The ride started from Asda in Hatfield and ten members turned up with good weather, including new man Paulo from Kimpton who was upgrading from a Saturday Saunter to try a Sunday ride. The ride destination for elevenses was Vanstones Garden Centre in Codicote where we were to meet up with other CTC member groups.
It is only a short ride to Codicote from Hatfield so I took a roundabout route thorough Lemsford to Welwyn Garden City, which was virtually free of motor traffic at this hour of the morning. We chose a novel way through WGC making use of a leafy Lyles Lane next to the railway line and escaped through a small park onto a deserted Hertford Road.
Whichever way you go north from Welwyn it's uphill so I chose the easy route through Tewin to Burnham Green and Datchworth. Looping back to Woolmer Green we headed up to Nup End and on to the Garden Centre. Quite a few Cyclists from other member groups turned up at Vanstones to renew acquaintances.
Fast and slow rides were sort of organised after elevenses with riders tagging on to various groups that were all heading in the vague direction of Great Offley for lunch. We took the more direct route along Lilley Bottom road through Ley Green to the Red Lion and spent a happy hour in the garden there. After Lunch we headed back directly down Lilley Bottom to Codicote. A few headed back through Welwyn Garden City where we watched some of the final stage of the Tour de France on a big screen in the shopping centre. Surly bikes were demonstrating their Fat Tyre bikes for riding on a beach. The tyres are Huge! but only blown up to low pressure. Maybe they double as buoyancy aids if you get too close to the water? It was an interesting end to a hazy lazy day and one of the easiest rides of the year.
Mike 27/07/2014
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment