Bike Week Reflections

Seven of us out today, on a figure of eight ride.  The planned coffee stop was Osprey, a new destination for some.  We headed out along the Alban Way as far as Hill End Lane, then up to cross the Hatfield Road and ride through the grounds of Oaklands College.  As we had made good time, and as some of those out had cycled up Nashe's Farm Lane before, an extra loop before coffee was requested, so we carried on along House Lane to Sandridge.  Quite a deep flood to negotiate just past the Jersey Farm roundabout, we are grateful to a group of oncoming club cyclists who demonstrated that the lie of the road meant it was best to go through on the east side, not the centre.

Through Sandridge, and we admired the colourful field of wildflowers alongside Coleman Green Lane.  We wended through the lanes to loop around through Symondshyde Great Wood, if we had wended a tiny bit quicker we could have missed the shower that gave us a freshen up just before our arrival at the Osprey and the Saddlery Café. We enjoyed the very nice cake, and took our time over it as a larger, heavier shower came down stair rods.  With 5MTF now having larger groups out it was a good opportunity to have a briefing session on group riding protocol, such as things one might shout out to warn the others of hazards.

The Verulam Cycling Cub has a very good guide, aimed at faster riders than us obviously.  But we commend this bit: "The Café Stop is a vital safety feature and ideal social opportunity for all.."  We had a wander round the shop, admiring the cushions....

Time to retrieve our bikes and head for home, reflecting as we went.

Flying off the Alban Way

A lovely sunny morning, shorts and shades on, ten ladies set off from Morrisons heading east along the Alban Way.  The wayside vegetation was all frothy.

We left the Alban Way at Ellenbrook and headed for what is now a country park called Ellenbrook Fields, but which many of us refer to as 'de Havilland aerodrome'.  After a loop up to the memorial that also gave us a glimpse of the longhorn cattle we joined the taxiway.  A pause at the information boards, then we were off up the concrete and then onto the grass and in no time at all we were heading into Notcutts for our coffee.

One rider bailed out after coffee, she wanted to shop for garden sundries.  The rest of us pootled back along the Alban Way as far as Hill End Lane, where we shed another rider going direct back to Morrisons.  The remaining eight headed north through the grounds of Oaklands College, crossed Sandpit Lane and found our way through to Jersey Lane.  A couple more peeled off en route and the ride finished at Bernards Heath, where the Wars of the Roses encampment was set up.

Nickey Line

"Screw loose and a bit wonky" I overheard as we gathered at the cycle racks at Harpenden station.  Not an accurate depiction of the leader, as I thought at first, but the outline of a mechanical incident resolved by the group who cycled out from St Albans to the start of the ride.

We had hoped the new ramp at Ambrose Lane might give us easy access to the Nickey Line, but the work is not quite complete.  You can't make out the lettering on the works sign, but it is rather charming "Cyclists please dismount  Pedestrians please take care through the works".  Nobody tried to ride down the steps...

We enjoyed the ride down to Redbourn, although the tarred surface is only through Harpenden, it gets more rustic once you are out of town.  All the better to enjoy the abounding nature - the violets were very pretty.

The Hub was obscured by a cloud of blue as we approached, and once we had locked our bikes it became apparent that the Ashwell CC had got in ahead of us.  Being a cyclists' refuge as well as an excellent café, the Hub staff just asked us to take a seat and in no time at all the blue jerseys at the counter had dispersed. and while their coffees were dispensed, our order was taken.

Quite how they managed to fit the seven of us, the hordes of lycra lads and several locals without bicycles but with prams into such a tiny space, remaining calm and welcoming throughout ... an impressive achievement to match the excellence of the cake and coffee.

The next stage of our ride took us along the main road - on the footpath, not yet widened to shared use standard, but we did not have to share it today, so no problem for us.  A discovery - the bakery at Redbournbury Mill is open on Saturdays.  We stopped, we shopped.

Getting across the ford was considerably more challenging that getting down the Nickey Line steps, but teamwork made hauling the bikes and ourselves up the bank a slick operation.  The climb of Beesonend Lane also proved less challenging than you might think.  We rode back to St Albans using the bridleway through Childwickbury.  Distance covered actually over ten miles, and fourteen or more for those who rode to the start.

Highfield Park

Four of us got the 2014 ride programme off to a good start with a very gentle amble on a mild spring day.

Along the Alban Way, we stopped for a fettle at the Hill End Garden of Remembrance, a poignant stop.

