Saturday 28 June 2025 - a roundabout ride

We brought the start forward by half an hour to give us time to get most of the ride done before it became uncomfortably hot.  Nine riders today, all wanting to go on the Further Faster ride, and no wonder as it was a cracker.

You may have heard of the new 'Dutch style' roundabout on Boundary Way in Hemel Hempstead, which opened on 3 June.  It is an Active Travel Fund project, ie government funded to help get more people choosing to walk, wheel and cycle for their short trips.  There is a lot of squawking on social media from people who haven't grasped the concept of reducing traffic congestion by enabling more people to choose more efficient modes thus freeing up space for people who do have to use a car for that journey.  Also shrieking about why build a cycling route next to HGVs - that's exactly why you build segregated infrastructure so that the HGVs and the cycles do not have to tussle for the same bit of road-space.  Well, come with us and have a look and see what you think....

From Fleetville we headed along the Alban Way and up NCN6 to the Watford Road, then up Ragged Hall Lane.  We enjoyed some male company on part of this section of the ride, a friendly runner matched our pace on the uphill to Potters Crouch, but we left him out of the picture.

We sped along the A4147 as fast as we could, one or two drivers could have been a bit more patient but they were outnumbered by the caring and competent drivers.  Even so, it was a relief to gain Westwick Row.  Being cyclists we naturally ignored the Road Closed sign as it was only closed to cumbersome vehicles.  Our tyres got wet but our feet stayed dry.

Now we joined the Quietway, first section is Buncefield Lane south, traffic free.  Then we used the signal-controlled crossing to get over the dual carriageway and onto Buncefield Lane middle section up to Boundary Way and round - all the way round - the roundabout.  The drivers today seemed to understand how it works we are pleased to say.

There they go!

Here they come!

Only one lane of the two-lane cycle lane was closed, the works are alongside the lane, it's not been dug up already!

Along the northern section of Buncefield Lane, through the bollards and along Cherry Tree Lane and Holtsmere End Lane to get over to Gaddesden Row and down into Redbourn, where we piled into the Hub.  This is a really lovely cafe with excellent coffee and superb cakes. We didn't chat too long, we needed to get on our way home before it got too hot.

Getting ready for the off

 Along the A5, some of the group were preferred to ride on the road, now with a 50mph or lower speed limit, hmm.  Some of the group preferred to get scratched and stung on the overgrown footway, and one of them enjoyed this so much she overshot the Redbournbury turn-off and had to be retrieved.

It was lovely to cross the fords and saunter along the gravelly track.

Then it was up the hill and back in the A1081 cycle track with riders peeling off for home along the way.

Distance ridden about 19 miles.