On a fresh Sunday morning, 10 cyclists met in Wheathampstead for the ride to Baldock. Additionally, a potential member of future Sunday rides came to the start to get an idea what gear we use. He found a diverse selection, from road bikes with thin tyres to trekking bikes which happily ride along dirt tracks. After a chat we headed out in two groups with me leading the first group. Not having done any ride leading for many months, meant I started a bit fast until getting a hand on what is a good speed for everyone. Out of Wheathampstead means going uphill; we went towards Kimpton. I enjoyed the sunshine, it was a nice surprise that the sun was out much more than indicated by the weather app earlier in the morning. We continued our ride through the Hertfordshire countryside, avoiding any major settlements until Great Wymondley. I was surprised to see the pond at the corner of Langley Lane nearly empty, a few months ago the road towards Preston was impassable as it was submerged by the overfilled pond. Once we crossed the B656 the wind was at our back pushing us towards Willian and Baldock. While we didn't see each other along the way, thanks to Carol's experience of quick paths through Baldock, both groups arrived at the cafe at the same time.
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| Baldock |
Some just had the snacks they brought with them, some of us ordered a hot drink and a bit of food. Clouds had covered most of the sky and the breeze that pushed us along was still going. The preparation of food took surprisingly long, hence the cyclists that brought their food left earlier before cooling down too much. As I had ordered something, the route had to be transferred to Mark K, which, after overcoming a few technical challenges, worked out and four of them set off, while the others eventually could start enjoying their ordered food. As the sun came out again, we headed to Warren Lane, where we could watch a model aircraft flying around the club premises. The sunshine didn't last long and a few drops fell, however, our group was lucky with the rain. While we passed wet roads, we didn't get wet. In Stevenage we passed by Rooks Nest, which, I learned then, was the inspiration for "Howards End" by E. M. Foster.
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| EM Forster's Rooks Nest house |
We passed through Stevenage using the well established network of bicycle lanes and headed back to the country side along the freshly tarmacked Old Knebworth Lane. By coincidence we met Eamonn, a regular rider with us, from St Albans. After a chat, some of us diverted from Old Knebworth to their homes, while the rest continued heading back to Wheathampstead.
(Note from Carol, we nearly got flattened by a group of about 8 deer jumping across the Codicote Road on the way back!)
Ronny 4th May 2021
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