28 July 2018: Shenley Fun Ride

A really nice, bright, but windy morning greeted the fun riders as we met at Morrisons in Fleetville and first things first we welcomed two new riders. Then we paid some loving attention to a bike as it had a rather flat front tyre.

Seven of us attended this ride and we set off down the Alban Way. I chose to go through the retail park and head up Wilshire Avenue, navigating Watling Street to head towards Watford Road. Here we did some jiggery pokery as we had to get past some gates and onto the path that skirts Greenwood Park and leads to Tippendell lane. This is a pleasant relaxing route and as we made our way over a bridge we bumped into a local rider (Tom Spavin I think) and had a quick chat.

Shenley

We soon pootled through Park Street and on the outskirts of Bricket Wood we took Drop Lane, which follows a river over to Colney street and for the busier part of the ride. We headed over to Harper Lane and the first of our encounters with traffic lights (3 way no less). Going up Black Lion Hill is always a sort of challenge, which everyone rose to. It was a quick ride around the ex-hospital estate and we reached the tea stop.

After tea we made mincemeat of Rectory Lane; this a nice winding/undulating affair of a road that connects to the B556 and once there we set into the quickest part of the ride clocking a mind boggling 36 mph for at least a second. We zoomed into London Colney only to be stopped by traffic lights (4 way this time).

Tea Rooms

A quick trip over the North Orbital and we were going along Nightingale Lane to head back to the start.

A lovely sunny, if windy morning’s ride.


Neil 28/07/2018