Thursday, 03 October 2013
Edward writes: This Thursday we had indifferent weather for today's ride out to the air museum at Old Warden. In fact at 9:30am when were assembling at Haslingfield Green the sun was out and the temperature was in the mid teens and it all looked promising for a good day's riding. Just one thing lurked in the background and that was the weather forecast which predicted rain by early afternoon. None of this prevented twelve riders meeting for our ride under team captain Mike CC who was today making his debut as a ride leader.
With everybody ready we left Haslingfield by way of Harlton, thus avoiding Chapel Hill, and out over the A603 to bring us to the Eversdens and on to Kingston. This was good cycling weather and the south easterly breeze caused us no problems so we made steady progress and we soon reached Bourn. Mike was leading at a regulation pace and the group was able easily to keep together. In Caxton we crossed the A1198 to bring us to Great Gransden where there were only two marquees standing following the large agricultural show which had been held in the village last Saturday. Next was Waresley but as were on the road into the village Peter had a puncture and, as is to be expected, the usual hands dived in to quickly get him back on the road.
Waresley
In Waresley we passed by the garden centre and two more miles brought us to Gamlingay and the Crafty Cup Cake for our coffee stop. There we found Sarah, Barbara and David Ms who had made their own ways to Gamlingay. This is the first time we have used this little cafe but it was comfortable and a very friendly atmosphere and made for an enjoyable stop. If this is used again it should definitely be booked in advance.
Gamlingay
After coffee there were quite a few who left us to return home but seven continued for the full day's ride. We left Gamlingay via the Cinques and headed for Everton and then Tempsford and its hill. On the way we were joined by Bob from Potton who joins us occasionally when we are in this area. After descending Tempsford hill we crossed the main East Coast railway and followed shortly after by the A1. As we have observed before in these notes the fields change so quickly and now the green sheen of new growth is evident in many of the fields we passed. Sadly the colour has disappeared from the grass verges as the wild flowers fade but this is more than made up for by the many different coloured berries in the hedgerows. We pressed on through Blunham and then to Moggerhanger and we now felt the first few drops of rain, unfortunately a little earlier than expected.
Near Moggerhanger
Within a few hundred yards the rain became heavier and we stopped to don the waterproofs which, with the mild weather, tended to make us feel quite hot. By now we were within three or four miles of Old Warden as we turned towards Northill, where Bob left us, and Ickwell with its maypole to arrive at the air museum by 12.30pm.
Ickwell
After lunch the rain was no more than a drizzle and we left the museum to go by Jordan's Mill at Broom and shortly after into Biggleswade where we said goodbye to Sarah. We left Biggleswade on the B1042 and went through Dunton and down to Wrestlingworth where we turned to go through both Guildern and Steeple Morden and now we were on a familiar route home by way of Litlington and Bassingbourn.
Wrestlingworth
When we reached Meldreth Barbara left us so now just four riders arrived back in Haslingfield at 3.30pm having travelled a regulation
54 miles. Our thanks to Mike CC for a very pleasant ride into the Bedfordshire countryside - a very satisfactory debut and no doubt there are some more rides tucked away in his kit bag.
Edward Elmer
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1 comments from old website
Anonymous
Saturday 12th Oct 2013 at 6.15pm
Good ride! Glad I'm turned back after the Cup-cake. Thanks Mike. John J.