Saturday 17 February 2018 - Further Faster to Bricket Wood

Teresa reports: Six of us started from Morrisons on a lovely sunny, still morning, out along the Alban Way, then through the estate to Chiswell Green. We were pleased to have Rona with us to advise a new member of the group on saddle height, gear changing and general confidence about cycling. Chiswell Green Lane and Noke Lane were not as muddy or full of puddles as expected, and we saw snowdrops and crocuses, proving that spring is coming.

Crossing  the A405 took some time to see a gap in the traffic, but going up Lye Lane was very peaceful.  We did an extra loop around Drop Lane and Smug Oak Lane before heading for coffee at the Café in the Wood, where extra cakes had been baked for us!

We came back via Park Street, How Wood, over the footbridge into Greenwood Park, then split off, some back to the Alban Way, and another towards Batchwood. It was a circular trip of about 16 miles, taken at a steady pace, with lots of pauses to catch our breath and admire the countryside.

Picture: admiring the ford at Drop Lane

Saturday 10 February 2018 - Further Faster to Wheathampstead

Four riders enthusiastically braved the chill for a ride through the lanes to Wheathampstead.  Riding with care through the frozen slush in places, they had warmed up enough to sit outside the busy cafe for their cake and chat!
It was too cold to deal with a recalcitrant slow puncture on the way home, so the south side riders rode back to Morrisons and the north side cyclists walked the last mile directly home.

For a more detailed report, and pictures, head over to Dali's blog: https://2dwheels.wordpress.com/2018/02/10/first-further-faster-fabulous-freezing/

100 years since (some) women got the vote

Cycling played a huge part in the campaign for womens' suffrage.  Historian Sheila Hanlon has carried out a lot of research in to cycle and suffrage, and you can delve into her trove of Wheelwomen stories on her webpage.

Further Faster February Rides

Teresa will be leading a series of Further Faster rides this month.  Usual meeting place and style of ride, but faster and further - fifteen to twenty miles distance and correspondingly pacier.

Fast, but of course not too fast... picture from 'The way to Wareham' blogpost by Sheila Hanlon.

Sheila is Cycling UK's historian, there are links to articles on the Cycling UK website.  Head over to her excellent website  http://www.sheilahanlon.com/  for interesting stuff, very topical this year given the centenary of suffrage for women aged 30 and over.  

2017 Fabulous Cycling latest news

The number of sweeties in Birchwood's jar was 139.

One 2018 ride is already arranged - Saturday 21 April the Sustainable St Albans Week ride.  More in due course.

Our fashion editor advises:
The 'in' colour for shoe laces this season is still red.

Saturday 25 November - Birchwood Christmas Coffee Morning

A cold but beautiful morning.  The bare branches cast shadow patterns on the Alban Way.  Mad squirrels and boys doing wheelies to add to the fun.  Nine of us flew along the Alban Way,  right to the very end at Wrestlers Bridge.  We turned onto the old Great North Road and rolled down and then turned around through Birchwood to the Methodist Church.













We were expected, so our bikes were invited through to the garden and we came in through the kitchen, like all the best parties! The welcome was warm and the coffee and the mince pies were hot! We had a good browse of the crafts and home produce, and purchases were made. We also tried to guess the number of sweeties in the jar.

We cut straight back onto the Alban Way and headed westward.... and uphill. Even with Methodist mince pies to fuel us we had a breather or two along the way, all the better to enjoy the views of amazing back garden statues and winter fields.

Saturday 4 November 2017 - renewal and decay

Forecast was not good, so in the expectation that this might be the only photo opp here is the traditional smiling people in bright garments picture.

We had gathered below the canopy at Morrisons, which is now accessible again.  The renovations are nearly complete, we could see them getting ready to replace the cycle stands.

In view of the poor forecast we were not going out on a long ride, but to add some spice we were going to a coffee stop that we had not been to before.  Off along the Alban Way, admiring new signage. 

Once under the strengthened bridge at Cottonmill Lane we headed onward and upward on NCN6, enjoying shiny new tarmac on Vesta Avenue and Robert Avenue.  The latter is a very welcome improvement as the surface was dreadful, although useful for demonstrating the damage that frost does to roads, as the worst bits were in the frost pockets.

Into Greenwood Park for some late autumn 'forest bathing'.  The Forestry Commission autumn mindfulness is perhaps a more apt description of the benefits of gentle autumn cycling in woodland -  Five Miles to Fabulous covers all the Five Ways to Well Being. The dampness rendered the tree trunks and branches very stark and made the glow of golden leaves still there all the more dramatic.

Over the North Orbital on the footbridge, which had a refurbishment earlier this year, we turned right on Orchard Drive and used a useful footpath to get us through to Burstons Garden Centre.

We returned by more or less the same route, but used the access on North Close to leave Greenwood Park.  It is marginally less aggravating than the access off Watford Road.  By the time we returned to Morrisons the cycle stands were in place.  And we had not had a soaking, in fact, it hardly rained on us at all.  Distance just under nine miles.