Saturday 5 April 2025 - glorious sunshine

We had another well-attended ride, split into two groups both heading for West End Barns.  For a change we had Teresa in charge of the 'relaxed' group and Rona leading the 'athletic' group. 

Teresa led the group of five along the Alban Way then on the bridleway through the Oaklands College grounds, saying hello to the alpacas.

From House Lane it was through the houses up to Jersey Lane and on to Sandridge.  Proceeding along the multiuser path across Nomansland the group were soon ensconced at West End Barns, almost six miles covered, 120 feet of climbing.

Rona led the group of eight up Woodstock Road and Homewood Road and then down Marshals Drive to Jersey Lane.  From Sandridge they headed up and over Woodstock Hill.

A quick blast along Coopers Green Lane - thank you considerate van driver - and we were wending through Symondshyde Woods, a delightful ascent to Coleman Green.

We enjoyed the downhill then spun across Nomansland and into the farmyard to join the others, 8.5 miles covered, 344 feet of climbing.

We enjoyed our coffee stop together, this is such a lovely place with great coffee, food and ice cream.

For the return leg groups remixed, choice depending on preferred return route, and one headed off direct for home. The rest headed back along the multi-user path to Sandridge.

From there, six returned via Jersey Lane, six returned via Sandridgebury Lane, riders peeling off for home as we went.

Traffic seemed quieter today on the whole, perhaps because it is the school holidays and the usual clubs were not happening.  There was plenty of running though, we saw Jersey Farm Park Run and orienteering on Nomansland.  Sandridge was as usual a bit fraught, this really needs to be 20mph.

Saturday 8 March 2025 - International Women's Day sunny and warm

 After a rather long, grey, wet winter, it was lovely to meet up again to start our 2025 ride programme on a sunny and warm morning.  There were rather a lot of us, 14 in fact.

We split into two groups, with Teresa and Lorna taking 8 with them on a circuit of Bricket Wood and Rona going off with 3 on a shorter loop via Potters Crouch, with both groups aiming for the Lazy Llama kiosk in Greenwood Park.

The faster group set off first along the Alban Way and duly ripped up the lanes: we went up to Chiswell Green via Robert Ave and Ragged Hall Lane, then along Stanley Avenue to then head up Chiswell Green Lane. Down Noke Lane, which was not as muddy or gravelly as expected! It took a long time to get across the A405 as there was so much fast traffic.  Lye Lane was quiet and Drop Lane was very peaceful. We came back up Smug Oak Lane, down through Park St and How Wood, over the A405 by footbridge and into Greenwood Park where we met the other group at the cafe. 

The slower group also set off along the Alban Way, which was quite busy -  as everyone was being considerate we were all happy.  We stopped to admire the Watercress Beds, then continued up NCN6.  From the Watford Road we peeled off onto Ragged Hall Lane and paused to admire the gingerbread cottage.

We continued our meander up to Potters Crouch, with an entertaining rest stop by the pond at East Farm, much quacking as spring fever energised the ducks.  On our way down towards Chiswell Green we admired the giant creature eating a leaf at the Royal Entomological Society offices.

We were first to the coffee stop and bagged a table in the sun, and in due course the rest arrived and bagged more sunny seats.

There was mingling over coffee and then rearranging of groups for the return.  After enjoying the lovely track through the woods, then taking great care on the gravelly descent by the allotments, one lot went back via Robert Avenue to return to Fleetville and the other lot headed through by Netherway and Verulamium Park for points onward around the north of the city.

Hard to define ride milage, as everyone covers a different distance to and from the start, but the 'Fabulous' ride was of the order of 10 miles and the 'Further Faster' ride was about 15 miles.