08 Oct 2016: Saturday fun ride to Chipperfield

This is a slightly more challenging ride to end the season as it involves going uphill to reach the edge of The Chiltern Hills.  A small group of eager cyclists meet outside Morrisons ready for a relaxed but challenging climb up to Chipperfield, the weather is quite crisp and some are thinking they might not have enough layers on. Our route takes us the opposite way around to normal to the garden centre, taking in Kings Langley before Chipperfield. We make our way via Serge Hill and Toms lane and once in Kings Langley it is no small task to climb right up to Chipperfield; this is the whole point of the ride and everybody copes very well. A slight drizzly mist starts, but soon gives up and we get some sunshine.

At the garden centre we meet Geoff and Sue who have driven out greet us.  Geoff has just had an op so won’t be out cycling for a while, but it is good to see them. The route back involves the descent down Bulstrode Lane and Rucklers Lane, but before we can commence someone asks how long it will take to get back.  I give a rough estimate and then quite promptly Caz (new rider) finds herself the victim of a puncture, which we deal with quite deftly, but also find no puncture. We change the inner tube just in case. This highlights why I don’t like to give out times as you never know what can happen, 10 minutes can turn into half an hour so quickly.

Whilst we mend the phantom puncture, Tracey shoots off to investigate a rather large gathering of farmers and learns that there is a sale of farming equipment in the fields opposite the garden centre. Not wishing to exchange a bike for a tractor, we are soon on our way and belt down the roads towards Nash Mills, then we make our way up Bunkers Lane and everybody copes with that very well indeed. Not long after it’s a quick trip through the park and back to the beginning of the ride. For the last Saturday Fun Ride of the year we had a very pleasant time and I look forward to doing it all again next year.

Neil 08/10/2016