the gravel has been pushed to the side. You can still keep up a decent speed; you just have to watch the gravel mounds when you overtake and move in again.

The chippings seem a bit smaller this year.

I contacted Zac Goldsmith about a few things before the election. Fair play, he was quick to respond. Better than the previous incumbent.

theives

The rash is spreading. It is now down to Roehampton gate from Richmond gate.

cjcp

Yep, Broomfield isn't covered (yet), but Dark Hill is, so careful down there, folks.

amnezia

So what are peoples alternative training routes for the weekend? having the park next door has made me pretty lazy, need to get out an explorer alternative training rides... Not really a fan of regents park, so i'm thinking either a Kent or Surrey Hills ride :x

cjcp

amnezia wrote:

So what are peoples alternative training routes for the weekend? having the park next door has made me pretty lazy, need to get out an explorer alternative training rides... Not really a fan of regents park, so i'm thinking either a Kent or Surrey Hills ride :x

Surrey Hills (not been to Kent though) - to Cobham, then Plough Lane to Ockham, up Staples Lane to the top of Coombe Bottom, down CB, across the, er, A25, into Shere, out the otherside up to Hook Lane, turn left and head towards Peaslake, Radnor Lane, Abinger, Whitedown, Ranmore, Box Hill, and home.

Bob's your Uncle.

Ian.B

I passed through this morning from Ladderstile to Roehampton. Broomfield is being done this morning. I had a chat with one of the contractors, who said all the gravel is temporary and will be swept off early next week, and once that is done the surface will be fine. The park looks pretty much out of bounds for this weekend, and let's wait and see after that, but it sounds as though it might be OK. It depends how efficiently they sweep it, I guess.

Ian.B

So, what's it like there now, anyone? Have they finished the work? Is it worth going at the weekend or will I just skid around and get choked in dust?

asprilla

I've not done a full lap since they started, but Ham Gate to Kingston has settled nicely and Sheen Gate to Roehampton is improving quickly.

martinc

did kingston to sheen anti-clockwise this morn in the car to go to my daughter's sports day.

surface wasn't too bad. certainly not like the carnage of last week when the wife's car looked like it had done the Paris-Dakar every day.

cj can you send me or put up here Zac's email address as I'd be inerested to know wtf they think this resurfacing actually achieves?

Gussio

zac.goldsmith.mp@parliament.uk

martinc

notsoblue

Its getting much better, but why did they choose that surface? Was it just budget? Given how the road is used, I don't understand why they won't give it decent tarmac. It would be superb if the entire circuit had the same surface as between Sheen Gate and the Sheen Roundabout.

Gussio

notsoblue wrote:

Its getting much better, but why did they choose that surface? Was it just budget? Given how the road is used, I don't understand why they won't give it decent tarmac. It would be superb if the entire circuit had the same surface as between Sheen Gate and the Sheen Roundabout.

Because *sigh* people are idiots :roll:

notsoblue

Gussio wrote:

notsoblue wrote:

Its getting much better, but why did they choose that surface? Was it just budget? Given how the road is used, I don't understand why they won't give it decent tarmac. It would be superb if the entire circuit had the same surface as between Sheen Gate and the Sheen Roundabout.

Because *sigh* people are idiots :roll:

I just can't get over what a huge mistake it was. What were they thinking? So many people enjoy cycling through that park...

marcusjb

The road surface is better than 99% of the roads out there. Because it's a park, it's not being dug up constantly and repatched to access pipework or cabling. It's, in general, level and pretty smooth.

People seem to think that there is some moral obligation for the Royal Parks to create the absolute smoothest road surface possible for us to enjoy. If you want to ride on super-smooth surfaces, start track riding.

However, if you want to ride on some of the least-jarring roads in the vicinity, go and enjoy Richmond Park!

Whilst I agree that during the resurfacing, the piles of grit have made riding a little scary at times and the dust has been a true nightmare, overall, in my opinion, the roads in Richmond Park are far better than virtually anything else I ever ride on!

I'm sorry, I've just heard enough of people moaning about the surface all the time - do any of you ever ride on a typical London road with sunken manhole covers, potholes, patched up sections etc.?

Gussio

marcusjb wrote:

The road surface is better than 99% of the roads out there. Because it's a park, it's not being dug up constantly and repatched to access pipework or cabling. It's, in general, level and pretty smooth.

People seem to think that there is some moral obligation for the Royal Parks to create the absolute smoothest road surface possible for us to enjoy. If you want to ride on super-smooth surfaces, start track riding.

However, if you want to ride on some of the least-jarring roads in the vicinity, go and enjoy Richmond Park!

Whilst I agree that during the resurfacing, the piles of grit have made riding a little scary at times and the dust has been a true nightmare, overall, in my opinion, the roads in Richmond Park are far better than virtually anything else I ever ride on!

I'm sorry, I've just heard enough of people moaning about the surface all the time - do any of you ever ride on a typical London road with sunken manhole covers, potholes, patched up sections etc.?

I think the point of contention is that the surface was better before they started messing around with it.

notsoblue

marcusjb wrote:

Whilst I agree that during the resurfacing, the piles of grit have made riding a little scary at times and the dust has been a true nightmare, overall, in my opinion, the roads in Richmond Park are far better than virtually anything else I ever ride on!

Really? I cycle 30+ miles a day over West/Central London roads and sure, theres plenty of potholes to avoid, but what contiguous tarmac there is is a pleasure to ride on. Its at least fairly smooth. The new surface they've put down in the Park is incredibly rough, even the bits that have settled down. Its just unpleasant to ride on even the smoothest parts of it.

MonkeyMonster

What I'd love for them to do is make the entire park road just like constitution hill. THAT is what a good road feels like.
Some bits of richmond prior to this heinous crime were wibbly wobbly rutted that bounced you up and down at high and low frequency (jsut before the southern gate going anti-clockwise - some craters but not many. certainly not as smooth as some of my road routes to work.