Saturday 16 May 2026 - cold snap

Grey clouds with some sunshine meant base layers and waterproofs were favoured for today's ride.

Seven Further Faster riders set off eastwards along the Alban Way and made a tour of the former De Havilland airfield, now Salisbury Village and Hatfield Business Park, to emerge on Coopers Green Lane and then ride up through Symondshyde.

Big lowering skies as they rode across Nomansland, to turn into West End Barns and join the Fabulous group for delicious hot drinks and baked goods.

The Fabulous quartet set off northwards around the Green Ring to Batchwood Drive and then through New Greens on NCN6 and onward up the Harpenden Road.  They diverted into Childwickbury to admire the stunning rhododendrons.

A further detour was made to enjoy St Mary's Church, built in 1866/67, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, the architect whose other works include the Midland Hotel at St Pancras station, at the behest of Henry Heyman Toulmin, the shipping magnate who owned the Childwickbury estate at the time.  The church was used for both worship and schooling, with a schoolroom being added in 1885 by the subsequent owner of Childwickbury, John Blundell Maple.  In 1901 there were 140 children on the estate.  The school closed in 1926, but the schoolroom still serves the community and there are regular services in the church - details on St Mary's website. 

From Childwickbury it was a short hop further up the Harpenden Road, enlivened by freeing a dropped chain that got stuck, then a roll along Ayers End Lane and down to West End Barns, where they were soon joined by the Further Faster group.

If you have not seen any swallows yet this year, pop along, as they are nesting in one of the smaller buildings.  The cafe barn is only open at weekends, but at other times you can access the Cake Shed for cold drinks, local produce and tray bakes, and cakes on Mondays and Thursdays.

We headed back to St Albans by various routes, another super morning of cycling achieved.

Saturday 18 April 2026 - Old Hatfield

Peak spring - lush grass, bluebells, cow parsley, hawthorn in bloom, chestnut candles, lilac etc etc.  Sunny and not too warm, warm enough to show off our new club jerseys.

Fourteen of us met up in Fleetville, the Further Faster group of eight set off first and the six Fabulous riders shortly after.

The Fabulous group ambled along the Alban Way, with a stop to admire the new goods van at Smallford Station, part of a long term project to celebrate the history and heritage of Smallford in general and the railway in particular.  [Lost Rails tells you more about former railway lines in Hertfordshire.  Keep an eye out for the old telegraph pole on the Alban Way! Also keep an eye out for pop-up cafes, usually listed on Facebook.] 

We had another stop to enjoy the tulips at Clarke's Road greenspace, then onward to the end of the line, across the Great North Road and over the East Coast Main Line, then north along the A1001 until we turned off onto NCN12 and doubled back through Old Hatfield.

We were first to Salisbury Square, still a construction site but beginning to emerge. The herras fencing is robustly installed and was strong enough to lean our bikes against, and we headed into Sustain Coffee Roasters for coffee.

We had just got our order in when the Further Faster group arrived.

They had headed out via the Camp, Highfield Park - these cycling routes being a revelation to some of the group.  Through Tyttenhanger Green to the A414 longabout signalled crossing and lovely smooth tarmac through Colney Heath.  Then underneath the A1(M) and the A1001 by the Bullens Green underpass, with a thank you to WelHat Council for clearing flytipping that had been obstructing the cycle route.  They wended their way through South Hatfield and Oxlease, getting onto NCN12 and going under the railway via another colourful underpass.  One member of the group had to head back for a noon appointment, the rest joined the others in Sustain.  

This is a super place to visit.  Coffee and other hot and cold drinks are served on Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings in the exciting setting of an actual roastery, with sacks of beans all around.  Some of purchased roasted beans.  The staff are lovely and took our group photo.  More about Sustain here.

Eventually we prised ourselves away from coffee and chat and headed back along the Alban Way in one group.  Both groups had enjoyed the spring flowers and birdsong and encounters with courteous drivers and path users.

Saturday 7 March 2026 - International Women's Day season opener

 A few days before our first ride of the year the forecast was showing sunshine and warmth, alas, Saturday dawned damp and chill, after overnight rain.  We had sixteen riders, split evenly between the Fabulous and Further Faster groups.

The Further Faster group left first, heading along the Alban Way, then up NCN6 to Watford Road and off onto the lanes.  Ragged Hall Lane was in an even worse state than usual, flooded and gravelly and potholed. The group were relieved to make it to the Holly Bush unscathed.

Time to turn in the direction of coffee, down via Noke Lane to the Watford Road, along through Chiswell Green and down Tippendell Lane to Greenwood Park and the Lazy Llama.

The Fabulous group followed on the same route up to Potters Crouch, stopping to admire the daffodils at East Farm.  The duckpond is full but the ducks were elsewhere.

From Potters Crouch they took the more direct route to coffee, coming down Chiswell Green Lane, admiring the Royal Entomological Society's large mini-beast and the cherry blossoms and keeping a sharp lookout for the potholes and gravel banks.

The faster group had reached the Lazy Llama first, but we had plenty of time for group chat and a group photo.

It was too cold to hang around though, and we made our way back to St Albans, shedding riders along the way.