Six of us ventured forth. Two of the ladies are group regulars, one of them had brought along a friend. A local lady who had picked up a Bike Week leaflet, and a lady joining us from North London completed the pack. As we had got a bit cold hanging around at the meeting point, we simply skedaddled down the Alban Way to Smallford, gracefully negotiated the roundabout and a short stretch of the Hatfield Road, and dived into Notcutts. It took us some time to park our bikes, as the cycle rack is a butterfly wheel-bender model, and we wished to secure our bikes without bending their wheels. To the cafe for hot drinks and calories.
Fortified, we ventured forth again under skies that were darkening by the second. So the next part of our ride was quite short - as far as the service station's generous canopy. The downpour eased off, but we decided to forego the pleasures of Ellenbrook in favour of getting back before the next cloudburst came along, so simply returned along the Alban Way to Hill End, where we diverted through Highfield Park and thus back to Morrisons.
PS: Fabulous Ladies were represented on the Bike Week Wednesday evening CTC ride to the White Lion - two of us were well led and looked after by the group on a ride that was a bit faster than our usual pootle pace, and somewhat further than five miles.
Rona Wightman
Happy cycling!
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