Fast Ride To Chesham
Spokes-Spring-2016-Newsletter-Final

Trip To Holland
Winter-2015-Final-2-PDF

Chiltern Riders
Autumn_2015_Newsletter_Final

Jack’s Cycle Tour 1939
Summer-2015-Newsletter-Final

Watford Breeze Ladies pay tribute to Billie Fleming
Spring-2015-Newsletter-Final

 

Steve`s Ride to The Royal Standard at Marlow – Was this a before or after picture?
They are all standing must have been before.

Editorial – Roger Robbins

After approximately 3 months of sitting on bum twiddling thumbs I had recovered from my accident sufficiently to start riding again. Neck is still restricted in movement but not enough to deter me from cycling. Been on half a dozen rides to date and gradually my legs are beginning to almost like hills. The good thing that has come out of this is that Herts CC has now made the road deformation in Rousebarn Lane, which caused my accident, safe(r) by making a substantial ramp over the obstruction.

You may be asking why there are not so many coloured pictures and text in this issue. The reason is purely economic, colour costs more, a lot more and we are trying to ensure that expenditure at least equals income.

I won`t be around for the Christmas period so I`ll take this opportunity to wish you all a safe and happy Christmas and new year. Look forward to an accident free (hopefully) 2015 and some good rides.

The Ruins at Gorehambury – I`ll say no more

Rogers Ramblings – Roger Bangs

 

What is Spokes about? Are we struggling?

 

We organise social rides & campaign for better cycling facilities.

The number of people cycling is growing. SPOKES continues to get new members but do those members want to join or lead rides?

There are many reasons why people join, rides have to be convenient & enjoyable, but people also want better & safer cycling routes for which we campaign.

To be a successful cycle club we also need to have a united social bond.

So what do you want from SPOKES – Please let us know.

We are now into the Winter season, but there will still be organised rides & other activities. We hope to have spontaneous rides in the future (organised at short notice) but are still working on an effective ay to deliver this.

What is happening on the Cycling Scene

If you look at the London Cycling Campaigns web-site you will see plans for several really good improvements by giving more space for cycling, but also improving the environment for all.

The latest national campaigning initiatives are about giving cyclists more space. When Highways Engineers are designing road improvements they need to allow more space for cycling, which occasionally may mean less space for motorist.

When cycling you should aim to cycle at least one metre away from the kerb & vehicles should be one metre away from you.

The government is consulting on its “Ten Year Cycling Delivery Plan” the intension being to double the amount of cycling by 2025. Our local authorities should be considering how to achieve this.

 

What’s happening locally?

 Watford High St – The Parade end of the High St seems to have settled down, as you can now cycle anywhere around the pedestrians, although it may be helpful if a couple more Shared Use signs were visible.

Health Campus – Final details are not yet available, but there should be a shared use path alongside the new road.  Safe wide paths need to be provided suitable for pedestrians, disabled people & cyclist.  It is important integrated routes completing a safe network.

 Cassiobury Park –  Lottery funding has been agreed.  We need to see a cycle route linking the existing cycle paths to the canal path allowing access to all & encouraging cycling to the park.

 Junction Station & Clarenden Road  

A short term solution to the many issues here has still to be found.

 Area around Two Bridges, the new metropolitan railway station & Morrisons Store – Need continuous safe cycling network Linking existing cycle & canal paths to these developments. The existing arrangement around the Morrisons Roundabout needs to be re-considered.

Other local developments include new schools should have easy safe cycle access linked to the existing cycle routes.

What does SPOKES need

1. More involvement by members.
2. Someone who can sort our web-site – Do you know WordPress?
3. Someone who can promote & publicize SPOKES.

Let me know if you are interested.

Campaigning – Peter Loader

Space for Cycling Meeting in Rickmansworth

If you want to improve cycling facilities in Watford, Three Rivers, or (especially) in Hertsmere please come to the next SW Herts campaigning meeting. This will be at Roger’s home on Monday 12^th January 2015 at 19:30. If you have not yet let Roger know that you are coming, please ring him on 01923 720 143 (before 22:00) and you will also find out where the meeting is. I will be sending out an agenda before the meeting.

