Back in the Saddle

Hi all,

I went up to Stondon for a bike ride with a couple of mates yesterday. It was pretty cool, fairly flat and the guys didn't leave me for dust or try to at least!

We popped over to an area called Baulk Hill I think on the other side of Henlow. Then back the way we came and up a decent hill to the old water tower that can be seen on the landscape of this town.

My bike held up with me on it for 10 miles and some change so I am happy that this bike was a brilliant investment all those years ago :) My friends were on Carbon up to date mountain bikes with disc brakes and long travel suspension. My little Claud Butler with it's aluminium frame and V-Brakes does the job for me, for now.

Baulk Hill is an open area with a little wooded nature trail and a larger open grass lane where the wild flowers have been cut away. Typically it was some sort of families day over there yesterday but the rain had possibly kept lots away as there were only a few pockets of tiny humans to contend with!

The journey from Lower Stondon to Henlow is very flat but also quite busy. The rain didn't help either making the roads, paths and trails pretty slippery. Otherwise, it is a nice relaxed 3 or so miles from town to town.

On the return loop we went past our starting point and continued past a fancy golf club and then did a right turn which took us past a nursery (plants) where we saw an Eagle Owl and had a breather. Continuing up the hill brought us to the old water tower that is now pretty much just used as a place to bolt mobile phone antennas to. The scenery up there is amazing though, it reminded me a lot of Somerset.

I recorded the whole trip using Strava on my mobile phone so hopefully it will show up on my activity feed. I say hopefully as there seemed to be an issue with the upload servers but it seems to have taken it in the end. This is the link anyway if you are interested

http://app.strava.com/activities/71157540?ref=1MT1yaWRlX3NoYXJlOzI9dHdpdHRlcjs0PTkyNzY1Mw%253D%253D

I've still got the bike in the car as if I put it back in the garage I know I won't get it out again in a hurry. Hopefully I'll take the opportunity to get back out on it before I go back to work.