HITCHIN ...... are you there ?

johnhighfield

Looking to be out tomorrow morning for a Sunday style ride around the local tracks - weather permitting!!!

It is forcast to be a mild day but some rain is expected overnight and should clear in the morning - at the moment.

Plan to start at 8.30 or 9.00am - subject to interest. And of course....there is no ride on Sunday as its Christmas day.....

I will text around to see who is interested - but if your up for it post here or give me a shout.

All welcome

Regards - John

alcooker

I'm in as long as an electrician isn't coming to my house. Been expecting him for a week so it's unlikely he'll show.

evo3ben

That course is definately not my cup of tea! Just a tad too high for my liking.

Anyone up for a ride wednesday morning??

alcooker

I reckon I am

Al

johnhighfield

Hi all

Hopefully Santa brought you what you wanted....

Yep - I will be out o Wednesday morning for a 2-3 hour ride - Sunday morning style - leaving Pine Hills Hospital (Hitchin) at 8.30am.

I will text around the usual suspects - but all are welcome!

John

Calpol

Hello chaps. I hope you all had a good Christmas. I haven't been out much - I think 1 ride in nearly 4 weeks! due to illness, kids taxi service and general festive engagements. Managed a sojourn out in the boxing day mud for a couple of hours but that's it. Will be up for something in the next few days if anyone is about.

johnhighfield

Had a good ride out on Wednesday - with 4 of us making it. We probably did about 26mi (not sure as the GPS was at home charging up) and managed to get 4 punctures - which must be an all time record!

Unfortunately slime didn't seem to work & Stans no flats liquid did.......

We are planning to be out again on Friday morning for 2-3 hours leaving Pine Hills Hospital, Hitchin, at 8.30 for those who are up for it.

We wont be out on Sunday tghis week - it being New Years Day - so this will be our regular 'Sunday ride' this week.

All are invited..... Post here / PM me if you are coming.

Regards - John

johnhighfield

Another good ride this morning with 4 out (a different 4 from Wednesday) and with no mechanicals or punctures - which is more usual.... Plenty of mud & sideways riding though!

We missed you Calpol - after posting we thought you might have joined us again.. If you PM me your mob I will add you to the group text I send out when we do additional rides - to our normal Sunday rides. It being New Years Day we will not be out this Sunday - so Sunday week will be our next regular ride.

We did about 24mi (depending on idividual starting/finishing points) & did the newly developed Gt Offley; Putteridge Bury; Cockerhoe; Breachweed Grn; Whitwell; St Pauls Walden loop - and got it about 99% right this time - in 2hrs 45mins - which was an improvement on Wednesdays outing. We missed one track going to Almshoe Bury & did a little more road than desired - but next time we'll crack it 100%.....

If you are intersted in riding with us we meet every Sunday outside the Pine Hills Hospital in Hitchin at 8.30am for a 2-3 hour blast around the tracks. All welcome!

Happy New Year to all of our riders / readers!

Regards - John

pastasauce

Bucks Offroad Sportive entries are now open.

Its an hour away with a range of distances amongst some amazing scenery and trails.

I did the 82 miler last year and will be doing the same this year.

http://www.bucksoffroadsportive.co.uk/

benjidays

Hi like to join u on Sunday coming from borehamwood is that ok.cheers lee

johnhighfield

Hi Lee

Your welcome!
We've been out a bit irregularly over Christmas & New Year both being on Sundays & the weather has been particularly bad for evening rides. So were pretty keen to get out again.....

We meet (to leave) at 8.30am at Pinehills Hospital in Benslow lane in Hitchin which is a residential area with unrestricted parking. If you PM me your mobile no to me I will send you mine in case of any problems.

Regards - John

Calpol

Thanks again to John and Mark for leading another enjoyable ride. Albeit the first climb had me gasping a bit. It was good to be out and I only came close to falling off once through the mud. Hope to be able to make it again in Sunday.

johnhighfield

Hi All

Our first night ride of the year?

Mike is proposing leading a ride over the Weston area for 1-2 hours departing at 7.00pm to take advantage of the moderate weather at present. Who has lights & is interested?

