The speaker at STACC's forthcoming summer public meeting is Nick Siddall, intrepid international touring cyclist from St Albans. The meeting is at the Council Offices, next to the Alban Arena, on Wednesday 30 May, at 7.30pm.
As well as an entertaining talk that will put Holywell Hill in persepective, the evening will provide an update on local cycling issues and there will be a brief AGM.
See you there!
BIKE WEEK - it's also BIKE TO WORK WEEK
Program of STACC organised or supported events (Free to enter unless otherwise shown)
Sunday 10 June: STACC stall at St Albans Farmers' Market St Peters St 10.30-12.30 Rickshaw, Bike Week publicity, Free Info & Maps.
Saturday 16 June: Steve will be in front of the Old Town Hall in St Peters St with the STACC rickshaw , 2.00-4.00pm drop by and show solidarity with local cyclists! (Come at 4.00pm for a slow cycle ride up St Peters Street).
Sunday 17 June: Call in on Sunday morning at St Albans Cycles, Brelade Place, Jersey Farm Estate, or Addiktion (10 am - 2 pm) Victoria St, for free advice & check-over of your bike. Rock, also Victoria Street, offer same service, but in normal hours, Monday to Saturday.
Sunday 17 June: Easy bike ride starting at 10.30 on the Alban Way (NCN 61) at the Sutton Road crossing near Hatfield Rd, St Albans; nearest car park at Morrison, Hatfield Rd, St Albans. A sixteen mile ride, off road and quiet lanes, coffee break at Stanborough and optional lunch at The Plough. Total distance 16 miles. Further information from Dave Johnson, 01727 831001
Tuesday 19 June: Free Breakfast, Bikers only 7.30 to 9.30, supplied by St Albans District Council. Start the day sharing breakfast with fellow cyclists! In front of the old Town Hall, St Peters St. Further information from Doug Nevell, 01582 762120
Tuesday 19 June: The Forty+ Cycle Club meets for mid-week social rides with pub lunch. A relatively lengthy 35 mile ride, meeting at Brown Box Cafe Southdown, Harpenden for 10.30 start. Some experience beneficial - On country roads. Further info from Doug Nevell (above).
Tuesday 19 June: 17.00-19.00 See us at St Albans City Station for Bike Security Marking by police and STACC handout pack of maps, membership form, discount information. More information from Gwen Tagg, 01727 868685.
Wednesday 20 June: Join CTC evening ride starting at 19.30 from St Albans War Memorial, St Peter's Street, 12-15 Miles. Easy pace to suit all levels. Pub finish in St Albans; lights required.
Thursday 21 June: The Forty+ Cycle Club welcomes you to a gentle excursion starting at the Green Man in Sandridge at 11.00 am. Ride about 15 miles, easy paced, lunch venue to be agreed. Further information from Doug Nevell (above).
Thursday 21 June: A free 6 mile gentle family ride mainly off road along the Alban Way. Start at 6.30pm from Earthworks (north end of Hixberry Lane (www.earthworksstalbans.co.uk). Return for games, if fine, and picnic. Further information from Doug Nevell (above).
Saturday 23 June: Family afternoon ride to Wheathampstead, easy pace to play stop and / or café, quiet lanes. Meet at Bernards Heath Play Area 2.00pm. Further info from Rona Wightman 01727 836470.
Sunday 24 June: St Albans Cycles, Brelade Place, Jersey Farm Estate, are open again in the morning for a free bike check over & advice.
Sunday 24 June: Shenley Park Family Ride (our traditional end to Bike Week), a 12 mile easy paced, escorted ride, Meet 1.30 at Highfield Park Centre free car park, off Hill End Lane, GR173065, adjacent to SPAR, approximate finish time 5.30 pm. Cycle along traffic free routes and quiet roads to Shenley Park, where there is a cafeteria & playspace. . Further information from Doug Nevell (above).
Sunday 24 June: Ride4aReason: Organised by Verulam Cycling Club, designed as personal challenge along waymarked quiet lanes, marshals and refreshments. Choice of 40 or 60 miles, Small Entry Fee Full details at http://ride4areason.verulamcc.org.uk/
Sunday 24 June: 20 mile charity ride from St Albans to Hampstead in aid of the North London Hospice. Full information at
www.northlondonhospice.org.uk/content/view/109/2/ Entry Fee
Other Events
Women On Wheels at Luton Mon 4th to Fri 8th June - Incl. Free Cycling skills training for women by women. GORDON STREET CAR PARK, LUTON - 12:00 to 14:00 each weekday Bike provided if you need it, or free safety check if you take your own.
