Saturday 23 November 2024 - a celebration in a cafe

Some of the 5MTF regulars gathered this morning at The Courtyard Cafe on Hatfield Road  to celebrate a long-standing member of the group.  Angela came along on the fourth ever 5MTF ride - in 2008 - and has been encouraging and supporting the group ever since.

She soon became our back-marker par excellence and in the fullness of time she formalised that by going on a Cycling UK Ride Leader course and being thereafter a South Herts CTC registered ride leader.  Furthermore she encouraged Teresa to do the course as well!

Earlier this year we felt it was high time Angela's contribution to the success of 5MTF was recognised, and we wrote in to Cycling UK HQ to enquire about an Award.  Of course, they said, and this morning it was a great pleasure to present Angela with her Certificate of Achievement and special badge.

Congratulations Angela and thank you from all of us.

Thank you to cafe staff for looking after us so well and taking the picture!

Saturday 16 November 2024 - Hatfield convolutions

Eight of us gathered to go further faster on a grey but dry morning.  Lorna was leading and her route outline was .... east ..... accompanied by a wave in the general direction of Hatfield.

We set off down Sutton Road, across the Camp cycle route and through the Cell Barnes orchard then down Highfield Lane to Tyttenhanger.  There was a Road Closed sign, quick consultation we decided it was worth checking whether or not we could get through.  The closure turned out to be for clearing a massive fly tip and the workers waved us on through the narrow gap between the refuse truck and the waste.  We were advised to carry our bikes as some of the flytip was battens with nails, not ideal for rolling your tyres over.

Crossing the longabout via the traffic lights, on through Colney Heath, under the A1(M) and A1001 at Bullen's Green, a quick nip through on a footpath took us into South Hatfield along Lane End and on through Hazel Grove, up Bishop's Rise and then the birds and the beasts - at the time none of us were looking at street names, we were just following Lorna, on checking the route for the blog I find we rode along Lark Rise, Hare Lane and Badger Way.  We picked up NCN12 through Howe Dell. More wildlife as we ducked under the East Coast Main Line.

For the second month in a row we came through Old Hatfield, opposite direction this time, and another bridge to admire.

A further loop was offered, but the majority could hear the coffee calling, so we got ourselves on the Alban Way and along to Notcutts.  Cafe looking fab, great selection of food and drink and we provided the sparkling repartee.  Wish they had better cycle stands though.

Once we had disentangled ourselves from the 'wheelbenders' we continued back to St Albans along the autumnal Alban Way.  Some 14 miles covered by the time we got back to Fleetville.

Saturday 19 October 2024 - short and wet

No takers for Five Miles today so a single group of seven soaked women gathered at Morrisons.  The rain was meant to ease as the morning progressed, but not before it got very heavy just as we were all riding to the start.

A route adjustment to suit the conditions was made, a straightforward out and back along the Alban Way to Old Hatfield.  The advantage of grim weather is a quieter Alban Way, although there were a few determined people besides ourselves walking or cycling in waterproofs.

Autumnal leaf colour on the trees and on the path

Through the Blackberry Arch, the halfway point between St Albans and Hatfield.

We went all the way along the Alban Way to cross the ECML and emerge on the Great North Road.  A short way along the A1000 Hertford Road cycle route, then south on NCN12 onto the Old Hertford Road and along Park Street and through to Old Hatfield, where we turned into Salisbury Square.

This is currently undergoing redevelopment, we had to walk along a hoarded passageway to gain Sustain Coffee.  This excellent coffee roastery is open for coffee and other hot and cold drinks from 9am to 1pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.  Yes, those are sacks of coffee behind us.  The actual roaster is just out of sight to the left.

While we were enjoying our coffee stop it was coming down stair rods but had reverted to light rain by the time we were setting off on the return leg.

With the usual onward route through the car park unavailable due to being full of diggers we walked around and had to do a little bit of cyclocross - up some steps and along a well-worn verge path.  This brought us out by the Great Northern pub and we used the shared footway to get back to the Alban Way.  The sun actually started to come out as we came back into St Albans.  Ride length about 20km / 13 miles.

Saturday 7 September 2024 - autumnal

The morning mist soon burnt off and we had a lovely morning of it.  We formed into two groups to suit pace and distance preferences.

Two were making a second visit to Ayletts Autumn Festival, same route as last week.  Two dozen eggs and two cups of chicken feed were purchased at Highfield Farm.

