Club run reports - 4th March

Category 7 (MTB) ride led by John Farnham

What a complete change weather wise! After a week of snow and freezing winds, our first off road club run of the year was ridden in a near sub-tropical temperature of 6 degrees. 4 Wheelers plus 2 guests turned up at Ware for the ride to Wheathampstead along the Lea towpath to Hertford, Cole Green Way to WGC, various cycle paths/back streets to Sherrardspark Wood and then Ayot Greenway into Wheathampstead. We all managed to squeeze into a very full Charlie's Café and didn't leave too much mud on the furnishings. Return via our outward route and back home before the threatened rain. 30 miles, no punctures, mechanicals or tumbles.

Category 3 ride led by Graham Knight

The ice and snow seemed to have pretty much gone but, just in case, the route stuck mostly to B roads that we felt had probably been gritted. Five Cat 3 regulars were joined by Tony Dos Santos who had turned up at the start hoping to organise a Cat 6 but found himself alone. This was his first Cat 3 which he completed in fine form despite its being a hilly route and longer than the normal Cat 6 distance.

As aficionados know, the delights of the Silver Ball at Reed are many and varied. Such delights are best savoured in the anticipation. Consequently a 30 mile : 20 mile split was chosen with the route heading east through Hormead to Clavering then north through Arkesden. Next was the long climb back west through Great Chishill (well done Tony!), past the windmill and down to Barley. That just left the irritatingly difficult drag into Barkway followed by a nice, wind-assisted cruise along the ridge and into Reed.

The Silver Ball did its stuff. Theirs may not be the best bacon sandwiches in the world but they do still serve tea in a decent size mugs with handles you can get two fingers through. Refreshed and refuelled we headed south along the lanes to the west of the A10. Here we met the only serious patch of ice - a lake with frozen lumps below and ice-flows above. Safely through that we took a pretty standard back home via Buntingford, Westmill and Puckeridge.