Club run reports - 9th December

Category 6 ride led by Danny Hood

With ten minutes to kick off, Captain Bob and myself were expecting to be joined by maybe one or two more hardy souls. How wrong can you be. In the next ten minutes or so another thirteen toned athletes arrived, ready to smash the cat six calorie burn. Gels and rice cakes in pockets, isotonic drinks in cages and fully warmed up, the peloton formed and set off. Shortly after Barwick Ford the first of the dreaded P words happened. Alex, being the kind person he is, and the fittest, went back to lend a hand and lead the group back to us. The rest of us pressed on hoping to grab the few seats available at the café. No such luck. Just short of Buntingford, Captain Bob managed to get a large shard of glass straight through his mountain bike tyre. 
After telling the group to head on to the café, Bob and I began trying to get the tyre off the wheel. By the time we'd managed this, it was getting dark. Well not really, but it did take so long that by the time it was off, we'd been joined by the first puncture gang. You've all heard the saying ' too many cooks spoil the broth'. Well, today we proved the point. Skewer in skewer out, springs flying everywhere, chain jammed, wheel wobble etc etc. Eventually we joined the others at the café to find no seats free. Fold up chairs for a couple of us and another couple standing, but at least it was warm. 
A 'blast' back along the old A10 towards HQ with a few branching off en route. Thirty miles done and dusted.

For those not out again until after Christmas, have a good one. For those who will be, see you then.

Category 5 ride led Ian Smith

Five left from Much Hadham in slightly damp but OK conditions by Bromley Lane through Standon, Braughing, Furneux Pelham to Little and Great Hormead, having swept up Sarah after contacting her to say we would be passing her house. On to Anstey, where we decided to foreshorten the planned route through Little Chishill and instead proceed via Meesden Bury to ensure our arrival at Clavering Lakes well before the cut off time for ordering hot food at 12.00. A very welcoming and convivial break at our reserved table, ("posh" or what?). Note that payment is quite reasonably expected "en bloc" rather than individually, so take plenty of change. Return route through Arkesden, Wicken Bonhunt, Rickling Green, Pinchpools, Manuden, Furneux Pelham and Little Hadham. 39 enjoyable miles, no untoward incidents. 

Category 3 ride led by Peter Bloomfield

Considering the forecast was suggesting a downpour mid-morning and horrible high winds this turned out to be a pleasant ride  -  the downpour didn’t happen and somehow the wind wasn’t as bad as we feared (and was behind us for the last third of the ride, ah yes!).

Eight turned up at Allenbury’s, some unsure what they were letting themselves in for since I had only posted the destination and route at midnight on Friday.  Clothing was mostly of the “ready for anything” variety given the forecast.  The destination was to be The Hub in Redbourn (“I hope there’s enough space” said the gloomy ones) and the route took us out through Hertford, Bayford, Little Berkhamsted, Welham Green and Colney Heath before skirting St Albans.  Onward through the countryside north-east of St Albans and the sun was out by now but some of the roads were very muddy as a result of the recent wet weather.  Across the interestingly-named Nomansland Common to the borders of Harpenden before the final run down to Redbourn where enough people left while we were being served (was it something we said?) to allow us all to sit in comfort and scoff the splendid cakes.

The return leg was calculated to take advantage of the North-westerly wind once we had looped north around Harpenden.  The climb of Chiltern Green Road (a few complaints there!) finally delivered us to the holy grail of a south-easterly road and from there on the wind was mostly at our backs as we rolled through Kimpton, around Codicote, through Woolmer Green and Bramfield back to Hertford and then Ware  -  fifty two and a half miles, no rain and only one puncture (something of a miracle given the horrible state of some of the roads!).