It was warm enough to sit outside in the Festival Tea Garden and enjoy coffee, cake and chat.  Then we perused the flowers - the Festival runs until the 15th, although the Celebration Garden is always available to garden centre visitors.

The Highfield Park orchards currently have loads of windfalls - you are welcome to collect windfalls, but not to pick apples, which are harvested by Highfield Park Trust.  Their Apple Day is on 6th October.

Back to Fleetville by Camp Cycle Route, nine miles covered.

Four set out going further and faster, and unlike last week, it was warmer than anticipated.  Accordingly we were not in a hurry, and enjoyed meandering through the countryside around Sandridge, Wheathampstead and Harpenden. We were mostly on country lanes, although the route did take us on a few busy main roads. 

We went down Sandridgebury Lane to Sandridge, up Coleman Green Lane, down Beech Hyde Lane, then along Marford Road and up Dyke Lane and through the southern reaches of Wheathampstead, then along Harpenden Road and down Pipers Lane. 

We had a coffee stop in Southdown, came back along Grove Road and then up Ayres End Lane to join A1081 Harpenden Road. We cycled back to St Albans along the cycle path, and split off home at the Ancient Briton. It was a pleasant 15 miles with some hills, but the group managed them!

Saturday 31 August 2024 - Autumn Festival

Confusingly, the meteorological start of autumn is always 1 September, but the Met Office goes by the astronomical start of autumn, which this year is 22 September and is the autumn equinox.  Whatever, the season is changing, and some of us were not wearing shorts today.

There were eight of us out for a celebratory start to autumn with a ride to Ayletts, via a somewhat circuitous route.  Along the Alban way to Hill End Lane, then through Highfield Park, where the football season has started.  A loop down Nightingale Lane, along the A414 path and then up Highfield Lane, where we diverted to say hello to chickens at Highfield Farm.

We were a disappointment to the chickens as we did not offer them any corn from the vending machine, although we did buy some eggs.

Now we went almost directly to Ayletts, using the Heronsway bridleway to get to Napsbury Lane and then roll down into the celebration field.  Drinks and cakes first at the Festival Tea Tent, then a stroll around the dahlias and the demonstration garden.

Back to Morrisons via Highfield Park and the Camp Cycle Route, nine miles covered.

Saturday 27 July 2024 - Fabulous Day Out

By special request, a special ride today for the club regulars. A full day out, train-assisted to Harlington and cycling back to St Albans.

From Harlington station we rode all of 750m to our coffee stop, we had a lovely welcome from the staff at The Hub and Spoke Cafe.  We had alerted them in advance, since we were a sizeable group - we need not have feared for their ability to cope, as a veritable horde of Harpenden Raiders arrived not long after us and were all easily seated and served.  But advance notice got us the best tables, heh heh.  Definitely a recommended cafe, a big menu of good food and of course cyclists are welcome.

Six of us had caught the train together, a seventh had sent a message 'have a puncture, don't wait'.  She rolled up to the cafe just as we were getting ready to set off.

It is a bendy, downhill ride to Sharpenhoe, some drivers more considerate than others.  It is quite a climb up to Sharpenhoe Clappers, we availed ourselves of the viewpoint benches before rolling on through Streatley, negotiating the A6 roundabout (Chiltern Cycleway signed footway route) and enjoying the big skies as we cycled along the top of the Barton Hills.

After a short stretch of the Icknield Way we were freewheeling down through Lilley where we enjoyed a pause to soak up the village atmosphere.  Onward to lunch at Emily's in Whitwell another place with good food and welcome for cyclists.

** Emily's is having a refurbishment - from 29 July to 11 August menu limited to drinks, cakes and crumpets, from 12 to 22 August fully closed.  Open again 23 August **

We were now on fairly familiar territory, we came back via Kimpton Mill, Tanyard Lane and Ayot St Lawrence, where we paused to admire the ruined church.  Take a look at the churchyard gate, it is rather lovely!  It is also padlocked, as the ruins are assessed as being in hazardous condition.  Onward to Wheathampstead and along Beech Hyde Lane to Sandridge where the group split off for home in various directions.

While we were out riding fabulously in glorious sunshine, Anna Henderson was riding an Olympic time trial in Parisian rain and winning a silver medal. Chapeau!