New Government Money for Cycling and Walking

The Government will announce final details of how local authorities can compete for future cycling money on November 27^th, shortly before Chancellor George Osborne makes the last Autumn Statement of the

Current Parliament. The draft version of its Cycling Delivery Plan includes an ambition to double cycling levels by 2025 and increase the percentage of school children aged 5 to 10 years walking to school to 55% by 2025. Local Authorities must create local walking and cycling delivery plans in order to gain “priority access to new funding streams”.

Three Rivers News: “Born Again Cyclists”

From April 2015, Three Rivers District Council are planning to replace the S106 Sustainable Transport money from developers (which is earmarked for cycling and walking) with part of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and also change which Local Authorities are responsible for allocating the money to projects ¯ the part of the CIL money for cycling and walking will be split between the District Council and Parish Councils for allocation. (The remaining CIL money for Highways will continue to be allocated to projects by Hertfordshire County Council).

The District Council has replied to the joint Spokes/CTC petition for a programme of safe cycle routes to our schools (funded by a substantial increase in the CIL money for cycling). In the reply, the Lead Member for Economic Development, Sustainability and Transport described himself and the council as “born again cyclists”. Meanwhile, we have objected to current plans for allocating the CIL money because they do not involve spending anything on cycling or walking.

 Watford Campaigning (Another Aspect) – Clive Jones

Spokes and the CTC have agreed to let me take over as the Watford area campaigner, but I shall be getting guidance from Roger and Peter as I haven’t done any rights work for a very long time. Indeed, I am eager to receive advice from anyone and everyone regarding what we could do to improve Watford as a cycling town. Whereas the Cycle Hub is leading what I would call ‘in the community’ initiatives to get people on their bikes, (eg bikeability, Skyride,) I will concentrate on the ‘built environment’ which can be roughly summed up as road design, including cycle lanes and bike parking.

Well, I think it can be fairly said that Watford has a lot for the campaigner to get their teeth into! Nevertheless, there are some signs that in Watford cyclists’ are being provided for where this as not always been the case in the past. A senior engineer in Herts CC advises me that in January 2015 works are expected to begin to make Market Street two-way for cyclists. This will provide a valuable link between W. Watford and the town centre. Another new project, due to start about now and finish early in 2015 is to make the area around Central Pools and the Hempstead Road, where it joins the Parade, more cycle-friendly by putting in a shared-use footway and, I believe, a Toucan crossing. In view of the traffic congestion in this area, and the big roundabout that the scheme helps eastbound cyclists on Hempstead Road to avoid, these works are much-needed. Another safety scheme has been planned for Clarendon Road but I do not have the details as I write this (apologies). Finally, there was a public meeting at the Cycle Hub in early September about a proposed one-way restriction for Vicarage Road in connection with the new West Watford Station of the Croxley Rail Link. It was confirmed by Herts engineers at the meeting that the over 1 mile detour caused by the plans would not apply to cyclists as a shared-use footway of a couple of hundred yards is to be put in.

As for the political context, Spokes is apolitical but it seems that government now officially states that getting more people is a “Good Thing”. Locally, it is the “Hertfordshire Year of Cycling” which runs until June 2015 (see www.hertsdirect.org ) and which must, at the least, signal a  more sympathetic approach on the part of local politicians to cycling so can we hope that the County starts to ‘put its money where its mouth is’?

 

 

Denis`s ride on 9^th October started well with a puncture in the  first mile.
Nice to see that the true British working system is alive and well in Rousebarn Lane.
Three consultants, one supervisor and one  worker.

Brian`s ride to Ivinghoe and Aldbury on the 12^th October. A good 35 miler

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 Editorial – A Very Personal One

The day dawned bright and with a new bike under my bum I met up with David and we proceeded to the Harvester to meet up with others for Steve`s Longest Day Ride on 21^st June. Plenty of laughing and joking and off we set for the 45 mile Ridgeway ride.

Unfortunately that`s all I remember as I had the misfortune to be propelled into the undergrowth by a section of Rousebarn Lane that had been raised by a tree root growing underneath, making a hump like a sleeping policeman. I am told that`s what happened as I was unconscious for around 15 minutes and can`t remember anything after the initial turn into Rousebarn Lane. Four days later I was released from hospital with a double fracture of a neck vertebrae and a detached ligament in my right thumb. After seven weeks wearing a neck brace 24/7, I was allowed to remove it- aaahh bliss. I am glad to say that the injuries are healing satisfactorily and I hope to start taking some short rides soon.

