‘Twas Charlie, Nick and I – a small but visible presence in our matching club jerseys – among 30 or so, slightly less than usual. No-one was in a great hurry, and amusingly stuck together as a bunch for about an hour, before a few junctions and rises started to split things up. Through the pretty Essex villages on a straightforward route, with the only glitch being an ‘is it / isn’t it’ left turn at the second control with enough sign posts (and other riders) to get us smartly back on track. Finchingfield control being more checkpoint than provision stop, lunch was taken sat on the grass outside an Henham ‘Ut with the bulk of the work done.

Our pace was steady but not strenuous, and we picked up a few others on the last leg, who provided friendly conversation but sadly no Chelmsford cycle-path expertise. We, too, despite care being taken got lost in the final approach, resorting to the nearest road as simpler than the intended park crossing. Old fashioned tea and cake awaited at the finish.

The perfect day - hot sun, just enough breeze to prevent over-heating (and launch the squadron of small insects we were all plastered with). The few ominous drops of rain did not deliver until we were back in London. Not, in the annals of Audax, the most challenging, instead one of those when all goes as it should and a fine day is had.

I bunked off for the day for the Wednesday Wander 200 out of Ruislip, another Rocco/Liz production. The forecast was not ideal, cloud and squally winds heading in from the west. I was running late for the start as I drove down the A40. A big stone chip flew off the opposite carriageway and starred the windscreen – not a good auspice. I signed on (a meagre dozen or so riders) and was just about ready to go at 8:00 when I was reminded to pay for the car park. As I fiddled with purse and ticket machine, the party left.

The exit from the outer suburbs is rather complicated and the instructions not entirely clear, a consequence perhaps of the route’s great familiarity to the Willesden CC. Within five minutes of the start, I was faced with an ambiguity and had to track back. Distanced already!

It was at this point I realized that, despite my obsessively checking off the kit list, I had left behind the pocket pump. So I was heading off across the Chilterns into Oxfordshire, solo, on Veloflex race tyres, with no means to fix a flat? Not clever. So it really was vital for me not to be last on the road.

I told myself to ride steadily, and not chase and blow up. Soon after crossing the Grand Union Canal, I caught up to a back marker. Together we joined up with pair of Willesdens and rode steadily together, sharing the lead. All would be well. From Chalfont St Giles, the route heads across the Chilterns through Coleshill and Penn Street, as beguiling as ever. But once off the Chilterns, it employs some busy roads via Thame and Bicester to the turn at Chipping Norton.

Several times we encountered the open-roads equivalent of urban White Van Man, the Rural Flatbed Trucker. These Transit-based dropside trucks deliver all sorts – farm supplies, drainage pipes, agricultural machinery, any old rubbish – and their drivers are expert at judging the width of the vehicle‘s broader rear section to the last inch as they fly past at 60 mph. But this does not include the meter or so we cyclists consider an absolute minimum for a fast-moving vehicle.

The forecast had been for increasing wind. Somewhere north of Oxford, heading west along the rolling drag of the A44 into Chipping Norton, this became very apparent. After the control at the now effusively-friendly Market Cafe (where I met Mike Oliver, the only other CLCTC riding the event), it had really gathered force, enough to tear foliage off the trees. In effect turning through 180 degees, we got some benefit from it, though its direction was capricious. In one stretch I was flying along at 50 kph for minutes on end. Then it would veer and threaten to tip one into the hedge.

I left Mike to it and forged on to try to catch a couple of yellow jerseys ahead. They seemed to dangle there in the distance for miles. I was glad of the shelter when I got there. They were two old hands, one in the jersey of Agen CC (France), clipping steadily along, scarcely deflected by the gusty wind as they rode along closely abreast. We stopped together for a goodly while at the final control, a gas station in Thame, as others wandered in.

We left in dribs and drabs and after a few hundred meters I decided to don my rain gilet. As I wrestled with the flapping garment in the squally wind, everyone disappeared down the road and there I was, tout seul again.

Feeling rather grumpy, I stomped on towards Princes Risborough and ground over the hill to Great Missenden. This was where I really got into trouble with cramp in last year‘s Muswell Hills 200, but this time it was OK, sort of. I caught up with a young Willesden, always handy to have by your side for the approach to Ruislip, and we blasted back toward the finish.

And this is where I came unstuck again. He surged through an amber at the big junction by Ruislip Manor tube gesticulating wildly forward. But with a gap of perhaps 30 metres having opened out, I would have had to run the red light – no way. A complicating factor was that the finish was not at the start, rather it was at Rocco’s home some several kilometers away, with a hand-drawn map for instruction. But my companion had brought us in on a slightly different approach.

