Club Run Reports

Category 6 ride led by Tony Dos Santos

“Haway the lads - Toon Army, Toon Army“ was the cry I heard at 7:30, as I met Arron in Waltham Cross. He was excited to say the least with his new “skinny” tyres. On route, we were meeting up with Davina and then Leigh. Leigh and I were somewhat hanging as we’d been out the day before with Mike Spicer, enjoying a few beers, to say the least. 

We picked up Davina and then got to Hoddesdon, where we had a caffeine drink. Davina decided on a coffee. We weren’t even at the start and needed energy. 

Category 2 ride led by Laura O’Shea

Fantastic turn out for the category 2 ride today, with 9 riders setting off (and more importantly finishing!) on a trip to the Raynes Booking Hall.

It was a well paced group ride in windy conditions, averaging 18 mph over 70 miles with 700 metres of elevation. No punctures this week, just bird poop on a sandwich...

The group kept together well in the wind. 

Riders included Lib, Tom, Kev, Brian, Oliver, Nathan B, Peter H and Danny from Wales.

Category 6 ride led by Tony Dos Santos

Category 6 ride led by Tony Dos Santos

The forecast was warm but windy, with a chance of rain. Only six riders showed up. Nice to meet Oliver Lea, lovely guy and definitely not a cat 6 rider. He will climb up through the cats pretty swiftly. 

One of Carolyn’s routes today,  which takes us through some lovely lanes. All I have to do is lead it. Simples eh! Off we go through the Hertford back roads, avoiding Port Hill in true Carolyn style. 

Category 4 ride led by Pete Kelleway

Despite a last minute concern that we might be starting at 8.30, we assembled at 9.30 at Allenburys. It was great to have Peter Bloomfield and Amanda ride with us. The chat before was ‘are we going to get wet’ ; three of us obviously thought so as we had fitted mudguards. Fortunately we were wrong.

Category 4 ride led by Ian Bembridge

We had a decent turn out with seven riders assembled for the ride to Hot Numbers Roastery in Shepreth. The outbound route was fairly direct and uneventful, and with the wind behind we managed an average of over 16 mph.

The problem with this café is that it gets very busy, and when we arrived to discover there was an hour’s wait for hot food, we de-camped to the nearby Phillimore Garden Centre with a secluded outdoor area hemmed in by endless plant pots.

Category 6 ride led by Tony Dos Santos

Hot hot hot! I don’t know if you know whether this ride had a theme, but it was hot. 
I met with Leigh at a roundabout by half eight, where he had a puncture. All mended in seconds and we rode to Ware and got there For quarter to. Alex was surprised - “you’re normally here earlier having a smoke”! 
Six riders in total were raring to go and off we went at nine.

Pre-audax 100 km ride led by Tony Dos Santos

The weather forecasted today was going to make a for hot, hot ride.

Nine Wheelers arrived for the 8 o’clock start. Ian Bailey turned up as well. Amazing, considering he likes his bed so so much. The temperature was already 20°C, and everyone had two water bottles. Valdis and I were the Wheelers’ guinea pigs, being dragged into the 21st Century and using the E-Brevet for the first time for our club audax.

Category 6 ride led by Tony Dos Santos

Category 4 ride led by Pete Kelleway

Four of us set off from Ware to head to Dobbies Garden Centre. Only one of us didn’t get the memo to say wear your Herts Wheelers top! After about 200m into the ride, Ian declared we were off course. Hmm, we soon realised he hadn’t downloaded the amended version where I had reversed the direction.

Category 4 ride led by Pete Kelleway

After the Met Office had forecast Saturday’s weather so badly, I set off to the start hoping that they might be more accurate for our ride. I really hoped so because it was 8.9°C as I arrived at Allenbury’s!

Category 6 ride led by Tony Dos Santos

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away………… (cue the Star Wars music). Cue the bloke with the husky voice on all voice overs “Today was a day of all days - three crashes, two punctures and rides going the wrong way and some even managing to ride into a hedge”! Intrigued? Read on. 

It will be fun, “they said”, when you lead a category 6 ride! Well today was fun, but mayhem also ensued. 

Category 6 ride led by Tony Dos Santos

On the way up to Allenbury’s, I met Mike (Hill-Dur) Spicer. You know, the one that loves hills. We met at 7.50 to get to Allenburys on time. As usual Hill-Dur was moaning at the non-existent hills from Cheshunt to Ware. We arrived at half past eight, with Hill-Dur now moaning about how early we were. That’s enough about Mike, for the moment!

Category 4 ride led by Pete Kelleway

Four of us turned up for the category 4 ride today - three committee members and Denis. Poor Denis. Having got the statutory items out the way (club insurance, cheques for the Audax etc) we settled down, and got wet for the first time. 

Category 6 ride led by Claire Gopoulos

Welcome and well done to new member, Ryan, on his 2nd ride out with the club.  Also welcome to Daniel who joined us on this ride as he is building up to ride to Mersea with Kevin in June – good luck with that chaps.

Category 6 ride led by Mike East

Category 6 ride led by Tony Dos Santos 

It was a cold morning, the temperature was 7°C and we needed to wrap up well. Luckily the forecast was no rain. However many fords (not the motor car) were flooded due to precipitation (big word, eh) in the last few days. Alex Powell told me about the flooding the day before, so did a last minute change to the route. Riding down from Enfield the roads all looked OK.

Category 4 ride led by Pete Kelleway

Category 6 ride led by Tony Dos Santos

Ready, set, go! That was my thought on getting to the Bakewell before mayhem descended on Mill End as it was Mother’s Day. Everyone was going to be there, the PM, Lord Lucan, Screaming Lord Such. You get the gist of it. 

Club participation in Ware’s Cambridge by Tony Dos Santos

We knew this was going to be a tough one as the weather forecast showed 18-20 mph winds. With the category 6 not being able to field a ride leader, it was decided that we should receive club run points. Ok, that’s a total lie. No points :-).

We said hello to Lee Cutler at the start, who then shot off into the distance with the faster riders. Carolyn was there wearing her fancy new glasses - she’s now a true fessional (Rebecca’s words)! Twelve Wheelers left Allenburys at 8.45.