Sunday, 24 July 2022
Ray writes: I had volunteered to lead one of the club's classic longer summer rides today and was joined by Nigel, Peter, Ivo, Clancy, Phil, Liz, and Mike at Brookside. I didn't need to do much planning as the route was one of Alex's from the route library: Finchingfield, High Easter, and Ashdon. Having said that, we went off course straight away and took a series of back streets parallel to Mill Road that brought us out on the Tins path to Fulbourn. Phil had kindly agreed to be back marker and made sure we didn't lose anyone along the way.
We joined Alex's route in Fulbourn and continued straight up the B-road to Balsham where I had arranged a second pick-up point. Sarah, Andy, Eva, Jim, and Susan joined the ride here for a total of thirteen on the road - an excellent turnout for one of our Sunday rides. We split into two groups for the ride to coffee, with Nigel leading an advance party of the slightly faster riders. Several of us enjoyed a picnic coffee on the green in Finchingfield while the others had coffee at Winners. Peter got a take-away from another cafe, The Picture Pot, which he says had a decent menu and was less busy.
We split up after coffee with Peter leading a group of five on a minor-road route back to Cambridge and Susan opting for a fast solo ride home on the B-road. That left six to come on with me for the full day ride. We enjoyed a lovely ride on quiet roads to High Easter. The route included the bridle way near Andrews Field that we often use on club rides, but we found it difficult going today with deep gravel hindering progress - it's probably wise to avoid this section in the future. We were riding into a headwind all morning and the temperature was rising towards 30℃, so we were very happy to get to High Easter and our lunch stop at the excellent Snug café.
Refreshed after lunch and with our water bottles refilled we set off for the ride home. We enjoyed more nice quiet roads and a tail wind most of the way. Still, it was hard going in the heat, and we were relieved when we started to see sign posts for towns closer to home. Sarah and Andy left us at Molehill Green for a direct route home via Elsenham (grandparent duties called), while the main group turned for Broxted and Thaxted. From here we picked up the B-road all the way to Radwinter where there was another very welcome sign, Ashdon 3 miles: it wouldn't be long to tea!
We got a friendly welcome at Ashdon village museum. The cafe at the museum is open from 2pm to 5pm on Sundays between Easter and Christmas, and has long been a favourite with the club. The tea and cakes were excellent value for money and we got our water bottles filled again for the final leg home.
Familiar roads now via Bartlow (where Jim, Eva and Mike left us) and Linton. Only me and Nigel on the road now, so when we got to Babraham we decided to take the bridleway to Stapleford, which was bumpy and tiring at the end of a long ride.
Great company on the road today for what is my longest ride of the year so far. Ray