Come and Try Ride - 4th May

The 2nd Come and Try It ride of the year attracted just 2 members and 1 prospect on the warmest Sunday afternoon of the year so far. I imagine the morning riders had had a fine day also, but their cooler breezes had dropped by 2.30 pm for us.
We rode out via Cold Christmas Lane to survey part of the route scheduled for next Saturday’s stage of the Women’s Tour of Britain – the section where Laura Trott in The Mercury had called for some remedial attention by “the Council”. We discovered several fresh repairs (and a lot of debris in need of a Friday sweep up) and there were many more fresh black measles along the rest of our route through Kettle Green, Much Hadham and up to Bromley. Several more new repairs were  encountered on the return route up the hill from Barwick ford. I suspect a hefty slice of Herts. C.C. Highways budget has gone on tarting up many more of the pothole strewn back lanes that we enjoy. I wonder if we can we persuade the cycling Gods to arrange a regular annual event in Herts. and Essex lanes? Perhaps we could come to expect rural surfacing at least as good as that found in Belgium and France?
The remaining outward route took in Wellpond Green, Broken Green, Horse Cross and the switchback lane to Braughing. Peter and Liz had driven out to meet us at the village tea rooms where we we spent a pleasant 45 minutes.
The return ride took in Puckeridge, Barwick, Bakers End, Babbs Green and Fanhams Common.
Two points to JRVP and BC and a Herts. Whlrs. welcome to Elizabeth Brazier from Hertford Heath.