CTC Cambridge

Saturday 25 October 2025 

Seb writes: Today saw 13 of us enjoy a Saturday social ride to Café Amigo in Fowlmere. Our coffee stop had already been fixed and John Seton kindly suggested a 45 km circular route – although as leader I decided to reverse it so that we'd ride about 28km before the café, with a shorter second half of 17 km.

John's route had much to commend it including the Coton footpath out of Cambridge, the Coton Countryside Reserve, delightful Barrington village, and Malton Lane between Orwell and Meldreth.

Ascending Chapel Hill would at least ensure we didn't get cold. We deliberately stopped at the Orwell Meridian Marker for a group photo. And that still left us, before coffee, with riding through Frog End and (after the A10 crossing) Mill Road as it passes the RSPB nature reserve at Fowlmere.

Café Amigo were expecting us at 11.40am and we arrived just a few minutes late. They had a good selection of cakes and savouries, and I for one enjoyed an early lunch.

We left about 12.30pm and at Thriplow turned right along Lodge Road, Farm Lane and Church Street to complete three sides of a square and see much of the picturesque village (albeit no daffs!). From Thriplow we rode to Newton where three riders left the group to head home. The rest of us continued on the B1368 to Hauxton and the A10 before joining the cycle path through Trumpington Meadows, where yet more riders peeled off.

Just two of us, Angela and I, rode up Trumpington Road together and got back to Cambridge at about 1.30pm after 45 km. The weather was kind all day; about 10°C, mostly overcast but no rain and some sunny spells. Taking my responsibilities as ride leader seriously, I'd brought various extra tools including a chain splitter, just in case, but none of them was needed. An enjoyable and successful trip by any measure. Seb