U3A Cycle Ride 18th December 2019
Ten of us crawled out of the woodwork on a very crisp Friday morning all ready to get the new year rolling. We met of us looking a bit more rotund than usual but that was nothing to do with the excesses of Christmas! We made an orderly queue (well maybe more of a drunken wobble to start with if I'm completely honest!) and set off, high vis jackets reflecting the sunshine and lighting up the way down the Alban Way towards Cottonmill, bells a jingling to warn the pedestrians to beware as Sheila's Wheelers were on their way.
We sped along through St Julian's and How Wood. There was a lot of shouting as we went through Bricket Wood Common, "Pothole to the left! Pothole to the right!" It was a bit like manoeuvring through an obstacle course but we were led safely through to the other side and into Garston.
Now there was a bit of a blank in my head at this point (nothing new there!) as I wasn't TOTALLY (to put it mildly) sure how we were going to get from there over the M1 and onto Aldenham golf course but why was I worrying! We had on board The Cyclist's Apprentice in the name of Kevan. You may remember him from tales of old. He's the one with the amazing road map brain. He transported us along an idyllic little lane which miraculously took us past the golf course and into Aldenham. From there we sailed over the hill to Radlett and then up to Shenley. If we carried on at this rate we would be arriving at the pub in time for breakfast so....... come in Kevan with an alternative route! He took us down the lovely Ridge Hill, past the De Havilland Aircraft Museum and then with brakes asunder and legs flying we whizzed down the hill to London Colney where by the river, waiting to welcome us with open arms was The Green Man pub. How amazing was that! And I'd not even looked at my map once! (Thank you Kevan)
It was great to have Maureen pop into the pub to see us. She's looking good, in fact she looks as if she's nearly ready to dust her bike down and come and join us again. It'll be great to have you back Maureen.
The sun was still shining when we left the pub and it was only a short ride through Napsbury before we were back in St Albans and splitting up to make our way back home. The round trip from Morrisons was a very neat 22 miles. A pretty good day for January I would say. Let's hope February's ride will just as good. One things for sure, the days will be a little bit longer by then! The date for that ride is Friday 15th February.
Sheila
PS Keep scrolling down for photos!
Outside Morrison's
The Green Man
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