The history board next to the arch tells you the history of Hill End Hospital.  You can find out more about Highfield Park - including a map and the history of the hospitals - on the Highfield Park Trust website. We carried on along the Alban Way to Hill End Lane, then headed down Hixberry Lane and into the Park.  Through to Highfield Lane, around the corner and into Winchfield Wood.  We then linked through to Herons Way bridleway, and onto Napsbury Lane, and round to Ayletts for our coffee stop.

As no-one needed to return to Morrisons, the rest of the ride was into St Albans City Centre along the London Road cycle route.

Green Ring Recce

Seven riders set off, we were delighted to welcome three ladies to their first Fabulous ride.  The objective was to circumnavigate the proposed route of the Green Ring, paying special attention to the three small sections currently out for consultation.

Strictly speaking, we failed in our objective, as we did not actually wiggle past the oak tree at the back of Morrisons.

Well, we know it well, and we had already shifted our meeting spot to the sunny side of Hatfield Road, so hey!  Off we went up Woodstock Road, and our objective was again modified to accommodate the closure of Jennings Road footbridge, we diverted via Blenheim Road and Sandpit Lane.  Being fabulous, it did not trouble us to walk the footway up the hill to Lemsford Road, but it was a relief even so to get a bit further away from the horrible traffic and wend our way through an autumnal informal path.

Our next opportunity for muddy trails through trees came on the next consulting section, across Bernards Heath, firstly from Sandridge Road to Harpenden Road and then through to emerge on  NCN 6 (see left).  Those of us with local knowledge opined that Everlasting Lane would be too muddy even for intrepid explorers such as ourselves, so we reconnoitred Ladies Grove.  Some of us were even bold enough to ride up through Oysterfields and Temple View to check out the third consulting section, a link across the park.

The picture (left) is misleading on two counts – that is not a temple, it’s a lamp post, a hospital chimney and a litter bin, and that is an existing path, not the proposed one, which is off to the left.

After all this hard work, we were ready for our coffee stop at the Inn on the Park and thereafter an easy ride through the park and along the Alban Way back to Morrisons.  You have until 12 December to get your Green Ring three sections comments in.  Our coffee stop was an impromptu planning meeting, so watch out for dates, but expect at least two rides from Harpenden in 2014 as well as the usual Fleetville rendezvous.

Apples!

Some rides really are fabulously fabulous – this was one of them.  Apples were advertised and my goodness, they were delivered on this ride!  We were also keen to take in the resurfaced Alban Way too.  And, the weather forecast had changed from wet to sunny.  First we headed east – here are three of the septet gliding smoothly along.

Another remarkable feature of this particular ride – we allowed a chap to come with us!  His local CTC group is looking at running 5MTF style rides, so this was important outreach opportunity.  Our man is also a pomologist, so we benefited from his expertise as we plundered the windfalls in Highfield Park.  In fact, he enjoyed the orchard so much he asked us to leave him there and carry on without him.  The pictured section of orchard is near to Hixberry Lane, mainly cookers and a few desert trees. This was the orchard of the Herts County Mental Hospital, built in the late 1890s.  Further west we cycled through the old Cell Barnes Hospital orchard too.  Both these hospitals had farms to provide food and therapeutic work for the patients.  Find out more at the Highfield Park Trust website.

Having gathered bagfuls of apples, we meandered through the autumnal beauty of Highfield Park, picked up the London Road cycle route and in no time at all, we were ensconced in the Dahlia Coffee House at Ayletts.  We recommend the date slice and the availability of lactose free milk.

Our return route looped round by Sopwell and Cottonmill to take us to the western end of the Alban Way for more smooth tarmac enjoyment as we returned to Fleetville.

Open Studios

Three of us convened to peruse the Open Studios listing.  There was a studio only about 100m from Morrisons, but we felt we could and should go a bit further than that, yes even as far as Wheathampstead!  How could we resist an artist called Bel Bluemel? 

Off we went, Alban Way, Oaklands, House Lane and up past Nashe’s Farm, and round through Symondshyde Woods.  We followed a path through the church yard and out into a lovely little green with a play area.  Hmm, leader now had no idea where she was, but made a good guess, and we popped out at the Open Studio just as the door opened.  And yes, it turned to indeed be that Bluemel, the cycle accessories manufacturer! 

We enjoyed our visit, we bought artwork and we turned for home.  More uphill, bike needed to lean against a sign to rest after the effort.  Back to Sandridge via Nomansland, and there we parted company to make our separate ways home.

This was a fairly arduous ride, October will be shorter, slower and flatter.