I would like to thank all those that very ably assisted me on the day and subsequently supported me (taking me out in their cars etc) through my convalescence. All the phone calls have been very therapeutic. Hope to see you on rides later in the year. .

Roger Robbins
Editor: Roger Robbins

Accompanying Roger

I am David a recent Spokes member. I joined in April after riding on one of Roger Robbins (Ed) rides which set off from Bushey around Moor Park and Harefield. There were eight of us on that day which was the same number  that set off on Roger’s fateful ride on June 21^st, the one we both joke as ‘The Longest Day, the Shortest Ride’. A Steve Tarn special not to be missed!

I was stunned when we found Roger lying face down unconscious in the ditch and couldn’t quite understand at the time how an experienced Ride Leader could sustain these injuries on the regularly used Rousebarn Lane. We were both taken by ambulance by Watford Paramedics on a very slow and careful drive to Watford General Hospital. I was impressed by the way Steve Tarn handled the situation calmly and miraculously had an ambulance there with 15 minutes of Roger’s fall.

Throughout the journey Roger kept repeating the words, ‘What happened Dave, what happened?’ The Paramedics explained that after being knocked into a state of unconsciousness, the brain tries to reassemble the missing time by consistently asking questions. So Roger was well and truly knocked cold!

A couple of days later I rode back up Rousebarn Lane with my iPhone in hand to take some photos and video of the incident area. I largely did this to help Roger assimilate what had happened to him. I filmed the area and photographed the offending hazard and at the time noticed a temporary ‘RAMP,’ road sign propped up in the hedgerow further on down the lane from the tree root. Here take a look; you can make it out in the hedgerow:

I am standing on the offending tree root which is 25 metres forward of the ‘Ramp’ sign which clearly isn’t doing its job as one thinks it should be in front of the obstacle and not 25 metres behind.

Some days later after involving Roger Bangs (who was also on the ride) and Kate Jenkins who contacted the Local Authority, I rode out again to discover a plague of ramp signs. Is this a temporary cure?

You can see what I filmed on that day on YouTube:

I guess you are all with me when I say I hope that we can see an end to the poor state of our roads, especially a favoured cycle route. An end to epidemics of useless road signs when reparation should be the priority!

By the way, a couple of weeks later I was on one of Dennis’s rides. He knows the area like the back of his hand and mentioned that another cyclist had fractured his skull in the very same area!

 Ebury Way – Seat

Have you seen this seat whilst cycling along the Ebury Way?

The seat and tree were provided by SPOKES in memory of John Mann one of the founder members of SPOKES. The seat was made by Peter Hitchcock the late husband of Maureen another founder member.

Earlier this year John & Suz Inman members of SPOKES & SUSTRANS renovated the seat & surrounding area providing an attractive rest place for people using the Ebury Way.

Cycling in Germany by Roger Bangs

In June this year my wife & I had reason to be in Germany, so we decided to extend our stay and cycle & camp in the Mozel and Black Forest Regions.

Our first few nights were in the Mozel Valley where there are continuous cycle routes for 170 miles, often on both sides of the valley. Although the valley sides are steep and often covered in vines the cycle routes are in excellent condition and mainly flat.

The later part of our holiday was mainly in the Black Forest where we found an good camp site at Shiltach in the Kinzigtal Valley. Again the area had excellent cycle routes. It was explained to us that 1euro of the camp fee was for the local tax, 35 cent of this being for local transport, but as a visitor you are allowed to travel free on local bus’s & trains.

We had an enjoyable day taking the bikes on the train to the top of the valley, then cycling 40 miles mostly downhill back to the camp site

All the town and villages we visited were linked by excellent continuous safe cycling routes which were a joy to travel along. The towns had maximum speed limits of 30km/hr.(20 mph) & often 20km/h. I would recommend Germany for a cycling holiday, all their roads and cycle tracks appear to be well designed and maintained and consequently well used.

 

 100 Years On

You are probably aware that there is a great deal of publicity and column inches given to the Great War. But what about cycling? Here is an excerpt article recently referred to in the Daily Telegraph about British Army Cyclists in 1914.

The Army Cyclist Corps

Formation
The formation of the Army Cyclist Corps was authorised by Army Order 477 of 1914, which was dated 7 November 1914. More detailed instructions were given in Army Order 478.

A number of cyclist units already existed:

• Some were formed for the Territorial Force in 1908 and later. Of these, most were units of infantry regiments (an example being the 7th (Cyclist) Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment) while others were independent cyclist units such as the Northern Cyclist Battalion. You will find details of all of the units on this website.
• In addition to this one cyclist company had been formed in war time for each infantry division. So for example, the structure of the 1st Division included the 1st Divisional Cyclist Company. These units were technically of the regular army. All of the new army divisions raised under Lord Kitchener’s instructions in 1914 also included a cyclist company.

 

Personnel
When the Army Order came into effect, all men then serving with divisional cyclist companies (who had been seconded to these units from other regiments) and who were in training as cyclists to provide drafts for those companies would be transferred into the new Corps.

The Army Order did not affect the Territorial cyclist units or the men serving in them.

Officers would be seconded from other regiments and corps.

Men being enlisted for the duration of the war could now be appointed to the new Corps.

Pay was to be the same as that of the infantry. Proficiency pay would be given to men who qualified as a proficient cyclist and who had the necessary physical endurance, as defined in Army Order 438 of 1914 for the Territorial Force cyclist battalions.

Role
The primary roles of the cyclists were reconnaissance and communications (message taking). They were armed as infantry and could provide mobile firepower if required. Those units that went overseas continued in these roles but also (one the mobile phase of war had settled down into entrenched warfare) spent much time in trench-holding duties and on manual work.

Men of the Army Cyclist Corps resting in Courcelles, March 1917.

Development
In May and June 1916 the divisional cyclist companies were withdrawn to form a cyclist battalion for each Corps Headquarters (so for example, the IX Corps Divisional Cyclist Battalion came into existence and was a unit of the Army Cyclist Corps).

Records
War diaries exist for most of the cyclist units and are held at the National Archives. There is no published regimental history and no regimental museum.

 

Peloton of Belgium Army Cyclists August 1914

See more about life in the trenches at:
http://www.1914-1918.net/

100 Years On and we need volunteers

Four months ago I joined Spokes, largely to ride bikes with likeminded people in Hertfordshire, but I soon started to be involved in helping what I have come to term as the ‘Spokes Peloton’ in the revival of the Internet and Lively Communication,  but it is bigger than that.

At the outset I helped Dave Baldwin who had for a number of months laid down the foundations for a modern community using all his acquired skills in Facebook, WordPress, Twitter and alike. Sadly Dave left recently and has left a void that needs to be filled.

The ‘Peloton’ set out some aims not long after the April AGM. You will see these and how we have been coping in the Spokes Forum. For those who are not familiar with the new Forum this is what was said:

1. We need to attract more ‘active’ members.
2. We need to centralise membership data/intelligence.
3. We need to establish (or re-launch) the use of the Spokes Cycling Group Yahoo Groups
4. We need to encourage members to ride and/or be actively involved in campaigning.
5. We must ensure everything we implement is easy to understand and use.

So how are we doing?

Not long after joining we scrapped the Yahoo Groups and implemented something simpler. We then set about ensuring that we adopt the most modern formats. We want to ensure our web site and forum presence is acceptable to any age group and any device, such as smartphones and tablets. This work is ongoing and you will see the fruits of our labour shortly, but we need help!

We don’t need technical help but we need involvement from you the members. We need to get more of you out on bikes, more of you communicating with each other using these tools that we have provided. We need to hear from you, hear what you want the ‘Peloton’ to provide and where we could do better?

So this is the end of my appeal. I’m David, you will see me in the forum (as davidb) and on rides wearing retro training jerseys.

By the way in four months I have progressed from losing my breath going up Rosecroft Drive to completing 20-30 mile rides weekly and keeping up with Steve Tarn on his more challenging rides!  Who loves Spokes!

The Re-Skinned Web Site and Forum

We are completing the design work on our Web Site that Dave Baldwin undertook last month. We should see this shortly or by the time you read this it might be already be complete, take a look.

We also have been using the Forum for the past two months and would like you to join us. We are going to encourage you to arrange, book and join rides on an ad-hoc basis. We are doing this now, so come and join us.

www.spokesgroup.org.uk/forum

If you want to help out then join our Peloton user group

Below is a screenshot of the new site.

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Spokes Rides & Events

Remember to bring: water, spare inner tube, lights, reflective and waterproof clothing as appropriate.

