Club run reports - 22nd February

Category 3 ride led by Graham Knight

Following the cancellation of last week's ride due to rain, sleet, wind and cold we looked with interest at the prospects for this Sunday. The temperature was forecast to be about 10 degrees higher but the wind was still there. The rain was to be present or absent depending on how far north an area of rain tracked across the south-east. In the event it shifted south so, apart from a few drops at the start in Ware, our ride was dry.

With the wind from the south-west, we had a cross-wind most of the way to Weston. En route we were joined by Alex, back on his bike after a week spent walking in the icy wastes of the Lake District. That made four of us dropping down to Wymondley, then Hitchin. The Four Leaf Clover café was empty when we arrived, so we had quick service and good food.

The next leg was towards Whitwell - so straight into the wind. However the hill up to Preston provided its own shelter and we were soon down to Lilley Bottom Road where the wind began to give some help - as did Bruno ploughing along at the front. After Whitwell we went via Codicote and the B1000 where the dreadful road surface was compensated both by a solid tail-wind and Alex and Brian pulling on the front. There was even some sunshine!