Saturday 9th March 9.30am club ride

DavidJ

Breezy again tomorrow, so two options depending on the wind.....

Either North to do bit of a variation of the fast 'n' flat Yelling route, with an extra little loop around the Paxtons/Graveley

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/21558278

Ashwell-Wrestlingworth-Tetworth Hill-Croxton-Gt Paxton-Offord D'Arcy-Graveley-Gransden-Hatley-Shingey-Ashwell (48 miles)

or South for something a bit more sheltered

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/1435786369 (41 miles)

Ashwell-Sandon-Buckland-Barkway-Hare St-Puckeridge-Old Hall Green-Gt Munden-Wood End-Ardley-Cromer-Cottered-Buntingford-Sandon-Ashwell


See you in the morning !

Diedrick

I vote for sheltered !!

timA

+1 for sheltered after last night's experience riding home

DavidJ

The northerly route does go round a windfarm.......

Richardn

Can't make it tomorrow but if you go South do take care in the steep up and down just before Wood End. Last time I rode here there was a large pothole at the very bottom of the dip which had a trip to casualty written all over it.

Jenny

I would recommend avoiding Puckeridge and Standon at all costs.There are major roadworks and the A120 is due to be closed for the weekend, which means everything will go through Puckeridge High Street. Probably better to turn right at Hare Street and go through Buntingford/Westmill instead.

Sorry we won't be around to offer a coffee stop, have a great ride all!

DavidJ

Thanks Richard and Jenny. So my south route has some massive pot hole and potentially extreme traffic chaos ! Maybe best we avoid this one then.

So as alternative we could head south(ish) and do a variation of the Stevenage circumnavigation:

Ashwell-Walkern-Knebworth-Codicote-Whitwell-Willian-Baldock-Ashwell

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/662600360

Going to be a decide in the morning sort of day me thinks

Harvey123

That pot hole in the dip at wood end has been repaired now but be careful anyway as still mud on the roads from local farmers

grahamaskew

Top effort out there today everyone! Difficult conditions! The wind certainly whipped up with strong gusts. We decided at Codicote to deviate from the planned route and go up to Hexton. Through the almost valley like road from Whitwell to Lilly, it was nothing more than savage. The wind funnelled down and it was just a horrible headwind to Lilly. Then some quite dangerous cross winds to Hexton. Drained a lot of energy and power from our legs. Seemed like a good idea at the time.

But we have the joy of the tail wind and we tried to go for the KOM from Shillington to Lower Stondon but we just missed out on it. A bit of an easier cruise back with the tail wind. Route was about 50 miles with a 17mph avg.

DavidJ

Sure was a tough one on Saturday. Eighteen of us out so we decided to split into two groups. Both groups did the same route to Codicote and then the group I was in also decided to deviate from the planed route and added in some hill cheeky reps around Kimpton

After the massive, energy sapping slog to get to Kimpton, thought that we would get a great tailwind on the way back to Ashwell, but alas no So instead we just got a super-gust crosswind, which made any holes in the hedges very, urm, interesting !!

All safely back to Ashwell though, so 44 @ about 15. I'll try to order something a bit less challenging for next week !