Exploring the Nicky Line

Our first ever ride from Harpenden did not attract any harpies, but we did impress the press. We featured briefly as photographic headline news on the St Albans Review web page on Sunday morning, so perhaps we will also be in the print edition if nothing more momentous happens ere then. We were celebrating Global Women’s Cycling Day, a US-based initiative recognising the importance of bicycles in the emancipation of women. The Day is chosen to coincide with US Mothers’ Day, so we were actually a day ahead. Enough of the chat, let's ride!

Those Harpenden folk get up nice and early to drive in and go shopping, so we were a bit slow through town but were soon rising above it on our way up to the level access to the Nicky Line at Roundwood. Downhill from there to Redbourn, enjoying the scenery, but looking out for the gaps in the old sleepers at the track crossing just before the roundabout. We were soon ensconced in The Hub, a café and cyclists’ refuge. We had enjoyed the Nicky Line so much and were so refreshed at the Hub, that we carried on a bit further along the line, to Three Cherry Trees Lane, then came back along Punch Bowl Lane to the main road. Since the appearance on a TV baking show, Redbournbury Mill has been mobbed, and they now sell only flour at the Mill on Saturdays, bread sales have moved to the Chequers car park where there is easier access by car. Hmm. Good cycle parking. A wet winter means the water was flying over the mill wheel.

As we had no Harpenden-based riders out, we turned for St Albans at the end of Beesonend Lane. We had really enjoyed extending our range however, so may well have another Harpenden start in the future.