Sunday, 08 October 2017
Nigel writes: Today was our final "Sunday longer ride" of the year. These are Sunday rides which aim to go slightly further than normal, a distance of 90-100 miles rather than the 75-85 miles we normally ride on a typical summer Sunday. Several years ago, when these riders were first added to the calendar, they were rather select events, offered as an alternative to a "normal" ride and with only two or three riders taking part. However nowadays they have become much more popular and on the days they operate are offered as our only day-long ride.
There were seven of us at Brookside for the start of today's ride, with more joining us at coffee and along the way. Our leader, as is usual for these rides, was Alex.
Brookside
The first stage of today's ride was to Langford where we were due to stop for coffee at the garden centre there. This is to the south-west of Cambridge, and to get there Alex led us by a relatively direct route via Barrington, Kneesworth and Ashwell, reaching the Ivel Valley Coffee shop at Langford Garden Centre at 10.55am.
This was the first time the club had visited this particular cafe, though several of us had visited here on other rides. We all agreed it was an excellent place to visit, with plenty of room and a decent range of cakes, bacon rolls and other treats on offer.
Haslingfield
After coffee we set off once more. Our lunch stop in Whitwell was directly to the south, but since the direct route wpuld have taken us through Hitchin we followed a sweeping arc to the west of Hitchin that took us into the relatively hilly region that lies between Hitchin and Luton, whilst staying well away from either.
approaching Hexton
We stopped for lunch at Emily's Teashop in Whitwell before turning east for the third stage of the ride to tea at Braughing Village Hall. As usual we had a slight tailwind and we arrived at there half an hour early at about 3.30pm.
Knebworth
Approaching Whempstead
Since we were early we left early, and didn't have an opportunity to meet the afternoon ride. We returned home via all three Pelhams, Langley and Great Chishill. After enjoying the long descent to Flint Cross and a fast run back along the B1198 to Harston we entered Cambridge via Trumpington Meadows. I arrived home just after 6pm, about having cycled 151km (
94 miles)
Nigel Deakin
Download
GPS track (GPX).