Saturday 6 July 2024 - the wrong sort of weather

Welcome to summer! Our leader was almost cross-eyed from checking the weather forecast in the days before the ride, different every time she looked.  The original long and some off-road route was modified to a shorter and some off-road route, with a fall-back of going straight to St Albans Cycle Hub.  The more sensible people decided not to go cycling this morning, the believers in the right sort of clothing turned out, five of them, ready to go further, faster, wetter.

The heavy overnight rain had brought down a tree on the Alban Way, only moderate acrobatics required to get through.

We continued, in the rain, to the end of the Alban Way and then along Holyrood Crescent and down to the Park Street roundabout.  A cyclist waiting out the heavier shower in the underpass gave us a slightly quizzical look as we paused and then launched through the nettles and briars to gain the A414 path.

Have to say, drivers being kind today, we made it down through Park Street no bother and then took to the offroad through Frogmore Pits.  Not many people out walking today.  The river level was high and when we got to the end of the path.... we could see that we would be riding through it!  It had overflowed the path.  We courteously waited for a couple of walkers to come through, which also let us gauge the depth.  It was manageable, but the bridge decking was very slippery indeed and we all ended up dabbing and sliddering our way to dryish land.  It was still raining.

We considered waiting it out under the M25 underpass at Moor Mill, but this was no passing shower, we carried on, along Drop Lane, where water dropped from the trees and splashed up from our wheels.  We were keen to visit  'the picture house', and Bricket Wood Common is beautiful even when you are wet.

Well, we were not disappointed, but we were all a bit wet and cold, as none of us had quite enough of the right clothing, so turned about and headed to the Bricket Wood Station Tearoom, four of us stopped for hot drinks and a fifth opted to keep going towards home and a nice warm bath.  We enjoyed our hot drinks and we highly recommend the rhubarb flapjack, but we were also liking the idea of home and hot bath.  And we were slightly nervous for our bikes, as we were told that a well-locked e-bike had been stolen the day before.  So we did not linger, and having waved to the friendly train guard, we were on our way, in the rain.

Back to St Albans on NCN6, the Abbey Way, along Park Street Lane and up through How Wood, through Greenwood Park and the party split, some heading towards Verulamium Park and the others returning to the Alban Way.  Ride distance approx 15 miles.

Saturday 8 June 2024 - further faster and medium meander

There were seven of us at the start, on a somewhat grey and blustery morning.

Five of us went out towards Sandridge, then along Beech Hyde Lane which had masses of nettles in the hedges and plenty of gravel on the road. We skirted around Wheathampstead (Dyke Lane, Hilldyke Road, Butterfield Road, Wheathampstead Lane) and down Leasey Bridge Lane.

Going up Marshalls Heath Lane we admired a patch of Foxgloves in the field. 

Further up there was much gravel, as if it had been dumped, which made for tricky cycling.  Over to Mackereye End, before dropping down to Batford, where Crabtree Lane is signed as a No Through Road - but that is just for motor vehicles.  We crossed the Lea and continued up Crabtree Lane. It is a long haul up the hill before we dropped down into Southdown for our coffee stop. 

We came home via Cross Lane and across East Common to the Harpenden Road.

On the cycle path a water main had burst, but this was the only puddle we had to cycle through. The weather stayed dry for this lovely ride.

The other two opted for a slightly less challenging ride.  Out Jersey Lane, then we headed up Woodcock Hill.  The picture is the wildflowers on the verge, but what we really paused for was to listen to the larks, glorious.

Through Symonsdhyde Woods, we weren't really going slow enough for a slug to catch us up, we had stopped on purpose!

Considering what damage has been done to the garden this year by slugs, this one did very well indeed to be lifted gently into the woodland before we cycled on!  From Tower Hill Lane we rolled down to West End Barns for delicious coffee and sausage rolls.

We came back via Ayres End, the A1081 and Childwickbury.  We noted the burst water main, now lifting the tarmac and depositing sand, it is marked for action.  St Mary's Church had a beautiful floral arch over the door, and our suspicions were confirmed when, having gone round to check the rhododendrons, we came upon a wedding bus!

The rhoddies are going over, but still loads of flowers to admire.

Down the bridleway to Batchwood Drive then back through Verulamium Park.

