Marshalling the club race

On a cold sunday morning, I cycled to Hertford to meet Peter en route to Whitwell to spend 3 1/2 hours standing at a T-junction marshalling a club 70 mile race (for category 2, 3 and 4 riders). It was a tough ride into a head wind for 15 miles to Whitwell, and it was bitterly cold standing around, but Alex and Graham were good company. Luckily the rain held off until the journey home when it started raining just before Hertford. But the wind was behind me riding home, taking 10 mins of the time taken, and I arrived home just in time for lunch.

Sunday ride

Went for a 60 mile ride stopping at the Dunstable Downs visitor centre after 30 miles and 2 and a half hours riding. The visitor centre is 776ft above sea level (according one of the rider's GPS) i.e. at the top of a long hill. But the views were spectacular on a clear and sunny day. Alex lead the ride which was a good mixture of fast flats and some hills into a headwind going west. The ride home was more direct and faster taking our average from 13.8 for the first 30 miles to 14.7 for the return leg, partly down to the sprint from Digswell to Panshanger hill. Everyone enjoyed the day out and thanks to the fast return, I was home 45 mins ahead of my expected time. Later I was able to take the kids to the soft play where they were the only two in the centre as it was the last hour before closing (but they needed to run around).

Sunday tea ride

I went on the sunday tea ride to Braughing. It was a very gentle ride for just over an hour to Braughing Village Hall where they hold sunday tea in the church hall . The aim of these rides is to invite potential new members of the Herts Wheelers to come along for a gentle ride. After an hour in the church hall we set off back for Ware, but I then left the group and cycled home faster (a good way to work off the piece of cake!)

Autumn riding

Summer is over and the wednesday evening club rides have finished. I went out on my own this week on Wednesday though to do some cycling after 3 weeks off while we had been away. It was good to get out and do nearly 20 miles again, up the old A10, across to Standon then Much Hadham before heading home. I got home by 8 pm just as it was starting to get dark. So farewell the long summer nights for another year.