Disclaimer: Participants of rides must be over 16 unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. Insurance is your responsibility. Spokes cannot accept liability for you or your possessions. It is your responsibility to follow advice and the Highway Code at all times. Your participation is the acceptance of these terms.

Please make sure you arrive in plenty of time at the start so rides can leave at the stated time

 

Ride Speed Guide

 

Slow ——— Gentle pace up to 8 mph

Medium — Average pace of 9 to 12 mph

Fast ———- Faster than 12 mph

 

SEPTEMBER 2014

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 Monday 1^st            19.30     SPOKES/CTC Cycle Campaigners Workshop

Watford Cycle Hub, The Pavilion, Chaffinch Lane, Watford, WD18 9QD. Space for Cycling in SW Herts. If you want more Space for Cycling in Three Rivers District, Watford Borough, or Bushey then come to the second meeting to help make it happen. Please bring a list of locations that you feel have particularly bad cycling problems.                                  Peter                      01923 712655

 Tuesday 9^th            10.00     Tuesday Morning Ride        Harvester, Baldwins Lane

Cycle mainly on tracks & lanes east of Watford.

18 miles                   Roger                     01923 720143

Thursday 11^th        10.00     St. Albans                              Pump House, Local Board Rd

Bricket Wood, How Wood and Chiswell Green for a cuppa at McD

20 miles                 Dennis                    01923 463898

 Thursday 11^th            20.00     Social Night           Moon Under the Water. Watford

Everybody welcome to the monthly social. We are normally in the rear section,

should be a Spokes sign on the table.              Diana                      01923 221955

Tuesday 16^th         19.30     Three Rivers District Council Meeting, Three Rivers House, Northway, Rickmansworth, WD3 1RL. All councillors will be able to discuss our petition asking for safe cycle routes to our schools funded from the Community Infrastructure Levy. Please come early and ask councillors to support it.

Peter                      01923 712655

Thursday 18^th        20.30 – 23.00                      Pump House, Watford

Diana`s drummer brother is playing with Rancie`s Rockin` Chair Band

 Saturday 20^th        10.00     Royal Standard Beaconsfield             Watford Cycle Hub Strong paced ride through the Chalfont’s to Beaconsfield for lunch stop at the Royal Standard. Mostly on lanes with little off-road but some challenging hills.

40 miles                 Steve                      07973 305152

 Sunday 28^th           10.00     The Valley and The Hill       Harvester, Baldwins Lane

A lovely downhill ride along the Ebury Way and canal towpath to Denham followed by a climb up the only significant hill on the route. Then sit back in your saddle and enjoy the views as you cycle back to the towpath and then back to the start. A lot of off-road. Not too strenuous!

21 miles                 Brian                       07400 772113

OCTOBER 2014

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Sunday 5^th             10.30     Out Into The Chilterns       Amersham Station

A varied tour of the Misbourne valley and surrounding hills, taking in attractive villages such as Great and Little Missenden, The Lee and Holmer Green, with their brick and flint cottages and lovely pubs. The terrain is quite hilly, so be prepared for a few stiff climbs, but the scenery makes it all worthwhile and there are downhills too!                       25 miles                     Pam                        07922 458196

 Tuesday 7^th            10.00     Tuesday Morning Ride        Harvester, Baldwins Lane

Cycle mainly on lanes into the Chilterns. Coffee stop at Chipperfield.

18 miles                 Roger B                  01923 720143

Thursday 9^th          10.00     Best Lanes in SW Herts      Harvester, Baldwins Lane

Under the Heavens, Flaunden, Bovingdon, pub stop (?) at Sarratt

18 miles                 Dennis                    01923 463898

Thursday 9^th               20.00     Social Night           Moon Under the Water. Watford

Everybody welcome to the monthly social. We are normally in the rear section,

should be a Spokes sign on the table.              Diana                      01923 221955

 Sunday 12^th           10.00     A Beacon of Hope                Harvester, Baldwins Lane

A gradual ascent towards the Chilterns along the canal towpath. Just after Hemel Hempstead we head towards Ashridge and onto the Ivanhoe Beacon. Then into Aldbury for a lunch stop before heading back to the canal for a gentle ride back to the start. A few hills but the views are worth it and we won’t go too fast.

A lot of off-road.

