Sept 2012: An abandoned platform for trains which will never stop there

I decided to push on beyond St. Albans this ride

I cross this adorable little drawbridge..

Its a very quiet early morning, with a mirror finish canal

Till it falls over into the gaps

A lock on one side and a sluice gate on the other

One can get very hypnotised just watching the water flow over the little dam

And down it flows



I am on the bridge watching the still waters..

The cross shadows

The spiders are up early

Crossing Rickmansworth Aquadrome

Shadow…

I reach the Alban Way. It was originally a railway track. Once transportation links became much better, there was no need for the railway, but the railway bed was then converted into a jogging and bike track.

The bridge is still old

You can see the telegraph repeater

The various sign posts for bike tracks.

I ride along

And then this platform emerges out of the distance

nothing much

Nothing really..

But I reached out and touched the brick and concrete structure. You could feel the emotions which have sunk into the platform, people who waited on the platform to go to London, people who came back from London, this platform has seen so many emotions and people over decades..

And then this giant massive arch

It just emerges out of the gloom

Whoa, big big bugger

Massive

You can ride two trains through this

It really looks big

Bit discoloured now

But one cannot see this from the other side


Bit hidden behind the trees, but massive, and also angled..quite interesting. I am going to push on beyond the Alban Way one day..

Sept 2012: One of the longest bike rides I took, about 140kms

I decided that I am going to try to break 150kms this time, so went north to Watford and then rode down south west to Slough, then due west to Maidenhead. And then back to Slough, up to Uxbridge and then east back home, i didn't manage to do 150 but got close. That’s the longest I have done.

So left very early in the morning.

It was quiet, with some lovely trees

This is in Watford

Riding down

I love this view, the combination of farmland, stream and then the whacking big pylon..

Want to play?

That’s where I came from

Moving to the bridge

A beautiful little drawbridge

Rickmansworth Aquadrome, very quiet in the morning

My breakfast

How rude, the damn ducks are showing me their butts…

I push off

Heading towards Heathrow

You can see I am near Heathrow, the planes are taking off.

The M3…



And one can see Windsor Castle in the distance

Another plane takes off

I'm now on the way to Maidenhead next to the Thames



Lovely ride indeed, if a bit dusty

Looking East over a bridge which crosses the Thames

The bike

Looking North..

A lovely little brick bridge



I reach the outskirts of Maidenhead

And see this adorable little cottage

Riding through the tunnel

I reach Maidenhead, sit there, have a bite to eat of a powerbar and then head back

Heading up the tunnel







See? i told you its a very pretty cottage

Riding back…that’s a cute little suspension bridge



I cross a cricket field.

And then see this extraordinary sight of a farmer ploughing his land.

As and how the farmer would furrow a bit, the sea gulls will come flying into the upturned area to pick off the worms and insects presumably..

I videoed this amazing sight. Extraordinary, no?

Kept on riding through the cycle highway

A lovely sight it was too

With a country house hidden in the back..

I cross a tiny ornamental bridge, cute, eh?

Crossing some railway lines

This was a beautiful little place which I cross somewhere between Slough and Uxbridge..extraordinarily beautiful, they have maintained and landscaped it beautifully.



Hmmmm, is this the next in the series of the Bourne films?