When the weather is like Sunday's and the ride still goes ahead, it is tempting for ride leaders to target in their report those who, after looking out the window, choose their quilt ahead of donning lycra. This is, of course, a very puerile and smug thing to do. Readers of this report can therefore feel assured that Sunday's lily-livered, fair-weather, lie-a-bed, lightweight snowflakes are safe from such abuse. Just wanted to make that clear!
Ten Wheelers embarked for a circuitous route to Something Lovely at Puckeridge on a dry but windy last Sunday in February. Progress out via Babbs Green was temporarily halted because of an early puncture, where we were passed by Mark T' s group chuffing up the hill towards Bakers End. The usual ribald comments were exchanged.
Brrr, my Garmin shows the temperature for the first half of this ride as -1°C but after the café stop it warmed up - to 0°C! There were times when the east wind hitting our faces made it feel much worse. We could have been in bed - what were we thinking going on a bike ride on a day like this?
Dealing with life's difficulties can be tough going; I am still coming to terms with Only Connect moving from a Monday to a Friday. The current catastrophe is the the Great Lettuce Shortage. I suspect it was the underlying cause of category 6 numbers jumping from 5 or fewer in January to 14 this week. Cycling can help put great challenges into perspective, or at least take your mind off the impending doom of an iceberg famine.
Due to the low turnout of only 3 members, we decided to huddle together with Gareth's Cat 3 group of 5 to keep warm on a very cold day and went with them to Thremhall Park, instead of Hatfield Heath.
Category 6 led by Mike East
Minus 3 degrees at 9.30 and not much warmer thereafter. Beyond Codicote the decision was made to give the Chilterns peak at Wandon End a miss and seek solace, warmth and sustenance in the base camp at Emily's, Whitwell. A pacy ride back got us to Hertford before 1 pm. Four riders, 30 miles.
Seven Wheelers, including those who turned up expecting a Cat 3, set off from Allenburys at the advertised 09.30, wondering where Barry was. Up the old A10 to High Cross, brushing aside the ascent of the hill to High Cross as if it wasn’t there, the peleton then turned into a particularly muddy Marshall’s Lane and headed for Sacombe Green, Dane End and Great Munden. Captain Bob did offer the option of taking the route via Haultwick, but there was no enthusiasm for this, so via Great Munden Church it was.
An undulating route out into a moderate headwind via Bengeo, Dane End, Puckeridge, Braughing, Berden, Arkesden and Strethall which included a broken mudguard, spoke and a puncture (Paul's first ever) and Leigh losing 2 bolts from his cleat, all coped with or ignored with the minimum of fuss.
Two of us this time, Valdis & myself. We headed north via the old A10 to Puckeridge and thence onward via Furneux Pelham and Berden until Rickling where we turned South and gained the advantage of a following wind. Down via Henham in time for the service there and then looped around Stansted Airport to the venue at Thremhall Park off the old A120. There we became three as we were met by IanS who rode back with us. A new cafe for us and a welcome change, especially as they refilled our tea\coffee cups for zilch.
