Origami Phoenix Monthly Cycle Ride

About the Origami Phoenix Ride
Planned meetings
How to get to Meriden
Reports on past rides

About the Origami Phoenix Ride

The 'Origami Phoenix Ride' is a cycle ride usually held in the English Midlands, normally on the second Saturday of every month. The location varies from month to month. The ride was originally held particularly for the owners of folding (hence the 'Origami' of the ride name) and separable cycles, but anyone riding any kind of cycle is welcome - indeed, you are welcome to join us at the start for breakfast and a chat even if you don't have a cycle or don't feel like riding! Many of those who attend are either members of The Moulton Bicycle Club, the VCC (Veteran-Cycle Club) or The Folding Society (or subscribers to A to B magazine), but as mentioned before, anyone, and any kind of cycle, is welcome.

Tea Rooms The usual arrangement is to meet from about 10:30, with a ride starting at about 11:00. The distance covered is typically 15 to 25 miles. This is a social ride, and we ride at the pace of the slowest, with plenty of stops along the way to regroup if necessary. Rides start and end at the same location, which is usually near a railway station, so that those who do not choose to travel by car can easily get to and from the event. When the ride is located at Meriden, the starting point is Meriden Tearooms, where a very satisfying breakfast can be obtained at the Tearooms before the ride starts.

{Start} The Origami ride attracts a wide variety of cycles and riders, with less of a Brompton leaning than at some Folding Society events. You do not even have to come on a folder, as the Marin mountain bike seen here shows!

The first Origami Ride was held in August 1994, but was a one off, and it was not until April 1997 that the ride was revived on a monthly basis (hence the 'Phoenix' of the ride name). The ride was originated and organised until his death in February 2002 by John Pinkerton. Although we no longer have a formal organiser for the rides, they still take place every month, unless the date (second Saturday of the month) coincides with a Bank Holiday, Moulton Bicycle Club BoA Weekend, or another major cycling event.

Planned meetings 2012

For all rides, we meet from about 10:30am, with the ride starting at 11:00am, unless stated otherwise.

Note that as the location of these rides varies from month to month, it is important to check the location before travelling to an event - the planned rides are listed on this page (see below). You can also check by contacting the Origami team via email here to see what is planned.

Further details will be added for the rides as they are available.

February 11th Windsor, Berkshire

Our February Origami ride starts in Windsor at the Garden cafe, Alexandra Gardens, Goswell Road, Windsor, Berkshire SL4 1PJ, at 10:30 am for 11:00 departure.

Getting There :

By Rail :
There are two railway stations in Windsor : 'Windsor and Eton Central' , for routes via Slough and 'Windsor and Eton Riverside' for routes from Waterloo through Richmond. Either is ok - they are about a half a mile apart.
From Windsor Central station : walk back along the platform and take the stairs or lift down. The cafe is opposite at the bottom.
From Windsor Riverside station : walk out through the booking hall and turn briefly left, going right at the main road in front of you. Continue through the traffic lights and follow the road through the right, left,left bends. The cafe is perhaps best accessed through the Gardens entrance on the right just before the pedestrian lights.

By Car :
Windsor is easily accessible from junction 6 of the M4. The sensible all-day parking is at the Alexandra Gardens car park in Alma Road, Windsor SL4 3HY. From M4 J6 head towards Windsor south on the A332 and broadly, leave the dual carriageway at the first off slip (A308), take the first exit (Maidenhead Road), then left at the second crossroads into Alma Road (signed Alexandra/Alma Road Long Stay). Parking here is about 6 gbp/day. Note that parking is even more expensive at other car parks. From the car park, walk/ride towards the railway station through Alexandra Gardens to the Garden cafe at the other end of the gardens (not the cafe by the amusements), past the coach parking, towards Goswell Road.
There is free on-street non-resident parking available in parts of Windsor, but not near the town centre.

A useful satellite picture showing the start point, car park, coach park, Alexander Gardens, and the railway stations can be explored here

The Ride :

Initially using NCN 4, which goes briefly alongside the river, then towards Windsor Great Park. In the park, the ride goes through the deer park with views of the palace down the Long Walk, leaving at the Blacknest Gate. Then we skirt Ascot and head past Windsor Forest. Lunch is planned to be at the Fifield Inn, Fifield.
After lunch, the ride will cross over the Thames, and skirt Dorney rowing lake before using NCN4, hard surfaced bridle paths and the river towpath back to Windsor. There are no serious hills on the ride, and is mostly along quiet / traffic free roads and paths, but with some stretches of urban and busier roads. Note that the towpath can be very muddy but still ok for small wheels. Total distance approx 17 miles.

March 10th       Nottingham

April 14th    Sandy, Bedfordshire

May 12th Cromford, Derbyshire

June 9th    Coventry

July 14th       Shrewsbury

August 11th       Watford / St Albans

September 15th Swindon (Note that this is the third Saturday so as not to clash with the Moulton Bicycle Club BoA weekend)

October 13th Blythe Bridge, Staffordshire

November 10th Stafford

December 8th Meriden

Origami mailing list

We have a mailing list, who are usually sent details of each ride about 1 - 2 weeks before the event. Normally there will only be one email per month (possibly 2 if there is a real need), and the list is normally only used to give information specifically about the Origami Rides. If you would like to be included on the list, please send an email indicating this to origami@foldsoc.org.uk. No personal details are held apart from simply the email address.

