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.