Hunsdon 20

Third Saturday riding the route and another breezy day. However I am recovering from the cold and getting fitter so I knocked 5 mins off my time for 20 miles with a fast outward leg up to hunsdon and managed to keep up the effort over the hill to standon. I hit the wind on Dowsett lane and on the way home on the old A10 but the fitness is starting to show so I had the energy to get up the hill to hanbury manor for the first time this year. 

https://www.strava.com/activities/122945953

March 9th Dunstable downs

Finally a nice day!  The dilemma was how many layers - so I used arm warmers with a short sleeve top.   A group of 15 of us set from Hertford heading west towards Welwyn.  After the roundabout at Welwyn where Lee asked a driver about his use of indicators (or rather non use of indicators) we made a good pace with no other major delays, passing through Redbourne towards Dunstable downs. A couple of miles away from the hill Steve had a flat so a couple of folk missed out Bison Hill - a steep but short hill (15% in places) where I brought up the rear as usual.  The visitor centre is in a stunning location with great views. Food service (volunteers) gets a bit overwhelmed but it afforded us a pleasant time before heading home.  The way back was generally downhill with acouple of good straight downhills. As we got closer to Welwyn the group started to split as people started to hear the call of home.  I had a gravel slide at north road roundabout avoiding a car stopped in the road just on the corner.

Was pleased to get home by ten to three after 65 miles.  Felt much better than last week as the cold has almost gone.  The medium group is just getting faster all the time -ave 14.7 mph for 65 miles.  No wonder it sometimes feels hard work!

https://www.strava.com/activities/119078223

Another windy ride

After a few weeks of only turbo training then a half term trip to Spain and a nasty cold, I finally got out again.  I was still feeling a bit under the weather but needed to ride so went for the medium ride to Royston. Steve decided we would do the fast ride course as the smaller roads still had loads of flint and some surface damage from the endless rain of this winter.  There was a very strong south westerly wind which meant we flew northwards with a couple of puncture stops the only thing holding us back. Graeme dropped out with his second puncture as his tyre seemed damaged.  After the cafe stop we turned south and into the wind.  I found it really hard as I was not 100% so was grateful that Dean and Graham helped me back along the old A10 back to Ware.  I ended up going to sleep for an hour or two at home I was that tired. 

https://www.strava.com/activities/117242959