Wednesday, 17 April 2013
Gareth writes: The weather was beautiful, with partly cloudy skies, and a strong warm wind from the south or southeast: a perfect evening for a bike ride (if you were headed north). Graham was the only other rider at Brookside, and after waiting a couple of minutes we set off across town. There were dozens of runners out along Riverside and Stourbridge Common, taking advantage of the evening light.
We took NCN51 east to Bottisham, and then headed north through the fens using Lodes Way. Where the bridleway crosses Burwell Lode, a large ramp has been constructed. Currently this goes nowhere, but it looks as if it might be intended to connect to a new bridge, perhaps replacing the existing bridge and avoiding the need to carry bikes up and down the steps here.
Two narrowboats moored by the bridge over Monks Lode.
With the wind at our backs, we had made quick progress, and reached Wicken Fen at about 19:45. But when we turned onto Upware Road, heading back towards Cambridge, we began to pay! It was a continual struggle into the wind, with the flat treeless fens around Great Drove and Whiteway Drove giving us no shelter. We tucked into our best racing crouches and gritted our teeth, and eventually we reached the B1102 at Swaffham Prior, where the going became a bit easier, and we reached the White Swan at Stow cum Quy at about 20:45 as the last of the twilight was fading. An excellent evening out, about 35 miles.
1 comments from old website
I noticed the ramp at Burwell Lode when your all-day ride went that way on 7th April. There's a NT sign nearby which says that this is indeed intended to form part of the new bridge, but until they have found the money to build the bridge it would act as a viewing point instead.