Wednesday, 11 June 2014
Nigel writes: Tonight was a fine warm summer evening, not particularly sunny but warm, dry and still, and since we are almost at midsummer it was light for almost the whole ride.
I arrived at Brookside to find brothers James and Warren waiting for the ride, and after a short time we were joined first by Jim and Neil and later by Mark and Emma. Mark and Emma have become familiar faces in recent weeks but are returning home soon and this was their last ride with us.
The seven of us set off south out of Cambridge along Trumpington Road, the busway, and the DNA path to Great Shelford. I was in the mood for a relatively brisk ride, and I was pleased to discover that everyone else seemed to be too, allowing the whole ride to be conducted at an enjoyably fast pace.
From Great Shelford we followed the familar route through Little Shelford, Whittlesford and Duxford to Ickleton, where we climbed up Coploe Hill, stopping only for a brief rest and photo-opportunity at the top.
Coploe Hill
We continued south to Catmere End and from there took our usual clockwise loop through Littlebury Green, down to Wenden Lofts and then back up to Elmdon. From here an enjoyably-fast switchback ride along Hertford Lane was followed by a fast descent to Chrishall Grange.
Chrishall Grange is normally a very quiet place but today and tomorrow it is the venue of the
Cereals Show 2014, a very large event involving elaborate traffic management systems to cater for the extra traffic. Fortunately everyone had already left for the day and when we rode past its huge exhibition ground there were few people about.
Chrishall Grange
We crossed the A505 to Fowlmere and a few minutes later reached Newton, where we stopped at the Queen's Head Newton. Phil H was already there waiting for us. We ordered drinks and with sunset still 45 minutes away we sat outside with them enjoying the final hour of daylight.
Newton
After about half an hour we set off back to Cambridge. We were half-way back to Little Shelford when the sun eventually set, and although we turned on our lights there was barely any need for them as we returned along the DNA path and busway back to Cambridge. I arrived home at 9.45pm, having cycled
33 miles.
View this GPS track on a larger map. Download GPS track (GPX).
1 comments from old website
Thursday 12th Jun 2014 at 5.29pm
Thanks heaps Nigel, Conrad and all you others who we have rode with in our time here in the UK. You are a wonderful lot. If you are ever in NZ, look us up. I work at a place called Laidlaw College in Auckland NZ and you can find me there. Blessings. Mark Keown (Auckland, NZ).