Club run reports - 19th August

Category 6 ride led by Mike East

There are few real challenges in the dog days of August as the headiness of early summer slides into a lethargic malaise. Guessing the so called celebrities to appear on X Strictly Come Big Brother Masterchef Bake Off Factor is the option put forward by the media. The ideal challenge is, of course, a hilly bike ride, as enjoyed/ suffered by the 15 strong category 6 crew. The outbound journey was made more difficult by the young scallywags around Preston who have twisted a road sign to their fine village. This necessitated a detour. (In the interests of balance, it is only fair to point out that some riders - 14 in fact - alleged the ride leader was lost). It took the lung busting climb from Lilley Bottom to Breachwood Green to quell the criticism - too knackered to complain after that.

The catering from the Tea Green Golf Centre was basic, but provided enough calories for a swift straight line return via Kimpton, Old Welwyn and the B1000. 38 miles and no incidents.

Category 3 ride led by Graham Knight

The weather seemed to be hinting at autumn at the start and there were few bright spells. However, it stayed dry and the wind was rarely a factor. Seven set off from Hertford to be joined by Tim along the way; he had suffered a puncture en route to the start.
The route could be blamed on the leader who has a penchant for riding up Ivinghoe Beacon. Although this provided the usual spectacular views and (hopefully) a sense of achievement it was perhaps a little too far given the generally challenging terrain involved in getting there. This made for a rather long day and a return to Hertford at around 3:00 pm. This was not helped by the café at the College Lake wildlife centre (an innovation of the leader) which, despite three catering staff and nothing needing to be cooked on the fly, managed to take about 5 minutes to serve each customer - best avoided in the future.Hey ho, we all survived the experience and the return was quicker than the way out, demonstrating that sharp ups and gentle downs are quicker than the other way about. Apologies to Peter D who was inexcusably abandoned by the leader near Welwyn. Contacting him was difficult as the leader had failed to record mobile numbers at the start. Time to find leaders who appreciate what is required of the role.