Central London CTC blog

It was a well attended ride that later fell foul of mechanical problems. Fourteen of us met up at St Albans. After coffee at the Café Roma we headed by an indirect route towards Redbourn, exiting St Albans on the Redbourn Road before turning west on to minor roads. We passed by where the Buncefield Oil Depot had been and came into Redbourn on the “Nicky Way” a former railway line now converted like several east – west routes in Hertfordshire to a path for walkers, cyclists and riders. We were early for our lunch stop and so took time to visit the village church while I tried to fix a loose pedal on one of our number’s bike. Half the thread was stripped but I hoped the bike would make it home.

Lunch was at a recently opened “coffee bar and cyclists refuge” The Hub. It’s not a big place and it was as well that the Willesden CC were leaving as we arrived. Prior booking had paid of as ready plated up ploughman’s lunches were distributed (nice food, good coffee and good value – we’ll be back). From there we moved to the Redbourn Museum  . Again, prior booking paid off as local volunteers were on hand to show us round this listed building which was originally built as a silk mill and was later the manager’s house of a Brooke Bond tea factory. more »

For those that decided to back off Helen Dutton’s walk on 16 March, you missed out on a great day. Yes it was a rainy one and yes some aspects of the walk a bit muddy but all to be expected really. I met Helen at Borough Green station as scheduled but since there were only the two of us and the weather wasn’t the best, we decided to modify things a bit.

We walked from Borough Green to Ivy Hatch where we stopped for a real treat of a lunch at the Plough Inn. In addition to the delicious food we ordered, we felt we deserved a hot drink so opted for a mulled wine (just to warm us up you understand)! Needless to say, we took our time over this wonderful repast where we toyed with the idea of “do we walk back to Borough Green or go on to Kemsing” We braved it to Kemsing where we thought we might try a tea shop which came highly recommended but instead headed straight for the station.

All in all, we covered about 12km and although a bit shorter than originally planned, all very worth while.

1 Brilliantly sunny and still morning

2 Ferrari-red Cinelli bike more »

1 Usual Suspects joined by 2* rider Mark and young dudes Michael and Tom

2 Fast train ex Charing X to Sevenoaks with loads of room for bikes

3 Distaff member Ruth joins at S’oaks with new Condor Baracchi, rah!

4 Hit 30+ kph freewheel within a minute of leaving the station

5 All up after climb of Star Hill to Knockholt more »

Following a very good turnout of cyclists to pay their respects at John’s funeral, we gathered again to remember John as he would have wanted – with a sociable ride and an animated lunch. The weather forecasts had been dire, and it was a tribute in itself that so many showed at Liverpool Street – almost 30 across the two rides. I decided to take the cautious option for the 3* bunch – train to Manningtree for a slightly damp and breezy 40km following the cycle routes round Great Oakley, Little Bentley and Ardleigh. Meanwhile Sue and Simon led the 2* pack in from Mark’s Tey, and were waiting for us when we got to the buffet. Breakfast, Butties & Beer (with perhaps a sneaked fag by the bike shed). Not only did the buffet exist in some misty past, but so did we, as fond remembered faces returned, many from a time of the Snuggsy 2/3* – do please come back again.

In the Manningtree Station Buffet

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This was a select ride. Three of us met at Princes Risborough and another, who had missed his train, joined us at Thame so we had four on the ride in all. It was billed as a super softies ride and was the easiest that I have ever led, 25km, almost all flat and traffic free.

The Bishop’s Palace at Thame

After leaving the station we headed directly for the Pheonix Way. This is a former railway line that closed in 1963 and is a straight line route going direct to Thame. We had some fun getting to it as the road at Horsenden was awash with water after heavy rain earlier in the week. more »

John Snuggs
November 14th 1950 – January 19th 2013

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I wondered how many we would get on this ride as it was on a Saturday, not the usual Sunday. Last year we had 17 on the ride. This time it was 8. I’m not sure if the smaller number was because it was on a Saturday or was because it was a repeat of the ride I led last January. I’ll never know. One person on the ride said he had come because Saturdays was more convenient for him.

We met up with the Spokes riders at the Junction Café close to Watford Junction station. The ride went up through Whippendell Wood to Chandlers Cross and then to Belsize and Flaunden. All the time we were climbing gradually to the top of this part of the Chilterns.

We stopped at the Green Dragon in Flaunden for lunch. more »