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Ming the Merciless

There is no mercy
Location
Inside my skull
Today’s successfully completed. Now having my tea.
 

Ming the Merciless

There is no mercy
Location
Inside my skull
Waiting for the pictures inpatiently and a very detailed story about your adventure! :eek:

My December 200km ride, for audax RRTY. Just three more months now to get this one finished, after delay, due to audax suspension for four months earlier in year.

A DIY route to visit as many war memorials in Hertfordshire as possible. Managed 35 memorials out of 45 I'd identified the locations of.

I'd moved this ride to Saturday to avoid the rain of Friday and Sunday but the weather had not heard the forecast. It rained on and off till around 2pm, some of it heavy.

The route initially took me out via Baldock to Ashwell, before returning through Letchworth and Hitchin. On the hill to Ashwell I overtook a family of six out in the rain. Hit my peak HR of 160 here. The incentive of overtaking other cyclists on hills! It calmed down after that. Traffic wasn't too bad this early on a Saturday. After Hitchin I was once more back in the lanes. Descending the hill after Lilley and before Whitwell I bumped into Tom Deakins riding the opposite way. He was out on his Bricks and Moretaine 200km perm. He'd stopped at Spokes cafe. Afer a brief chat and both agreeing we'd cooled a little in the rain we headed our separate ways.

I now headed east into the Chilterns and the hills came one after the other. Not long or particualrly steep but lots of them. Harpenden was busy with Christmas traffic but soon enough I'd made it to Redbourn and entered a lovely quiet lane to Flamsted. It took a while to find the memorial in Flamsted as it was hidden by a parked car. I was glad I perservered in finding it. Once through Markyate and into what I'd call the core of the Chilterns.

I went along the road where Richard Bragg had come off and think I've identified the pot hole that took him out. It's a big shallow hole that will just rattle you if both hands are on the bars, but can see it taking you down if one hand only is holding the steering.

A brief outing into Buckinghamshire near Ashridge and then onwards towards Gaddeson. After Gaddeson I entered some comedy off road. A steep muddy hill, too slippery to ride it all. So I walked up this hill and was pleased to find I could ride down the other side if a little gingerly. After that I rejoined solid surfaces and roads once more.

The Inns of Court Officers Training Corps Memorial, erected in c1920 on Berkhamsted Common, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * Architectural interest: as an elegant stone obelisk resting upon a moulded base, pedestal and stepped base; * Commemorative: as a tangible reminder of the men of the Inns of Court Officer Training Corp, who trained in the nearby First World War training trenches on Berkhamsted Common, and the sacrifice they made for their country; * Historic interest: as a war memorial that has strong cultural and historic significance within both a local and national context.

Thanks to the local expert who was there and recited the above. I must visit the remaining 600m of trenches sometime.

Down to Berkhampstead and a road chocka with cars and slow going. Once out of town towards Bourne End the traffic eased. Unfortunately from there to Hemel Hempstead involved going over a bridge that was out. So ended up on A40 for one junction. A dual carriage way, oh joy! Traffic was well behaved though and only one car driver beeped. Clearly they weren't paying attention.

Gawd Hemel is hilly but soon enough I got out the main traffic. I’d been riding primary on the busy main route from the A40 exit. This enabled me to get back to my route planned along the quieter back roads. I reached the war memorial where I stopped to have my sandwiches and picnic eggs and hot chocolate. Then onwards to St Albans. Here I hit six sets of traffic all red and lots of traffic. So so slow. Then onto the Alban Way to Hatfield. A bit of a muddy cycle track in Welham Green and then onto Essendon. The old A414 to Hertford then Bramfield, Harmer Green, and Woolmer Green. Watton at Stone, Walkern and home. Some excellent Christmas lights display on last leg in dark.

A good day out and sobering reading the inscriptions and see the names on all the memorials. I must visit the ones I could not fit into the route. Wetter than forecast by a long way but fitted the mood of the memorials and war.

Just 1.5 litres of water plus hot chocolate drunk. Countless shortbread fingers, an oat bar, a dozen picnic eggs, plus two rounds of jam and banana sandwiches.

Photos later, they are on PC.

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Ming the Merciless

There is no mercy
Location
Inside my skull
Has anyone been able to find and download the Audax DIY App?
@Ian H

Visit and log into eb.audax.uk and under my account —> get the app
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