39 miles                 Brian                       07400 772113

Wednesday 15^th   10.00     Vince’s Midweek Meander, Harvester, Baldwins Lane

Ride through Cheslyn Gardens, then tow path to Bulstrode Lane, back via Chandlers Cross

12 miles                 Vince                      01923 267317

 Saturday 18^th        10.00     Day Ride                                Harvester, Baldwins Lane

A ride into the Chilterns with a lunch stop on the way back. Return to Watford area mid afternoon.

35 miles                 Roger                     01923 72014

Saturday 25^th        14.00     Afternoon Cream Tea         Band Stand, Watford Central Library. Short and gentle social ride to savour the Autumn colours with cream tea at Blacketts. Ideal for beginners and less confident riders.

5 miles                   Maureen                               01923 267416

 NOVEMBER 2014

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Tuesday 4^th            10.00     Tuesday Morning Ride        Harvester, Baldwins Lane

Cycle mainly on roads to Elstree for coffee

18 miles                 Roger                     01923 720143

 

Thursday 6^th               20.00     Social Night           Moon Under the Water. Watford

Everybody welcome to the monthly social. We are normally in the rear section,

should be a Spokes sign on the table.              Diana                      01923 221955

 Thursday 13^th        10.00     Watford & Three Rivers, Past and Present. Entrance to Morrison’s, Opposite Toyota Dealer. Listen to an old geezer talking about stuff he has picked up in the last 50 years living in the area. If you are bored and tell me to shut up I will. You will need good tyres as there are some rough tracks.

15 miles                 Dennis                    01923 463898

 Sunday 16^th           09.30     Late Breakfast at The Boot                Watford Cycle Hub

Hoping to make this a regular quarterly social ride along towpaths, tracks and lanes, subject to weather, to The Boot at Sarratt for late breakfast and return before lunch.

20 miles                 Steve                      07973 305152

 Wednesday 19^th   10.00     Vince’s Midweek Meander, Harvester, Baldwins Lane

Lanes out through Chorleywood, towards Chalfont St. Giles with refreshment stop. Hybrid bikes advised.

20 miles                 Vince                      01923 267317

Sunday 23^rd           10.00     Up Wendover Way             Harvester Baldwins Lane

A lovely ride, mainly on quiet lanes with no off-road. We’ll head via Chesham through open countryside and lovely views to Wendover Woods where you’ll be looking forward to a welcome lunch at the cafe. Then a mainly downhill ride back to the start. The climbs are mainly gradual but there are a few climbs that will get your pulse racing. This won’t be a fast ride!

41 miles                 Brian                       07400 772113

Sunday 30^th           10.30     Little Chalfont                      Watford Met Station

This is Ride 11 in the Blue Book of rides. Out to Little Chalfont along quiet country lanes via Chorleywood and back via Chenies and Belsize. Almost all on road – some hills, but lovely countryside.

18 miles                 Pam                        07922 458196

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Spontaneous Rides on the Forum

Rides advertised within the Spokes Calendar are no longer intended to be the only rides available to Spokes members. Accessible through the Spokes Forum, (see the big yellow box ‘Join the Forum’, on our website), look out for forthcoming Spontaneous Rides. These rides may take place on the spur of the moment making good use of weather windows or could be events not known at the time the calendar is published. Within the forum, you too could effectively say, ‘I’m riding this afternoon. Care to join me’? Look out for the development of the Forum. It is the way forward.

 

Saturday 26th April
Starting from two meeting points, eleven Spokes members cycled through bluebell carpeted woods to meet up at Maureen’s house, where we enjoyed a splendid cream tea!”

Information

I know a lot of you already are aware Neil & Sons bike shop in Vicarage Road has closed. I`m not sure how long the shop had been in that family but I have lived in Watford for 43 years and it`s always been there.
Don`t forget to “flash” the Spokes membership card when purchasing any bike items or getting a service (the bike I mean!) from local bike shops. Also 10% off bike goods at Halfords with a British Cycling membership card

Expect some major developments to the website soon.

Roger Robbins

SPOKES – AGM April 2014 – Chair’s Report

Introduction – Welcome

During the past year we have had many changes in SPOKES. As Chair my main preoccupation has been trying to cope with the changes. Fortunately most structural issues have turned out well.