I do not know the layout of the several Ruislips, and the A-Z was in the car (of course); in the next half hour I explored them quite thoroughly. And so my 200K Audax ended up as it had begun: lost in Ruislip, in rush-hour traffic. It could so easily have been a DNF.

And therein I think lies the Audax challenge: will you see it through, whether the day goes well or ill? I know it would have spoiled my day not to have reported to the finish with my completed brevet card, even if it had meant being home in the bath an hour earlier. And what‘s another 10K or so when you already have 210 in the bag?

Great a sunny Saturday and I’m off to Cambridge. This is the 3rd year I have led this ride which is usually popular and has brought out different people from the normal Sunday group.

On arrival at Finsbury Park there is a lively bunch waiting. I have to confess to being lazy and taking the train from Winchmore Hill as it is one the same line and does save me about 15 minutes. The first duty was to find any new riders but Sarah had saved me that problem and introduced me to Florencia who is Argentinian.

There was a slight delay before starting as Rory called to say that he was in transit so the group departed slightly after the advertised time. The first part of the ride was always going to be the most difficult as we went towards Crouch End before turning off and reaching Holloway Road where the right turn was safely negotiated. From there it was the tricky gyratory at Archway station then a little bit of climbing to Highgate which was good to get heart and lungs going. Soon after we picked up Charlie at East Finchley and had the full complement for the day.

Very little of note happened to break up the steady riding through North Finchley, Whetstone and Barnet before the roads became easier. After that it was a fast blast to and through Potters Bar before reaching countryside proper as we headed to the first stop at Panshanger Aerodrome where we had coffee. We did meet three familiar faces on the road as Keith, Naomi and Steve were returning from their morning ride. I knew that they would have stopped at Panshanger and when we were stopped I noticed a text from Keith about the water bottle he had forgotten but I was unable to locate it.

There were one or two enquiries about when we would get to the promised flat parts of the route but we still had a bit of rolling road to cover as we skirted Hertford and then hit the old A10 at Westmill for what I promised was the final bit of climbing before the promised flat route. It was pointed out that flat is relative and that I consider anything I can ride a fixed gear up to be relatively flat so there were not too many complaints.

Lunch was later than usual at about 13.15 at the excellent Cricketers at Clavering. Service was good and we had a very enjoyable break sat in the warm sunshine outside the pub. I still describe it as a pub but it is really a hotel/restaurant operating in premises that were once a pub.

On the road again after about an hour we quickly covered the last 30 or so kilometers into Cambridge but managed to just miss a fast train due to the inevitable ticket buying faff and also due to the fact that the group was fragmented by the time we reached the station. Mike swiftly pedaled off to catch the last bit of cricket at Fenners where the visitors were Essex and Alex and Florencia were staying overnight/doing some sightseeing before returning.

Distance for the day was 105Km according to my route planning software. I can’t confirm that as the very cheap cycle computer I had mounted was extremely reluctant to work continuously so had only recorded about 50% of the distance travelled. A very pleasant day in all, due to the excellent weather and fine company on the road, but that is my opinion.

Riders
Derek Adlam, Florencia Curto, Paul Foster, Charlie Keep, Sarah Khedouri, Alex McKinnell, Mike Oliver, Rory Rhodes, Kate Sandall, Rob Saunders and leader Ken Peters

Ten riders met at Welwyn Garden City and followed a complex twisty route out of the town to join the Cole Green Way. After a brief incident of a cut leg when the first aid kit was needed, we followed the route through to Hertford and then followed the river to Ware. The fine weather had brought out walkers and cyclists in their droves so one had to be careful of other users. We had lunch at “The Navigator” and managed to get tables in the open air by the river.

After lunch we rode on the Amwell Nature Reserve and spent an hour looking at the birdlife from the hides and also looked at a dragonfly reserve. We rode back to Ware on the road as the towpath was very crowded and then followed the river back to Hertford for tea in the open air. Four riders left at Amwell to ride back to town and another took the train back from Hertford so it was a select group of five that rode back down the Cole Green Way to Welwyn Garden City.

Thanks to Alison for a great ride.

The group take a moment after completing the lung-busting climb up the South Downs escarpment from Kingston - Charlie hopes he's not going to have to tell them they didn't need to go up it.

