e2e.bike

Cycling adventures across Yorkshire, Britain and beyond

Menu
  • End to Ends
    • Britain
    • Ireland
    • France
    • Spain
    • Portugal
    • Belgium
    • Netherlands
    • Luxembourg
    • Denmark
    • Germany
    • Austria
    • Switzerland
    • Czechia
    • Slovakia
    • Poland
    • Latvia
    • Cuba
    • Sri Lanka
    • Taiwan
    • Isle of Man
    • Faroes
    • Liechtenstein
  • Coast to Coasts
  • Yorkshire Ridings
  • Others
  • Writings
Menu
← PreviousNext →

Stevenage: On trains, chaos rains

Posted on 14 September 202117 September 2021 by Rob Ainsley

At last, life is returning to normal: trains delayed an hour by signal failure, just like the Before Times.

I did a quick jaunt to Stevenage today, to investigate the very agreeable Spoke CC cycle cafe in Codicote just outside. And got very wet in the process: it pelted down with rain all day. The only glimpse of sunshine and scenery was on the giant wall print of an alpine view on the cafe terrace.

Dripping on the menu: The wet journey to Spokes CC cafe

The rain, seeping into the signal box at New Barnet, was presumably the cause of the severe delays on northbound trains from London, including those which eventually got me back over an hour late. Which at least meant the return leg of the trip worked out free, under Delay Repay.

That wasn’t the biggest rail-related bike challenge of the day, though. The trickiest times were in the morning, on my way in. As my train rolled into Stevenage, I went to get my bike out of the stupidly cramped cupboards that pass for ‘cycle storage’, only to find it bricked up by a pile of heavy crates…

I’ll just get my bike, then
Previous
←   Matlock 5: Bamford Clough, Britain’s new steepest uphill
Next
Berwick: Borderline brilliant →

You are here

e2e.bike > Other > Route research > Stevenage: On trains, chaos rains

Recent Posts

  • Mice work: A York Mouse Trail following ‘Mouseman’ Thompson 25 February 2026
  • Howden: Of mice, men and airships 14 February 2026
  • It’s batter by bike: A Yorkshire Pudding Ride 14 January 2026

Random Posts

  • Camino 3: Santa Domingo de la Calzada to Burgos21 March 2011
    A dawn chorus of sneezes, snores and snoughs in various languages ensured …
  • It’s batter by bike: A Yorkshire Pudding Ride14 January 2026
    Sun 1 Feb is Yorkshire Pudding Day. Yes, the greatest county’s famous …
  • Greenwich 2: East meets West24 July 2019
    More very hot route research round Greenwich in the midst of a …

Search e2e.bike

Find me

        
Facebook • Bluesky • Linked In • Email
© 2026 e2e.bike | Powered by Minimalist Blog WordPress Theme