Saturday 5 March 2022 - International Women's Day

Through the week the weather forecast was changing every time we checked it - bad, not so good, ok, bit dodgy.  As we gathered in Fleetville there was dark clouds filling the sky and a cold northerly wind.

This is our International Women's Day ride.

We were riding in two groups today, but given the weather we scotched the plan to rendezvous in the park for a chat and went our completely separate ways.

The Fabulous foursome warmed up by going straight up Campfield Road and across the Camp cycle route.  Not many other people about!  Through the Cell Barnes orchard, then down Nightingale Lane, along the A414 and up Highfield Lane.

The Highfield Farm coffee machine was a bit temperamental, but we were kind and patient with it and once it had done a cleaning cycle and an accounting reset it served up very nice coffee.  There were brownies in the automat today, very delicious.  Also eggs and honey for sale.  Also chicken feed, but we rather disappointed our feathered friends, we  were too reluctant to stand around in a cold wind chucking corn at them.  They were happy to let us take their picture though.

We were also reluctant to ride for very much further, the very dark clouds had gone but there was a blatter of rain and it was chilly, so we left out the extra little loop and headed straight through the Hill End orchard and back along the Alban Way, exactly five miles!

The Further Faster six zoomed off along the Alban Way to Hatfield, and south through the College Lane campus and under the A1 to ride a loop around Roestock, skirting some extensive puddles.  Back up to the Galleria, where three headed in for coffee in the warm and three headed straight home.

It was good to be out but we are hoping for warmer weather on our next ride.