Saturday 18 October 2025 - we are Sustained

Cold, grey day and everyone feeling tired in the middle of a busy month, so the option of a straightforward, flat ride was welcomed by all.  It was a pleasant ride along the Alban Way, the green and gold of the leaves making up for the grey sky.  We had a pause at Smallford Station to admire the art - currently posters by members of the St Albans Art Society.  We particularly commend the bicycles by Clare Pinney.

Onward, all the way along, over the East Coast Main Line, along the stub of the Great North Road and then southward into Old Hatfield on NCN12, the Great North Way.  We went all the way through and about-turned into Salisbury Square.  The north side of the square is still being developed, so we had to wiggle our way along between the building and the site fencing to reach Sustain.  This coffee roastery serves coffee and other drinks on Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings.  The food selection is limited, but how cute are these cookies:

The coffee is superb and the welcome is warm, we sat and chatted for quite a while.

When we eventually took our leave we needed some cycle-cross techniques - walking, running up steps - to regain the Great North Road.  The traffic island at the traffic lights is small, we just managed to all eight of us fit on, but we didn't have our selfie queens with us today, so we did not quite all fit in the picture.

Back the way we came except for the Wilkins Green diversion to admire the Great Nast Hyde mansion.

From here riders began peeling off for home.  The route distance from and back to Fleetville is 11 miles.