Meeting point in Letchworth - on the Baldock road (A505) at the junction of Spring road on the grass area opposite the Post Office. This is almost opposite the junction of Letchworth Lane.

7.00pm start time. I am texting out to the usual suspects so please PM me or post here if your not on my text list so we don't go without you!

John

johnhighfield

Good ride from Mike!

4 of us out for the first night ride of the year.
Nice to see Clint again from his downhill racing & we had Andy C, Mike & myself out for a gentle 17mi on one of Mike's mystery rides over towards Weston & Luffehall.

Out again on Sunday leaving Pine Hills Hospital at 8.30am for a few hours.

All welcome - John

evo3ben

Great ride out today! Can't beat a fresh frosty morning ride with hard frozen ground. Some cracking scenery and view as well. Got a puncture going through Outen Head, 2" nail!!! Changed the tube in the end but when check punctured tube at home there was 7 holes made by the nail in total! In the bin now lol. Looking forward to next Sunday

Jamieg285

You're making me jealous now. Still going to be a while before I can get out on Sunday mornings.

Did you go through Putteridge? I spotted a group of at least 4 riders from my back window about 9:45 - wondered if it was you guys.

I'm itching to get back out. Got a barely used new drive train on my current bike, and the new bike is now in touching distance. I've put the deposit down and I'm within a couple of weeks away from picking it up.

johnhighfield

Hi Jamieg

You could well have seen us as we did one of our regular loops from Hitchin - through Oughton Head; on to Pirton; up Wood Lane track to Deacon Hill; along the Ickneild Way to Streatley & round by the Golf club; up Wardon Hill and on to Stopsley; through Putteridge Bury and back through Offley and onto Hitchin.

It was nice & fresh with frozen mud to ride on - which was a rare pleasure!

I did about 24mi & others did a little more / less depending on their starting / finishing point.

We had 9 out & hopefully have the same next Sunday....

8.30am outside the Pine Hill Hospital in Hitchin. All welcome.

Regards - John

evo3ben

Well that was a seriously hard race! I think it was 8 miles a lap :shock: Temperatures below zero in Thetford to start with but the track was more or less thawed out at the start of the race. Track conditions were very very sticky with a couple of slushy areas which gave me a few moments with the tyres i was running lol.
Drew and Warren also raced and both done well. Warren (or should i say John) managed 3 laps and came 62nd and Drew done a personal best of this series and came 18th 8)

I was hoping for the 60's this time round and being as i could hardly stand after the race i new i had tried really hard and given it my all. I was shocked and suprised to see my name come up in 46th position! :shock: That is a 30 place difference from my last race. To say im chuffed is an understatemement. I am hurting now though lol

Hopefully see you all sunday

evo3ben

Weather looking very snowy for Saturday night 8) Will we still be riding out sunday morning if it has snowed a considerable amount??

johnhighfield

Well we got out - although only down to 2 & on consideration - only to abort the ride!

Compressed snow tracks on the roads were very treacherous and riding through 4" of virgin snow off-road was even tough on the granny on flat ground.

Its like we've had the 4 plagues in the last 3 weeks - high winds; thick mist last week; and of course snow this week. Next week probably pestilence or plague!

Hopefully not - and a return to normality.... so if your up for it - 8.30am Pine Hill Hospital, Hitchin.

John

johnhighfield

Well after a couple of dodgy Sunday Rides it should be back to 'normal' tomorrow with just the mud & cold to deal with - although the forcast is for the sun to be out too... Yipee!!

We had 3 out last Sunday & had a go at the Barton Hills in the snow - which was some 'sketchy' experience!! I bailed & opted to return by road as riding off road in the snow was no fun. Still I did 14mi in 2 hours with an average speed of about 7mph - so at least I made the effort! Others returning to Stevenage would have done more.

I wont mention me falling off twice on the slippery ice.... I dont think the mud types were best suited..

So hopefully back to normal this Sunday...

