Club run reports - 25th February

Category 6 ride led by Mike East

Tea Green Golf Centre - international playground for the sporting elite of Luton - was the destination for categories 5 and 6. At the Hertford rendezvous 17 riders gathered, including cat 3 riders looking for a shorter stretch. It was soon established that the centre may struggle to cope with the full group at the same time, so cat 6 pootled off to arrive first, the 3/5 lot following a longer route. The ride leader puncture curse delayed the sixers, with the result that the cafe had to prepare the langoustine ciabattas and Jarlsberg and olive paninis for both groups at once. They coped with good humour and tasty tuck. One more puncture on the way back and an easterly head wind, but the sun cheered all. Nine riders over 36 miles.

Category 5 ride led by John Farnham

A freezing February day with an icy easterly wind should have meant a low turnout and a combined Cat 5 & 6 ride doing the shortest route possible. However, some 17 members braved the cold and 8 opted for the longer Cat 5 route and the intention was that we should arrive at Wandon End just as the Cat 6 were leaving. Our longer route was via Datchworth, Woolmer Green, Nup End, Hitch Wood, Preston, Offley, Lilley Bottom and Tea Green. Rather surprisingly we arrived first at the tea stop, just ahead of the Cat 6 team who had suffered a puncture. The large gaggle of Wheelers all arriving more or less at the same time did result in a few grumps from the (happy?) catering staff.
Return into the wind through Chiltern Green, Peters Green, Kimpton, Codicote Bottom, Codicote, Rabley Heath, Oaklands, Bulls Green back to Hertford. 42 miles, no punctures, mechnicals or tumbles on the occasional icy patches.