Last year Iain, who had produced the SPOKES quarterly Newsletter from shortly after the formation of SPOKES in the mid 1990s, had to leave the area. So we needed a new Editor/ Producer, then Errol who had been running the web-site for the last two years announced he wished to resign from that role. Filling these two roles was essential to SPOKES continuing in its present form. After a number of special meetings, we had two members willing to take over these roles. So I give a big thank-you to Dave Baldwin who has become the new Web-Master & Roger Robbins the Editor-Producer for the Newsletter.

Over the past year SPOKES has continued to promote cycling.
We have organised rides, social activities and campaigned for better cycling facilities.

I wish to thank all members for their support in organising & leading SPOKES activities,

We have a flexible committee structure allowing members to participate in a way suitable to them. We will welcome additional members onto the committee particularly for promoting SPOKES & its activities, including campaigning for better cycling facilities.

We have continued to organise a rides program, and the production & distribution of the Quarterly Newsletter.

Apart for our rejuvenated Web-Site we have Facebook , Twitter & a Yahoo Group accounts, at present these are not used very much. We need to decide how & if we should continue with these media facilities. I believe the main access to our information should be though the web-site. Your comments on this issue is welcome.

We have continued our involvement with CycleNation & CycleHerts a countywide federation of cycling groups, hoping to influence Hertfordshire County Council in the promotion of cycling.

We have worked closely with the Watford Cycle Hub & supported British Cycling Sky Rides.

SPOKES has also participated in other local events including Croxley Revels & the Rickmansworth Environmental Fair. At this years Rickmansworth Environmental Fair
We hope to have a common stall with Both the Cycle Hub & SUSTRANS. We will be looking to members to support these events

The number of Members has remained steady and is now around 150 lead members & with another 70 family members, giving a total of 220 members.

We welcome & rely on members coming forward to lead rides, please get in touch with the Rides Co-ordinator if you have ideas for future rides, or are interested in leading a ride.

Over half of our members never come on rides, we believe they stay as members to support our objectives in promoting cycling & seeking to improve the cycling environment.

Two years Watford Council agreed to support the introduction of 20mph on all residential roads, this change will improve the environment making it safer for pedestrians & cyclists whilst making little difference to travelling time for motorists.

As yet Hertfordshire County Council, the Highways Authority has not supported this change.

The County & District councils have acceptable written cycling policies, but to be effective they need to have a higher priority and be implemented more effectively. The obstacles to cycling need to be removed and a safe cycling network developed.

Of course we would like to see all the missing links in the local cycling network completed. In Watford we look forward to being able to cycle the full length of the High Street in both directions & linking the cycle paths in Cassiobury Park to the canal path.
Some major changes are planned for our local area, including the ex Leavesden Aerodrome site, Watford Health Campus & Ascot Road Area. We need to influence local councillors & planners to ensure good cycling routes are provided.

I would like to see more footways by busy rural roads converted to shared use paths. These are often little used by pedestrians, but could be a significant benefit to cyclists.

The future success of SPOKES depends on members participating & supporting the rides, having a social program, and improving our campaigning ability to ensure that better cycling facilities are provided.

Cycling is not only a recreational pastime, it provides a cheap & effective means of local transport. It is also a way of achieving a healthier lifestyle in a pleasant & sustainable environment.

15th March – Ride to Gorehambury and St Albans –Roger Robbins

10am at The Harvester saw 8 members and 2 guests depart via the canal towpath on what looked like it was going to be a sunny, warm day.

Sampling the fairly recently re- surfaced towpath we exited near the Kings Langley Church (not before having a photo taken at ? ) to make our way to Abbots Langley and then Bedmond.

Turning right at the old corrugated tin Church we continued for a couple of miles then came to the entrance gate to the Gorhambury Estate. A notice regarding no entry to the Gorehambury Estate on certain days when shooting takes place was posted on the gate but lucky for us this day wasn`t one of them (well planned Roger – Ed). Despite living relatively close to Bedmond for several decades, I had never visited Gorehambury and I must say the scenery was very pleasant indeed.

Seat of the Earl of Verulam, the present Gorhambury House was built in the late 18th century by the architect Robert Taylor. This replaced the old Gorhambury House, built in the 16th century and the home of Francis Bacon, the philosopher and writer.

A short ride passed the Verulam ruins and across Bluehouse Hill saw us arrive at the main reason for the ride, refreshment at the Cafe in the Park in Verulam Park.
Onwards and upwards as they say and it was time for the homeward leg via route 61/6 and on to Bricket Wood and home.