Saturday 25 May 2024 - Bank Holiday sunshine

The Alban Way is severely flooded at Smallford (again) after the very heavy rain on Wednesday.  One of our riders checked the depth on her way to the meeting point - knee deep.  Water was still running out of her shoes as we gathered.

There were no takers for the slower option today, but we still split into 2 groups anyway: with a leader to spare and a soft tyre, it meant the main group of six could set off and the trailing twosome could pop along to be looked after at Trek St Albans before following on.

Along the Alban Way and on the NCN6 route up to the Watford Road at Chiswell Green, up Ragged Hall Lane (not as flooded as expected, hardly flooded at all) to Potters Crouch, then southward.  There a huge articulated lorry squeezed past on the narrow lane down to Plaistows Airfield.  We took the gravelly Noke Lane very slowly, as there were numerous potholes.

The laggards came down Chiswell Green Lane from Potters Crouch, and tagged on the back of the main group on Tippendell Lane.  What fabulous route-matching and pace-judging! The funfair was gaudy in Greenwood Park, but we were not distracted, coffee was calling.  Very good fare at the Lazy Llama kiosk, and a table for 8 was free.

It had been a while since our last ride and everyone was on the mood to just relax and catch up.  Four of those present had been at the South Herts CTC AGM on Zoom on Monday evening, so we were feeling very clubby.

Our homebound route was through Greenwood Park, this section of NCN6 is delightful.  Lots of people enjoying sun and fun in the Community Garden.  Back to Morrisons via NCN6 and the Alban Way again.  Twelve mile loop.

Saturday 13 April 2024 - here comes the sun

Seven Further Faster riders set out on a beautiful morning to go to Ayot St Lawrence. The sun came out and there was no wind. We saw many other cyclists enjoying the countryside. The bluebells looked lovely. We went through Sandridge, Nomansland, Leasey Bridge, Marshalls Heath, Gustard Wood and through the lanes to Ayot St Lawrence.

We returned through Wheathampstead where the cafe was doing very good business.

After our coffee stop we returned to Sandridge.

We split off in Sandridge with some going up Jersey Lane and others Sandridgebury Lane. It was a great ride of about 20 miles from Morrisons.

The Fabulous threesome have very little to say for themselves, they just enjoyed a bimble in the sunshine.  Down Jersey Lane to Sandridge, a breather on the bench by the Scout Hut to bask and enjoy the view.

Onward via Sandridgebury Lane and the Green Ring along Batchwood Drive, Ladies Grove and through St Michaels to Verulamium Park.  We said hello to the hedgehog in the Wildlife Trust garden.

We had our coffee stop at the Inn on the Park, sitting outside.  Back to Morrisons via the resurfaced Prospect Road and the Alban Way, a loop of 9 miles.

Saturday 9 March 2024 - International Women spring into action

We have traditionally resumed our ride programme on the Saturday closest to International Womens Day, and the tradition continued this year, although without any placards or poses.  Suffice it to say that 'Inspiring Inclusion' is one way of describing our 5 Miles to Fabulous rides.

At last some sunshine.  Two riders set off on a Fabulous ride and six were going Further Faster.

The Fabulous pair headed out by way of Jersey Lane to Sandridge and then along the multiuser path to Nomansland.  We admired the birch trees (pictured) and the redwings and fieldfares (flying too much for picture) as we went. 

We rolled along to West End Barns, like us on their first day after their winter break, and parked our bikes in a sunny, flowery corner.

Coffee and baking as delicious as ever, we found a bench in the sun and apricated.  We returned to St Albans by much the same route, taking the lanes back to Sandridge and then back up Jersey Lane.  We were fairly warm by the time we got back towards Fleetville, a ride of ten miles.

The Further Faster Six also headed off towards Sandridge, via Sandridgebury Lane (not flooded today)  and onward by the same multiuser path between Heartwood Forest and the B651 as the Five duo. We went over Nomansland, up Ayres End Lane, then down Pipers Lane, and along Grove Road to Southdown in Harpenden. 

We had coffee at Simmons then returned via Cross Lane, past the stables to East Common. We met a Breeze group coming towards us and stopped for a chat. Their leader kindly took our group photo. 

We went back along Harpenden Road cycle path, and were pleasantly surprised by the new tarmac along most of its length.  Nice to see the full width of the path!  

We split off for home near the Ancient Briton. The ride was about 12 miles, which was fine for the first ride of the year.