Obsessive Cycling Disorder from OTT

This is an initial proposal for the Saturday route.  It takes in many of the better sections from the original Evans ‘long’ route from April 18th.  I hope you’ll like it.

Weather was superb, ideal for a bike ride in the afternoon!

Mark, Greg and myself met in Sandridge, start of the ride was the usual, up through Rifle Butt Woods and the excellent singletrack and on towards Symonshyde, with some more excellent singletrack, the warm weather meant that only a couple of bits in the trees were still wet.

Took a slightly different route towards The John Bunyan, with the hope of trying some singletrack I hadn’t done in months.  Once there we found trees deliberately chopped down blocking the way, and very large “NO PUBLIC ACCESS” signs, so obviously someone’s got the hump! (I have looked into it, and the track I wanted is not a path, the path is outside the wood, I even went back to 1899 maps to check, how sad am I!)

Anyway, continued on towards Wheathampstead and through the Devil’s Dyke singletrack, which I have only just re-discovered after being taken through there by James last week.  Down and then up to join the Ayot Greenaway, along there to the “Mark’s steep” drop, continuing towards Stocking Springs wood and the excellent singletrack there.  Re-joinging the bridle-way, we came across a large group of ramblers, who I assume were on some sort of sponsored walk, we didn’t stop to ask :0)

At Shaw’s Corner after a brief discussion we decided to get over to Kimpton to try the excellent wooded singletrack there, which I had been shown by Rich the week before.  So up through Ayot St. Lawrence, and down the really fast bit towards Kimpton Mill.  After re-grouping we were asked where Shaw’s Corner was by a gent and his wife in a rather nice Saab Convertible, of course we had just passed it a few minutes before but by road it’s a few miles…..

So on the road to Kimpton and joined the Kimpton festival, which meant the place was absolutely mobbed, traffic jams and people everywhere!!!!

After the singletrack, I was rapidly running out of time, so a bit of road work was called for, up to bridleway at Gustard Wood which leads to the Golf Course, through that across the fields, down through the “scary” tunnel and then more road work, up the road climb (my favourite……I think not!…..good job I had decided to ride geared……..) to join the Harpenden Road, and then down towards Nomansland and then up again to the Bridleway to go into Sandridge, and then back to the car.  I made it home just in time.

I forgot to charge up my GPS, however Mark has kindly send the route to me, so here it is:

Simon

Here’s the muddy route as ridden by Simon, Tim & I in the wet on Thursday evening.  It was very slippery out there.

Click below

If anyone requires the overlays for Memory Map as .mmo files for any of the rides, I have saved most of the recent ones and others around the Welwyn area too.  Contact me and i’ll be happy to email them to you.

Mark (Trance 3) 

Here’s the Motion Based link for the wonderful 34 miler I did with Rich

Mark (Trance 3) 

Just to expand a little on Mark’s blog below………..

Tuesday night had the potential for a resonable turn out, however due to “man-flu” and work committments, only Mark and I managed to make it, and what a glorious evening it was, as near to a perfect evening spin as I have had in months.

Temperature was about right (got colder as the evening drew on), and the trails were a revelation, smooth and flowy, with a couple of exceptions and I think a 6 months drought would be needed to dry those out!  And in my head at least I was on fire!!!!! Myself and the bike were as one……………(wf???)

Anyway the route, nothing really unusual, from Sandridge to Symonshyde via Rifle Butt Woods, (not so) secret single track through the woods, across to the John Bunyan, over to Wheathapstead, through Nomansland, up Mudd Lane, and back down to Sandridge over the railway line, and through Sandridgebury Farm.

I didn’t take my GPS with me, here’s an approximation of the route (different route into Sandridge at the end tho’ - if this note disappears, I’ve uploaded the proper one!)

Simon

Here’s the map for the Sunday ride undertaken by Rich and I.  Using Memory Map as a rough guide, I think it was about 21 miles in total.  Was a glorious day and I enjoyed every minute of it - so much so, that I went out again immediately after getting back to Welwyn Garden.  Loverly!

click thumbnail for full detailed map (link now fixed)

The meeting place for Saturday 14th ride is WELWYN NORTH STATION.

Time around 1:45pm as we need to move quickly due to time constraints 

Route will be finalised on day depending on time taken during early stages.

Click the images below for enlarged views

              

Most of our rides appear as links on the Rides Blog - but to give to give a taste of where we go why not click on one of the links below, these are only picture files as the animated routes can be seen on the rides blog - when I have worked out how to create thumbnails these will replace the text…. Rich

St Pauls Ride - double click to view full screen

Ayott St Lawrence Ride - double click here to view full screen

Bendish Ride - double click here to view full screen

TEST ONLY