Discovering new byways

The great thing about the Little Green Ride is that although it covers the same countryside it always discovers new tracks and byways.

For February John had unveiled a shortcut that gets you out into the countryside without traversing half of Stevenage although it is only really passable in a dry spell. A lot of the dozen or so punters had no mudguards, and those who did had more clearance than me, so had no problems, but my wheels jammed with mud quite quickly. John helped me drag my bike across the field, and scraped the mud from under the mudguards with his screwdriver, then cleaned the soles of my shoes. You must amend the job description for LGR leaders to include this duty in future, I've already told Simon it's been added to his.

Lunch at Lilley worked out well, as always, then we set off for Hatfield. But after a few miles, there was a sudden explosion, and for a second I wondered if Al Qaeda were targetting the lanes of north Herts, until I realised that Ash's back tyre had suffered a catastrophic blowout. Inner tubes, tyre boots and mechanical assistance were offered, but it was clear that the tyre was not for resuscitation, so Ash set out to wheel his bike the four miles to Welwyn North, which was the nearest station.

There were quite a few new faces, including Trish, who was keen to repeat the experience, a 73 year old American who looked , and cycled, a lot younger, and various others. Nobody minded the muddy start, I think they enjoyed being away from the traffic.


Sue Dorey