Sunday, 17 October 2021
Ray writes: We are trying to make the coffee-and-back option on Sundays a clearer and more attractive offering by advertising the shorter distance option and suggesting a route in the ride listing. Today Tom had volunteered to lead the ride back from coffee, and half of the group took up that option. Meanwhile I was leading the longer ride out to Hawstead for lunch at Maglia Rosso.
Seven of us set off from the railway station (avoiding Brookside because of road closures for the Cambridge Half Marathon), but Lalli was feeling under the weather and left us in Shelford. The rest of us enjoyed a nice ride out through Sawston, over the footbridge to Abington, then up the hill to Balsham. From there it was West Wratting, Carlton Green, Little Thurlow, and on to Cafe 33 for elevenses. We had timed it just wrong, with a big group of bikers and several police cars in front of us in the queue. Luckily we weren't in a hurry, and the food and hot drinks were welcome when they came.
David W and Susan had made their own way to coffee and joined us for a chat before making their own way back the way we had come. Meanwhile Phil and Liz joined Tom for the ride back to Cambridge, leaving just Nigel and Mark to join me for the full-day ride. We set off together but soon parted company, going in opposite directions at Cock & End. My group took the road to Denston via Wickhambrook (a deviation from the club's usual route), then Hawkedon, Somerton and Hartest - plenty of undulations but no steep climbs.
It wasn't a long leg to Hawstead and I didn't feel ready for lunch when we got there. After a brief discussion we agreed to break there for tea and coffee, but order take-away sandwiches to eat an hour down the road. Mark and Nigel succumbed to the temptation of cakes with their hot drinks, but I was still full from second breakfast. It had been a cloudy start to the day with even a few spots of rain as we left coffee, but now the sun had come out and it was quite warm when you were sheltered from the wind.
I suggested we stop in Ousden to eat our sandwiches as I remembered some picnic benches there by the recreation ground. We learned from a local who shouted at us as we were reading the road sign that it's pronounced "owsden", which Wikipedia tells me is an Old English name meaning "owl valley". I had also remembered correctly that we would enjoy a long downhill when we left Ousden, but as is often the way with these things we made back all that height by the time we reached the water tower in Woodditton.
Not to worry, we only had the climb past Dullingham station before enjoying a downhill all the way to Swaffham Bulbeck then a flat ride home. I was pleased to make it home before it got dark as I hadn't brought any lights with me - it's getting to the time of year where it's a good idea to carry lights just in case of unexpected delays, so I made a mental note to remember them next time.
Today's was another enjoyable ride into Suffolk with good company - it's always challenging trying to keep up with Nigel, so I felt I'd had a proper work-out!