CTC Cambridge

Thursday 7 August 2025 

For some it was the weather interrupting progress whilst for a fortunate few it was the chance to go on yet another splendid CTC Cambridge foray into North Hertfordshire.

The fortunate few gathered at Shelford Rec. Mike CC was demonstrating a healthy distrust of forecasts and had come layered up for an early winter ride whilst everyone else was in svelte lycra and not much of it as the weather was a bright, sunny and pleasant 21°C already.

So it was that Nick², Sarah, Susan, Phil, Ed, Eva, Richard and Mike CC swept out of the car park in pursuit of their utmost and quite marvellous leader. He chose to take a circuitous route to coffee – the usual drag to Ashwell being, well, a drag.

We went to Newton (collecting Sharon and Belinda en route) then meandered around the back of Thriplow. Mike finally succumbed and requested a stop so he could, snake like, shed layers. That done we then headed down the single track road past the RSPB site where we were joined by the (recently sadly absent and much missed – you'll see why later!) Uwe.

We were now complete and headed off around the back roads to Wimpole. There was a fun run in progress as we cycled through – though it does have to be said that none of the participants looked like they were having much fun at all! Unlike us for we were soon cycling on the ridge road to Croydon – looking down and across the wide valley. The ever erudite Mike CC speculated that this was an old drovers road ...

We then emerged onto the road to Guilden Morden. We were now cycling into quite a strong headwind (though our rather excellent leader had made allowances for this possibility – see later also). Belinda did a somewhat heroic stint at the front of the peloton and dragged us all into Ashwell.

In a break from CTC Cambridge tradition our fabulous leader was taking the crew to Rhubarb and Mustard, the café, rather than onto the village green. We anticipated actual chairs to sit on! It nearly wasn't to be though because the good ladies of Ashwell Pilates group were out in force and had swamped the venue. We entered the café and they took one look at us (or perhaps sniff??) and beat a hasty retreat, thus freeing up some space. The very stressed single waitress was very glad of the generous assistance given by Sarah who valiantly cleared empties, delivered orders and generally became indispensable to the smooth running of said establishment.

Stand-in waitress

It was a real pleasure to be joined at coffee by Nick¹ who had manfully slogged some 42 km 26 miles into the wind to be with us. His ride home would at least be all downhill! Sharon and Belinda had had enough of us all and left to do their own thing and the rest of us saddled up and headed off.

We eventually left coffee for the relatively short leg to lunch. Short in distance but not effort as this was firstly into the wind (heroics from the very excellent leader out front for once) and then hills (leader now follower!)

Bizarrely we rode for a 2 mile section on the best tarmac this side of the channel. The shocking state of the roads is a perennial bugbear – I heard recently that Cambridge have officially claimed the title of worst roads in UK. Yet the run into Wallington, at best a C class road from and to nowhere much, had the smoothest, newest and finest hot rolled tarmac in the UK. Someone with heft must live along that road...

Thus did we get to Mill End Plants where the food and prices were much to (almost) everyone's liking! Richard had a contretemps with a piece of toast that he insisted he didn't order which eventually got swapped for the jacket potato he claimed he'd always wanted.

Who ordered this?

We left fairly promptly at 2pm and now the wise foresight of our erudite leader became clear as the wind had built during the day but we were now to have its help all the way back. We had a fabulous whizz along some of Hertfordshire's loveliest lanes.

This all came to a grinding halt when Sarah declared a puncture. For history buffs this was quite exciting for many of us have forgotten what a 25mm tyre looks like. Some of us never want to be reminded again of this for getting said tyre removed was a real problem.

Yes, a 25mm tyre – amazingly rare

With much huffing and puffing Nick² managed this feat. He was then helped (!) by your ever-present leader and between them they put in a new tube and also achieved an outstanding pinch flat. Doh!

Uwe, he of the Magic Fingers, now stepped forward. With Teutonic aplomb (not sure that term has ever been coined before!) Uwe explained that it is about the VPL approach. Some immediately thought of underwear – Mike CC wondering what punctures and visible panty lines have to do with each other. We disabused him of this notion and he returned to trying to fathom out the meaning of the various buttons on his electric pump.

Which is button A?

"No," explained Uwe, "VPL means Valve Placed Last." He proceeded to show us how he bedded the new tube by continually squeezing the tyre into the centre of the rim channel and working along towards the valve point – which was placed last. His strong fingers and methodical approach to the task had been much missed and they paid off with a successful repair and we had all learnt something. We knew your return to the CTC Cambridge fold would benefit us, Uwe!

We duly remounted and set off for the final 18 km 11 miles – enjoying unprecedented good winds and weather!

All in all a fabulous foray into the lanes of England. The road surface was generally appalling, bar one 3 km2 mile section. The food and drink was tremendous bar one errant piece of toast. The equipment was faultless bar one puncture and a mysteriously complex electric pump. The company, the route and the leadership were all unfailingly brilliant! 95 km59 miles, 700m of climbing and around seven hours of sunshine. Smiles all round! Greg