I will text around to the likely suspects - but all welcome: 8.30am outside Pine Hills Hospital, Hitchin for a few hours on the local tracks!

John

avail

Hi Guy's,

Hope you don't mind me joining your thread (i'm a hitchin resident!). I stumbled upon it while trying to get some info on spreading the word about some bikes i had stolen from my garage last night (22/02/12). The five bikes i've had stolen are a 2009 Giant Anthem X0 (full sram xo, sids,crossmax's etc), a 2012 Giant STP 0 jump bike, a 2008 Giant XTC 2.5 atb, 2011 Giant TCR1 road bike and a Giant Omnium track bike. If anybody see's/hear's anything regarding these bikes i would be most grateful to hear from you.

BTW Are you lot the bunch i see riding back into town down Old charlton road often looking bedragled! If so, fair play i've seen you out in all weather over the years.

johnhighfield

Hi Avail

Sorry to hear of your troubles. This is the second round of bike thefts in the last few months - luckily one of our number had his bike recovered by the police before he realised it was stolen. I wish you luck in having yours found.

Yes - you may have seen us as we are out every Sunday although we missed Christmas Day & New Years day this year as they fell on Sundays. When you get your bike(s) back you are more than welcome to join us - we have about 20 casual riders but typically have 7-8 out on a normal Sunday.

We meet at 8.30am outside Pine Hills Hospital - Benslow lane - for a 2-3 hour local ride....

Hopefully we might see you...

John

johnhighfield

Well done to those who rode at Thetford Last Sunday in the last race of the Winter Series. I've looked at the results & ther'e pretty impressive!!

We had 3 out -in glorious sunshine.....no mud; no mist; no high winds; and of course no ice or snow!
I had the new bike out & it was magic - almost driving itself...

It should be back to normal next week after all ine interruptions due to Christmas & New Years falling on Sundays & the very poor weather we had for a few weeks - so dust your bikes off & get them out!

Sunday - Pine Hills Hospital - Benslow Lane, Hitchin @ 8.30am - see you there!!

John

johnhighfield

It all looked good for a sunny Sunday ride - bright & sunny on Friday & Saturday....then persistent drizzle becoming heavy on Sunday!!!

4 of us however got out & did a bit of a Pirton, Pegsdon Gt Offley loop. We found an amazing little track along the river to Ickleford & ended up after about 19mi (more for those from Stevenage) soaking wet & covered from head to foot with splatters of mud.

Still being wet the new bike (build) hosed off easily & then I got the wife to hose all the mud off me!!

Hopefully next Sunday will be 'normal'. 8.30am outside Pine Hills Hospital.

John

evo3ben

Even though wet and muddy was still an enjoyable ride out 8) So the bike is polished and waxed ready for this sunday then John? very nice bike indeed 8)

johnhighfield

Great ride out today - with some mild weather and even sunshine!

Did 27mi (+12 for those from Stevenage) & cracked on at a brisk pace averaging 9.7mph - which was pretty good seing as we did several big hills and its still a bit slippery on the tracks.

Hopefully Next Sunday will be even better.

Meeting point - 8.30am Pine Hills Hospital, Hitchin.

John

johnhighfield

Hi Hitchin Sunday Riders

Anyone fancy doing the MTB Evans Ride it Classic - at Milton Keynes on Sat 14th April??

25 or 30mi?

It was a good day out last for 4 or 5 of us & might be worth 'Team Hitchin' doing again....

Regards - John

johnhighfield

Local tracks are riding brilliantly at the moment - nice & dry & the sun has been out too...

There is no excuse not to be out now so hopefully we'll have a full contingent tomorrow morning - 8.30am outside the Pinehill Hospital in Hitchin for a 2-3 hour ride.

All are welcone - and dont forget to put YOUR CLOCKS FORWARD!!

John

johnhighfield

Silly Grin are riding out from the Motte & Bailey, Pirton, tomorrow night - Wed 27th @ 6.30pm for a little 'bimble' if anyone is up for it!

If I get home early enough I will join them........

Check out their website: www.sillygrin.co.uk

see you there - maybe.....

John