Details might not yet appear on www.luton.gov.uk/cycling so email: safercycling@luton.gov.uk or Tel: 01582 547153. Limited Places
Aboyne Lodge primary school held its popular Bike Day last Sunday (20 May). The event is organised by the School Association (the "PTA"), and is mostly about fun and enjoyment, but by the way is also a bit of a fundraiser for the School Association, through an entry charge and sale of refreshments. It is a school event, not a public event.
The format is very simple: two circuits are set up in the playground, one for the infants and their younger siblings on trikes and dinky bikes, and a larger more challenging one for the older children. Additional attractions are bacon butties and a STACC information stand. There was no organised Doctor Bike session this year, but several cycling parents had brought tools along, so basic tasks like tightening bolts and removing stabilisers were undertaken.
The STACC stand is under a tree, as this lets us hang up the bike-transported display boards. We had two tables of route leaflets, road safety booklets, stickers and of course, membership leaflets. We shifted a lot of leaflets and answered quite a few queries on many varied topics (mostly cycle-related!).
All in all, a very enjoyable morning, children having great fun on bikes.
There will be a working meeting in the
White Lion in Sopwell Lane St Albans
On Thursday 22nd February
At 7:30 pm.
This is to discuss what we will be doing in this year's Bike Week (16-24 June)
Last year, support was depressingly low, so we need to know now what support the membership feel able to give, or what different events might result in your support
STACC members can attend bringing ideas, or add them as comments on this post as soon as possible.
As a minimum please enter Bike Week in your diaries.
Some STACC members joined the Central London CTC ride from St Albans 4
February 2007, lead by STACC member Rona Wightman. This is the ride report.
Expecting another lovely day like Saturday, St Alban's based leader Rona
wrapped up her six year old daughter and hitched up the trailer bike and
dusted the cobwebs off her husband's bike, and headed down to the
station. Three local riders there already - I always let the local CTC
and the St Albans Cycle Campaign know when I am leading a ride, and I
also promote the ride to the Bicycle User Group at work. Plus John
from CLCTC who had driven out from North London. Trains running late,
of course, but wait not too prolonged.
Set off through St Albans, intending to take advantage of the sunshine
and head out northeast into open country. Targets lunch at Codicote and
purchase of vegetables at Whitwell. However....
First stop at Sandridgebury to add second pair of trousers and gilet to
daughter's apparel. A good one star stop this, as food was available to
purchase from John the Butcher, who trades out of the old farm bothy,
selling local produce to locals and passing cyclists. Extra clothing
layers did not sufficiently warm my sprog however, and to make matters
worse, the fog rolled over and blottted out the sun. I regret to have
to report that shivering and sobs were heard from the trailer bike, and
the old tourist trick of plastic bags over the feet did not work its
magic on this occasion. Some chocolate, a pep-talk, a hug and promise
that we would stop at the first available cosy pub got over the sobs,
but plaintaive cries of 'I hope we find a cosy pub soon' did accompany
us along the Roman Road through Coleman Green, up the hill past the
lovely 1611 Water End mansion and up to St Peter's Green, which we
reached at about 1145h. And we rode slowly around the corner to...
A warm welcome at the Red Lion, an old staging post on the Great North
Road. Two blazing fires and an extensive menu. Most restorative.
Leader decided to abandon the fog-shrouded open country and return to St
Albans by more wooded and urban and hopefully a tad less chilly route.
So we turned off the Great North Road onto the Great North Way (NCN 12),
a lovely ride through the woods down into Welwyn Garden City. Through
the rustic charms of Handside, along the A1000 for a bit, back over the
Great North Road at Hatfield, where we left NCN12 and crossed over the
East Coast Main Line onto the Alban Way, an old railway line (NCN 57).
We fitted in a play-stop at Ellenbrook, a diversion off the track to
admire another Jacobean mansion at Nast Hyde and a coffee stop at
Notcutts Garden Centre, Smallford before cruising back to the station.
PS: If anyone knows how to persuade a 6 year old that if they make an
effort to pedal they will be warmer, I would be very glad to hear it.
(Above write up by Rona - published by Tom)
