Sunday, 20 August 2017
Nigel writes: Today was another warm, dry, late-summer's day: excellent conditions for a gentle bike ride that headed in my favourite direction from Cambridge: east into Suffolk. The number of riders waiting at Brookside was relatively modest for a Sunday ride: eight members including me, though our numbers would swell when more riders joined us at coffee. Our leader today was Ray, and he started today's ride with a short run down to Addenbrooke's and the relatively short climb over the Gogs to Fulbourn,
Climbing the Gogs
We continued through the Wilbrahams to Six Mile Bottom where we started the long climb to Brinkley. There was a slight breeze today, but for this part of the day it was behind us and pushed us gently along.
Brinkley
Between Brinkley and Great Bradley
The tailwind must have assisted us more than we realised and we arrived at Cafe 33 a quarter of an hour early at 10.45am. Several members were already there and more arrived after us, and by the time we were ready to move on our number had risen to a dozen.
After coffee at Cafe 33, Stradishall
The next stage of today's ride took us deeper into Suffolk to the Maglia Rosso cycle shop and cafe at Hawstead. Once again the wind pushed us along and we arrived there slightly early at 12.45am. This was probably just as well because although we were almost the only cyclists some of had to wait rather a long time for their food.
The road to Hawkedon
Hartest
After lunch we turned west for Cambridge. Whereas our outward journey had been broken by an intermediate coffee stop, our return journey was an uninterrupted 50km (32 mile) stage directly into the wind. I arrived home just after 4pm, having cycled 117km (72 miles).
Nigel Deakin
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GPS track (GPX).