5MTF autumn update

We have set ride dates for the autumn, so look forward to seeing you on the following Saturdays for a Five Miles of Fabulous ride:
15 September

6 October

10 and 24 November

The somewhat random scheduling reflects leaders' availability, and even so we might not have all leaders all Saturdays.  Conversely, we might manage to slip in extra rides at short notice, so keep an eye on our website.

Other cycling-related dates of note in September:

Earthworks Summer Fair is on 1 September, find Earthworks on Hixberry Lane, come off the Alban Way at Hill End Lane. http://www.earthworksstalbans.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/SummerFairpdf.pdf Not a cycling event, but a nice destination for a ride.

Historic Churches Bike n Hike - Saturday 8 September.  Lots of churches open, some of them with coffee and cake.  No need to register, you plan your own ride around.  All you need to know is here: http://www.bedshertshct.org.uk/bikenhike.html

Herts Open Studios - 8 to 30 September.  Browse the brochure and suggest where our September ride might go!  Plan your own visits throughout the month! https://www.hvaf.org.uk/Open-Studios

St Albans Cyclefest -Sunday 16 September at Oaklands College, raising funds for Red Rubber Ball cycling project in Kenya.  Free entry, pay for activities. https://www.redrubberball.org.uk/2018/08/st-albans-cyclefest-fun-for-all-the-family/

Car Free Day - Saturday 22 September - find the Sustainable St Albans Healthy Streets stall on St Albans Market.

Saturday 14 July 2018 - Further Faster Alban Way Ayot Greenway Loop

After the success of our cool-in-the-hot weather #wfoc2018 5MTF ride, the Further Faster riders decided they needed a bit of a leg-stretcher.  Teresa organised a ride to take in both the Alban Way and the Ayot Greenway and their shady trees, and a short lakeside bimble for that cooling off-the-water breeze.  Goodness, what a lot of rhyme and aliteration.  Here we are at Stanborough:

Handside Lane is a lovely road, and we appreciated the kind drivers.  The old railway line through Sherrardspark Wood is a treat and wound us up to Ayot Green.  A quick whizz down the lane and onto the Ayot Greenway.  If it is a while since you have been along here, it is time for a revisit, it is lovely.  Bit dusty just now!
We piled our bikes up outside Charlie's in Wheathampstead, some of us preferred a cool indoor table and others enjoyed the alfresco sunshine.
A fairly straightforward run back, over to Sandridge by way of Beech Hyde Lane and Coleman Green Lane to Sandridge.  Riders began to peel off for home as we headed back to town via Jersey Lane.  The circuit is about nineteen miles.

Saturday 7 July 2018 - #WFOC2018 - a hot day to ride to Hatfield

Bunting up and riders  gathering.  Meeting point repositioned slightly to get us in the shade.    We had 14 riders today, our highest yet turnout.   Womens Festival of Cycling goody bags were well received.

Group photo: note to self - make a neater job of knotting the bunting in future! Thanks to Teresa for the super picture.

The route was repositioned  to keep us in the shade too - with the numbers and the heat, we opted for the Alban Way.  Rather than get completely tangled up in the Refugee Tales 2018 walk, we diverted at Smallford via Wilkins Green and Comet Way, then down Wellfield Road.  This brought us neatly to Hatfield Market, where we relaxed with takeaway coffee from Erol's and a chat in the shade of a tree, and for some, a bit of shopping at the market.  Not many stalls these days.

Alban Way all the way back, and we were delighted to find that Nast Hyde Halt had their bunting out.

Distance covered - 9 miles.

Womens Festival of Cycling

This is running for the whole of July, with rides and events up and down the country.  Find out more at https://www.cyclinguk.org/ride/womens-festival-cycling

Our ride is on Saturday 7 July, we meet at Morrisons on Hatfield Road - by the cycle stands natch.  Setting off at 0930 for a morning meander on quieter roads and traffic free trails. As some of the tracks are unsurfaced, skinny tyres are not suitable for this ride. You do not need a special bike to ride with us, but please make sure it is roadworthy - there are links on our web page to the M-Check, or pop in to any of our super local bike shops to ask about a check or a service.  The check is usually free, any repairs and servicing will be charged.
We will have a coffee stop, so bring some cash.

Saturday 9 June 2018 - Bike Week

Ten riders out for Bike Week, and we split into five going Further Faster and five merely fabulous.  We headed out along the Alban Way, by Ellenbrook the FF riders were vanishing into the distance.
Nast Hyde Halt at Ellenbrook is tended by Mike the postman and friends, it is amazing what can be achieved.  Read about it here.

From Nast Hyde the Fabulous five headed up to Ellenbrook Fields, after a little nature tour - geology, longhorn cattle - we rolled along the taxiway, across the runway and round the meadow to emerge at Notcutts for our coffee stop. "It'll start raining now" came a muttering from the back (see ride reports passim), but today the sky turned blue while we enjoyed our cake and beverages.  Straightforward run back along the Alban Way.

The Further Faster five continued along the Alban Way via Stanborough Lakes and into Welwyn Garden City to have coffee at the Methodist Church in Ludwick Way. We did a circular route coming back via Hollybush Lane and Ascots Lane then back along the Alban Way. It was a lovely day for a ride, and we did about 20 miles, with no hills!

Saturday 5 May 2018 - Bluebells

The sunshine made this a really super ride, and we had a record turnout, twelve of us enjoyed good company and blue skies.  And bluebells.
We all set off for Sandridge via Jersey Lane.  Then we took the bridleway across Heartwood Forest and up to Ayers End Lane.

At Ayers End Lane three split off for a Further Faster ride via Leasey Bridge and NCN57 to Southdown via a bit of exploration in Harpenden - here is their account:

We peeled off down to Pipers Lane and on to Wheathampstead Lane and Leasey Bridge Lane. We went along the old railway track to Harpenden, missed the turning for Crabtree Lane and ended up in an estate of houses. We worked our way up to Station Road and Dalkeith Road, then back on Crabtree Lane to Southdown, where we sat in the sunshine for a coffee stop. We came back via Cross Lane and East Common, then along the Harpenden Road cycle path to St Albans. A beautiful day for a ride, which was about 15 miles.

The other nine riders turned left and headed along to the Harpenden Road, and then into Childwickbury and another bridleway down to Batchwood Drive. From there a quick flip along the Green Ring to Verluamium Park for our coffee stop at the end of our ride. We had covered just shy of nine miles.

2018 Fabulous Cycling May update

Waahay!  Blue sky!

Rona is now off for two weeks in May joining Hertfordshire Breeze Co-ordinator Bev Graham on part of her Cycle Around the Coast.  Edinburgh to Glasgow via John O'Groats!

One of our regular riders, Dali,  is riding Women v Cancer Ride the Night, a fundraising women only 100km ride from Windsor into London and back again, during the night of 5 May 2018.  To sponsor her, click here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/2d-wheels
To check on her progress, click here: https://2dwheels.wordpress.com/

The rest of the 5MTF summer programme has rides on 8 June (Bike Week) and 7 July (Women's Festival of Cycling).

South Herts Cyclists were involved in Sustainable St Albans Week, for the 21 April 5MTF ride see report in blog.  Saturday Fun rides with Neil and company started on 28 April, the ride to Stanborough Lakes was also a #SustWeek18 ride.
On Sunday 29 April the South Herts Cyclists and the St Albans Cycle Campaign had a great if somewhat cold time in the cycling expertise zone at the Know How Festival at Fleetville Junior School. It was super to meet up with other groups promoting cycling, including Herts Cycling Bikeability trainers, Botox Bikes and Sustrans mechanics and several other cycling friends who came along in support.