Travelling by train to Origami rides

While folding bikes are usually carried as 'luggage' without restrictions carriage of non-folding bicycles by rail in the UK can be complicated. The excellent a to b website has useful information on carriage of bicycles by train here.

How to get to Meriden

By Cycle

See notes below on routes from stations etc. Meriden is on the B4102, just off the A45 Birmingham to Coventry road, OS map 139, SP 239 823 CV7 7LN.

By Train and Cycle

The nearest station to Meriden (for those occasions when the ride is based there) is Hampton in Arden, which is about 2 miles from Meriden - a fairly flat ride on reasonably quiet roads. This is the line from Coventry to Birmingham and Wolverhampton, and is served by local trains every 30 minutes. The local trains carry bicycles free of charge and with no restriction on numbers. If you are travelling by main line train you can either change to the local at Coventry or (from the Birmingham direction) at Birmingham International. Alternatively, you may prefer to travel to Birmingham International and cycle all the way from there (an extra 2 miles). From Hampton in Arden, turn right out of the station, and follow the B4102 to Meriden. Take care at the roundabout where this road crosses the busy A452. Go straight on at the roundabout in Meriden, and you will see the Tearooms almost immediately on your right. From Birmingham International, descend to ground level and turn left. Bear right at the first small roundabout, and then left at the next, larger, roundabout. Go straight on at the large roundabout above the A45, and then follow the B4438 towards Hampton in Arden. There is a shared cycle/foot path on the right hand side of the road for much of the way. Take the third road on the left, signposted as unsuitable for heavy vehicles, and follow this lane to Hampton in Arden. Turn left in Hampton in Arden, passing the station on the right almost immediately, and then follow the route described earlier.

Rail Information

By Car

Access by road is easy - see road information and map reference above. Meriden is only a couple of miles from junction 6 of the M42, which in turn is close to the M6/M42 junction.

Reports on past rides

Since we changed to using a more convenient 'blog' system for posting Folding Society news, we will usually report on Origami Rides there rather than below. The news blog is available by accessing The Folding Society web site.

Photographs of more recent rides can be viewed on a FlickR group (UK Origami-Phoenix) that has been set up for this purpose. Anyone joining an Origami ride is encouraged to join the group and upload their photos of the ride.

Report on the July 2010 meeting - Melton Mowbray
Report on the June 2010 meeting - Hereford
Report on the April 2010 meeting - Twickenham
Report on the March 2010 meeting - Syston to Leicester
Report on the December 2009 meeting - Christmas ride in Meriden
Report on the November 2009 meeting - a ride from Earlswood after heavy overnight rain
Report on the February 2006 meeting - 9 new folder enthusiasts join the ride to Market Bosworth
Report on the April 2005 meeting - breaking new ground, for us, in Hereford
Report on the February 2005 meeting - a ride from Meriden to Catherine de Barnes
Report on the January 2005 meeting - a ride from Birmingham New Street station to the Lickey Hills
Report on the December 2004 meeting - a ride from Meriden to Hampton in Arden (via an indirect route!) for lunch
Report on the November 2004 meeting - a ride in Milton Keynes in glorious autumn weather
Report on the July 2004 meeting - it's July, so it must be Cheltenham
Report on the May 2004 meeting - a ride from Leominster
Report on the April 2004 meeting - a ride from Milton Keynes to Granborough and back
Report on the March 2004 meeting - a 26 mile ride from Stratford to Ilmington and back
Report on the February 2004 meeting - a relatively unusual ride in that it started and finished in Meriden!
Report on the January 2004 meeting - a ride from Birmingham New Street to Tipton
Report on the the September 2003 meeting - a visit to the National Cycle Collection at Llandrindod Wells
Report on the May 2003 meeting
Report on the March 2003 meeting - an away ride, starting at Kidderminster and riding to Kinver for lunch, before returning to Kidderminster.
Report on the January 2003 meeting - to nearby Allesley by the longest possible route from Meriden!
Report on the December 2002 meeting - our Christmas dinner special
Report on the November 2002 meeting - a 'Moulton Special'
Report on the October 2002 meeting - a Bike Friday Special
Report on the August 2002 meeting - a visit to the nearest thing to the seaside that we can manage: Kingsbury Water Park
Report on the July 2002 meeting - an 'away' ride in Cheltenham, arranged by Dick Hanson
Report on the June 2002 meeting - ride to Kenilworth
Report on the May 2002 meeting - a ride to Knowle
Report on the April 2002 meeting - 'Birdy Special' ride to Kingsbury Water Park
Report on the March 2002 meeting - ride to Corley Moor in exceptionally windy conditions
Report on the November 1999 meeting
Report on the September 1999 meeting - Baddesley Clinton
Report on the August 1999 meeting - Middleton Hall
Report on the May 1999 meeting - Ansley.
Report on the April 1999 meeting - Kingsbury Water Park.
Report on the March 1999 meeting - the Spring Flowers Ride.
Report on the January 1999 meeting - Bromsgrove.
Report on the December 1998 meeting - a short report on the Mince Pie Ride.
Report on the November 1998 meeting. This is a photographic report on the visit to the national Motorcycle Museum, totalling about 300K, so it will take a while to load!

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