Sunday, 12 July 2020
Greg writes: And so it came to pass that CTC Cambridge emerged from the lockdown – simply rejoice at that news!Excellent – a Maggie quote to rile up to 50% of the audience – what a way to start!
This is a Twofer Report. What's that I hear you cry? A Twofer One – within the report is a Major change from the norm. ie a puzzle. See if you can spot what it as you read it – then see if you have got it right at the end (this in place of writing poetry which I have done on previous reports.)
So, the ride we on Sunday 12th was a great way to restart our ride programme. The sun shone, the wind was benign and we set out to Reconquer Coploe & other hills.
As a Covid Secure ride we met at a different location from usual – this time the start was the Great Shelford War memorial. I swept up at 1.27 to discover my 5 ride members already in place – socially distanced and awaiting a leader! The ride was limited by the Law to leader plus 5 so I had Mike CC, Liz, Lali, Mark and David along – apologies for those who missed the cut but 'Them's the rules!'
Talking of rules….as ride leader I had to take everyone's contact details, actually ask them whether they felt ill and restate the Social Distance rules – which I helpfully did by recommending 'No Heavy Petting' – which I checked with our Virologist who confirmed that this was 'Covid Wisdom'.
So we set off heading South. We swept through Whittlesford and crossed the 505 – where the traffic was once again a nuisance and heavy enough for half the group to be held up for a couple of minutes. Oh for the heady days of May when traffic was absent and the cycling was just as it was in the 1940s (Mike CC confirmed this point when I asked!)
Then through Duxford and we turned left for Hinxton – well most of us did! Liz insisted on going straight on and this caused a little bit of avoiding action – the old group riding skills proving a little rusty but no damage done.
We crossed the river at the ford – avoiding a dunking by using the bridge and went through Hinxton – enjoying some 'Fine Pargeting' on the way.
Then through Ickleton and took a sharp left for Coploe Hill (all except Mike CC who wanted to avoid the hard bits!)
Coploe was just as we all remembered – and respect to Mike for summiting without any electric assist. We gathered at the top of the hill for a (distanced) breather in the sunshine. An erudite discussion broke out over who originally said 'When the facts change I change my mind. What do you do, sir?' Mark claiming it was John Maynard Keynes and Greg claiming it was Churchill. Having just been onto Quoteschecker it appears that it has been ascribed to both but there is no evidence for either being correct. Turns out we were both right and both wrong – a triumph for transatlantic diplomacy!
Then we restarted the ride and headed on up through Catmere End and round to Littlebury Green. We were at the high point of the ride and we then swept down to the Royston Road where there were a number of cars parked in the field along with a lot of people standing around in Wellington boots. It was unclear what event was occurring – maybe we'll never know? A quick dash along this road and then we turned right to start the ascent of Elmdon Hill. 'Remember', said Greg, 'When the postbox hoves into view then the task is just about complete.' 'But I can't see the postbox' complained David 'Exactly!' replied Greg as we pushed on up and up. Eventually we reached the top and zoomed (no, not the computer chatroom version) through Elmdon and stopped at the green and bus stop for a Pitt stop, drink and a chat.
Greg and Lali got into a sourdough discussion since both had been making this during Lockdown. Lali had thoroughly researched the microbial issues around cultivating a leavening starter from airborne yeast whilst Greg merely announced that his starter was named 'Grayson' after the Lockdown hero and artist Grayson Perry. Proof that there is more than one approach to any task!
Much hilarity then broke out as Mike leapt to his feet and started whacking his own arse (for want of a better description of this Morris Dance which was unfolding in front of us). It transpired that he had sat down on an ants nest – whilst not necessarily a highlight for Mike it is an image that will long remain in the minds of the rest of us!
We set off after this up the steep hill out the back of Elmdon. Mike got his own back on me by waiting until I had got up that rise before calling out that he had a 'Mechanical'. I duly came back down to him to discover that he had now put his chain back on and we could carry on – thus making me ride up the hill twice – serves me right for laughing at his Ants in the Pants crisis!
Just when we had all got ourselves going again Lali decided to stop in the road. There was no apparent reason for this but it did require some deft manoeuvring by a couple of us to maintain our distance! Crash averted we carried on and enjoyed the long hill down back into Cambridgeshire looking over the sun dappled valley towards Royston Heath in the distance.
What's this – an illegal gathering had formed! Andy and Sarah were out for a ride and briefly caught us up before they turned off – no real rules were broken, honest! Then it was time to recross the 505 – this time there was no delay and we all hopped over and cycled up through Fowlmere and thence to Thriplow. It was lovely to see the cricket match in progress – a proper summer sight – whilst the Green Man appeared to be doing a roaring trade with people spilled out across the village green.
We took the back road around Thriplow before emerging on the coaching road up through Newton. We went over Newton Hill and then at Keeper's Cottage the ride broke up with some continuing straight on and some returning via the Shelford Road. Either way this was a quite delightful ride – not 26 miles, 1100ft of climbing effort and a rediscovery of something quite lovely – not necessarily the Garden of Eden but definitely something we will want to repeat. Greg
Oh, and I now claim the prize for most random mentions of Tory Prime Ministers
which was the puzzle (9 in all - did you spot them all? 8 are easy but 1 is
fiendish – email me if you have a full house!)