Harlington to Harpenden or Hemel: Saturday Adventure Ride

* Please read the ride description carefully, especially the travel arrangements.*

Overview

This is a train-assisted full day ride.

It is a fairly challenging ride- 42km/ 26 miles or 56 km/35 miles, with some hills,- and you need the stamina to be outdoors all day and to manage getting your bike on & off trains.

It will be dusk when we return, and you will need your lights for your onward journey home.

We are repeating the ride we did last autumn, from Harlington to Harpenden, and adding an optional extension along the Nickey Line to Hemel Hempstead.

The ride is a lovely excursion into the quiet countryside on the borders of Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. Although our route is officially part of the Chilterns Cycleway, the hills are not as challenging as other parts of the Chilterns. There are some off-road sections, short stretches of which might be muddy, depending on the weather. Hybrid or gravel bikes are the most suitable for this ride.

Travel Arrangements

We will take the 09.29 ThamesLink service from West Hampstead to Harlington, arriving at 10.06.

West Hampstead ThamesLink can be reached easily on London Overground services to West Hampstead Overground. Remember to allow time to get from West Hampstead Overground station to the ThamesLink station- this is a short distance, but the road can be very busy and difficult to navigate.

A single fare to Harlington is £16.20, some discounts might be available. The return journey from Harpenden to West Hampstead is on the same service, and a Super Off Peak return ticket to/from Harlington costs £16.60. So it is probably better to buy this unless you are certain that you will ride on to Hemel.

Trains from Harpenden to West Hampstead ThamesLink run twice per hour and take approx. 20-25 minutes.

If you continue the ride to Hemel, we will take West Midlands Trains towards Euston via Harrow & Wealdstone. A single ticket to Euston is £9.50 and to Harrow & Wealdstone is £5.40. Trains from Hemel run at approx. 10 minute intervals, taking 15-20 mins to Harrow & Wealdstone, 30 mins to Euston.

We expect to reach Harpenden by approx. 3pm-3.30pm and Hemel by 4.30--5pm.

Please buy at least your outward ticket in advance if possible.

The Ride

From Harlington, we ride on quiet country roads through Sharpenhoe and on to Pirton. Here we find the most challenging section of the ride, a sharp climb, some of which is on an unsurfaced track, over Deacon Hill, up to Little Offley. Descending on the other side, we reach the Offley Hoo Farm Barns https://www.offleyhoofarm.com/copy-of-jo-s-loaves for a refreshment stop (21 km/13 miles).

Riding on, we descend to Whitwell, from where a short sharp climb leads us into undulating roads through Kimpton and Blackmore End, before we come down to an easy off-road track along the River Lea, and then turn up to Harpenden (42km/ 26 miles).

At Harpenden, we have the option of returning on ThamesLink services to West Hampstead, or riding a further 15km/9 miles to Hemel Hempstead, along the Nickey Line, a traffic free cycling route on a disused railway line. Then we have a short train journey on West Midlands Trains to Harrow & Wealdstone or Euston.

Train-assisted whole day ride in Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire. Option to finish the ride in Harpenden or extend it to Hemel via the Nickey Line.

Quieter country roads where possible, some short stretches on busier roads. Some traffic free trails on unsealed tracks.

Lunch stop at Offley Hoo Farm.

Money/card for train fares & refreshments. Water & snacks. Lock for your bike.

First-timers welcome!