A nice sunny, warm day with good company and a good route, what more can anyone want?

Hertfordshire Year of Cycling

Hertfordshire Year of Cycling runs from May 2014 to May 2015. Hertfordshire County Council has initiated this programme of cycling events because last year, responsibility for public health was transferred from the National Health Service to the county councils.

The launch of Hertfordshire Year of Cycling will be at the County Show at the end of May.

The Tour de France is coming through Hertfordshire. The nearest point for us will be Hemel Hempstead.

Bike Week – 14-22 June. Roger Bangs will lead a ride for Spokes from the Aquadrome to the Hub on the 15th June.

The Big Herts Cycle Challenge will take place from 20 June to 20 July and this involves businesses.

Sky Rides programme for Watford, Dacorum and St Albans runs between June and September.

Love Parks is a national campaign for promoting parks. Love Parks Week will be 25 July to 3 August with the involvement of the Cassiobury Park ranger

Rides Coordinator

David Turner has now stepped down from being the Rides Coordinator, a role he filled for the last six years promoting our rides & encouraging members to lead rides. David has been an active member promoting many different events including weekends away & recruitment drives. He intends to continue as a member, We hope see him at future events.

Steve Tarn has come onto the committee as the new rides coordinator, please give him your support & offer to lead a ride in the future.

Cycling in Burma – Pam Mann

Towards the end of October last year, after spending three weeks with my son and his family in Thailand, I flew to Yangon (Rangoon) in Myanmar (Burma) to join a two week cycling trip organised by the travel company Explore.

I had wanted to visit Myanmar for some time, but had hesitated, as I did not wish to appear to condone in any way the infamous and brutal military regime in Myanmar. However, in view of the tentative steps that have been taken recently by the regime towards democracy – Aung San Suu Kyi now has a seat in parliament, for example – I felt it was right to go.

After spending a day in the capital and visiting the wonderful Shwedagon Pagoda, we flew north to begin our cycling tour in the beautiful forested hills of the Shan plateau.

The tour was graded as moderate, but this had more to do with the hot, humid conditions and the hilly terrain, rather than the overall daily distances cycled, which were modest at 40-60kms. Because of this there was always time to visit places of interest en route.

The bikes we used were provided by Explore and were Specialised Hardrock Sport, with V brakes and 27 gears. They were in very good condition and very well maintained by the young mechanic, who accompanied us on the trip. Although not so fast on the tarmacked roads, they were ideal on the tracks and sandy back roads that we were more frequently cycling on. It was also the end of the rainy season and many of the tracks, particularly up in the mountains, were extremely muddy.

The first few days cycling were in the hills of the Shan plateau, with visits to Inle Lake, Kalaw and Pindaya. The scenery was magnificent and the advantage of being on a bike meant we could get right off the beaten track. We visited mountain villages, where the people welcomed us and offered us tea, fruit and nuts.

From the Shan plateau we made our way, partly by bus, due to the distance we needed to cover, to Mandalay. Here we spent three days exploring the main sights in and around the city by bike. We visited the former royal capital at Inwa with its beautiful teak monastery, the iconic Ubein bridge that spans Lake Taungthaman, the hill station of Maymyo with its lovely botanical gardens, as well as the former royal palace in the city itself.

From Mandalay we travelled westwards to Monywa and from there to the town of Bagan.

The scenery in this part of Myanmar consisted of rolling hills and our route along the back roads took us through traditional wooden villages past fields of rice, sesame and peanuts. Oxen were used to pull carts and plough the fields – there was little evidence of any mechanised agriculture.

The main reason for going to Bagan is to visit the magnificent temples, which were built by successive kings between the 11th and 13th centuries. At the height of its prominence there were over 13,000 temples; now just over 2,000 remain, but they present a marvellous spectacle when viewed at sunrise or sunset. We spent two days in Bagan visiting some of the temples by bike and also cycled south of the town to Mount Popa to visit a temple on top of the mountain, which meant climbing up 777 steps!

The following day it was time to fly back to Yangon and from there we embarked on the long flight back to London. I was sad that a wonderful trip, full of interest, beautiful scenery and magnificent monuments had come to an end, but the smiles of the friendly and welcoming Burmese people will stay long in the memory.

Ed: Thanks Pam that is a terrific story!