The pub's at the bottom of this hill, please try not to run over any sheep

This was a joint ride of the Rough Stuff Fellowship [RSF] and the Cyclists Touring Club [CTC]. Most RSF members tend to be in the CTC as well so there was quite an overlap of memberships. The weather forecast was changeable and so it proved. It was raining when we assembled at the Brown Box Café in Harpenden, sunny shortly after we set off , raining again soon afterwards and so it continued all day. Most of us ended up keeping our waterproofs on as it seemed to start raining again whenever we took them off.

The ride began by going though the grounds of Rothamstead agricultural research station, passing the oldest agricultural field trial in the country which has been going since 1843. We emerged onto the roads and soon passed a house which had llamas in its grounds. We looked at the llamas, they looked at us. I don’t know who were more surprised. After crossing an unpleasant roundabout on the A5, we arrived at Flamstead. We’d had to change our lunch arrangements as our original pub gave us a choice only of roasts so instead some ate their sandwiches admiring the view of the church while others ate in “The Spotted Dog”.

After lunch we followed a road along a valley bottom and then a bridle path that took us up to Gaddesden Row. On one of the bridle paths between there and Redbourn we had to pull in to let no fewer than eight horse drawn traps pass. After tea at ”The Cricketers”, some of us visited the Redbourn Museum, housed in a former silk mill, and then we followed the “Nicky Way”, a former railway line, back to Harpenden.

Enough of the pastoral rhapsody you murmur, what about the cycling, and the railwaymen come to that. Well, with a threesome well matched for speed, we fairly spun along, and covered 53km from the station to the signal box. We headed out along Jersey Lane, across Nomansland, over the old Great Northern line which ran from Welwyn to Dunstable (and beat the Midland to Luton by ten years) and the Lea and round to Kimpton on the small lanes. Some even tinier lanes took us the circuitous and hilly route to the valley of the Mimram and the watercress beds at Whitwell.

We picked up some green stuff at a farmyard stall in an outbuilding that is one of the Telegraph newspaper’s top 50 farm shops, and then we headed for lunch at Emily’s. All the customers had arrived by bike it seemed, and from all corners of the cycling fraternity, from sleek racers to mums with baskets, from mountain bikes to Moultons. After our quiche with potato salad and watercress garnish, cake and coffee, we ambled off southward to Kimpton Mill. Down the Mimram then up to Ayot St Peter, and a pause to persuse the exterior and churchyard of the 1874 Arts and Crafts church. Next we rode along a section of the Great Northern route now called the Ayot Greenway, to ford the Lea just east of Wheatampstead. Southwards to Oaklands and onto the Alban Way, another Great Northern route, this one from Hatfield to meet the LNWR St Albans terminus, again predating the Midland by 10 years. Our chance to pay tribute to the Midland was at the St Albans South Signal Box, a listed building dating from 1892, taken out of service in 1979 and newly restored and now opening on the second and fourth Sunday afternoon of each month. Upstairs you get to pull the levers, downstairs is tea and biscuits!

So, having checked the minutiae of the Regulations in case we were indeed at fault, we consulted with Dave Halladay, the CTC cycling guru. With his advice a formal letter of complaint was sent, and now (after some further intervention from Dave), we have an apology:

Alex Veitch has passed me your email and asked me to reply regarding the conditions relating to the use of a Network Railcard. I am sorry it has taken us so long to reply.
In noting and appreciating your comments, I can only assume that the train manager/conductor may not have been familiar with the Network Railcard retailing instructions and the rule that allows additional passengers to be added to the Network Railcard group up to the maximum number of accompanying adults allowed.
As I understand it, Mr Hayman’s ticket should not have been challenged once the train manager/conductor had verified that the Railcard holder was in another carriage due to the problem accommodating your cycles. The relevant instruction to staff is outlined below.
I am pleased to learn that Mr Hayman was not charged a Penalty Fare although this does not distract from the fact that he should not have been put in the embarrassing situation in the first place, and I apologise for this. Your email has been forwarded to Chiltern Railways and I am sure they will be concerned to read your comments.
Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. Your complaint, whilst regrettable, does help us monitor and improve the services train companies provide.
Yours sincerely
Tony Ewers
Customer Relations Manager
0207 841 8062

Discounted price tickets purchased by a Network Railcard holder should be issued for travel for the same origin and destination and should normally be of the same ticket type. However the Railcard group can be extended either on the outward or return journey, up to the maximum group size detailed above. If the group size is increased for a complete return journey then discounted price tickets of the same type can be either purchased in advance of travel or at the ticket office before the journey commences.
If the group size is increased for only the outward or return leg of a journey, then appropriate discounted Single tickets should be issued for the new members of the group. It is in this situation that the ticket type may vary.

The group, whatever the size, must stay together throughout the journey as the Network Railcard validates all tickets.