CTC Cambridge

Thursday 4 December 2025 

The day dawned warm and bright, offering much potential, writes Greg. Oh sorry, I was referring to the Ashes Cricket in Brisbane. Here in Shelford the much forecast gloom had descended. Dull, wet and windy (and that was just the ride leader!) Indeed as I stood at Great Shelford rec I idly wondered if anyone would be fool enough to join me (hoping that perhaps they would have come to their senses).

Lo, who was this approaching? Why, 'twas Richard who came upon a midnight clear. Oops, I'm getting Seasonally Mad Syndrome. That should read 'came upon a morning grim'.

Then came Ed to cheer us all, followed by Yasmin and then Karl.

I knew I was now in a world of trouble because both Yasmin and Karl were LEL stalwarts from the 2025 version of this (bonkers) event. For those of you who don't know, LEL is London Edinburgh London, a ride which involves 1540 km11 miles, a quadzillion feet of climbing (13,442m actually) and virtually no sleep (well, not much adds the Editor), done over some four and a half days. The 2025 ride was abandoned mid-way due to Storm Floris making things impossible and dangerous. It seemed that the forecast today had drawn them both out for a reenactment!

Karl had his LEL shirt on just to reinforce the fact that he would not be for quitting from a little light drizzle (or even a Biblical downpour).

The initial group was now complete and we headed off via the Shelford tank traps and crevasses on the Whittlesford Road. Susan had messaged to say she'd meet us in Little Shelford. We paused where her road met the Whittlesford Road but she was nowhere in sight.

A quick call established that Susan was waiting in Little Shelford where the day's return route crossed her road, 2 kma mile and a half away. This was obviously a Freudian slip on her part, revealing her innermost desire to be at that point in the ride already, by which she would have cycled 64 km 40 miles and the time would have been 2.30pm. However this was not to be and she still had the pleasure of the ride ahead.

Susan duly hastened to join us and I split the party, asking Ed and Richard to power ahead and advise Sharon who was awaiting us in Whittlesford that we would be delayed by five minutes. And lo, we all turned up some five minutes behind schedule so now we had gained Sharon the seven of us set off into the rain, the mist and the wind.

We paused at the entrance to Cafe 19 in Duxford. I asked if there were any takers for an early break. Instead both Yasmin and Karl put on an extra waterproof layer. This was ominous as it showed that they were clearly in for the duration!

We resumed the task and headed off up Quickset Hill eventually cresting the ridgeway in Elmdon. Outside the church Richard declared he 'Had to get back' and was diverting to The Mixing Shed. Karl immediately countered with 'I came with the village group today because I knew you'd press on to Royston'. Well, we obviously had to rise to such a challenge and on we duly pressed, quietly cursing Karl for his beautifully phrased yet manipulative tease. He needn't have worried though as the City Slickers were also out today and we later heard they had also braved the rigours of the storms, completing a full ride. CTC = Cambridge's Tough Cyclists.

Onward, ever onward we rode along the ridgeway – the view being mainly of clouds rather than anything else though to be honest no one was raising their eyes much except in supplication. As we went downhill past the windmill at Great Chishill we mused upon the fact that the windmill was not on the crest of the hill. We concluded the reasoning was that it was reliably windy where sited and that saved them having to haul the wheat all the way to the top to be ground. Talking of hauling to the top – we again did likewise as we crested the ridge once more at Barley.

Yasmin noted that 'We must be barmy!' My riposte of 'Like the weather' raised little more than a gentle grimace. The sun was only noticeable by its absence. Though as we crossed from Cambridgeshire to Hertfordshire the rain did stop – albeit briefly. 'County of Opportunity' is the county motto for Hertfordshire (Yasmin being our resident expert on such matters as she has started to collect county mottos on her rides). A brief discussion on best mottos ensued – you really do get a more cerebral level of conversation on the village rides – either that or the desperation for a distraction is greater.

Sharon led us onwards – one more steep hill then the whizz down into Royston. After negotiating the one way system we headed out of town and were relieved to finally make it to the Heath Café. The welcome was warm and generous – both from the café and from David W. who had driven there.

We sat and chatted. David generously offered a lift back in his car with bike for any takers. We all looked at each other. Would someone crack? Sharon broke the silence, 'Well I'm keeping going', and the moment had passed. Ed headed home whilst the rest of us donned wet gloves and helmets and carried on.

Royston is exceptionally unfriendly to bikes, with only one safe way in and one safe way out, one of which involves a steep hill. Due to the sheer brilliance of today's leader today's route took us up that hill, the long steep drag across Royston Heath. This time the climb was enhanced (!) by the addition of pouring rain and a gale of a headwind.

'It's all a bit Boney M' announced Greg. Sharon wondered aloud what 'Rasputin' had to do with anything though I guess he was deemed to be mad.

I replied 'I meant "By The Rivers Of Babylon", though we appear to be cycling in them rather than by them'.

Everyone now had the additional benefit of having one of the three most annoying tunes on the planet as an ear worm circling around in their heads. Yasmin has a sticker on her bike proclaiming 'It's Type 2 Fun'. As we climbed the hill we were at this moment in danger of sliding into Type 3.

But then we crested the ridge and the hardest climb of the day was behind us. Although we were still heading into the gale and the rain, we were now slightly gravity-assisted and our mood lifted along with our pace.

Soon enough we were crossing the A10 at Buckland. 'Bridleway or the road? enquired Yasmin. 'Bridleway of course,' I replied. It cuts out a couple of hundred yards of fast A10 although the pathway is gravel then mud, all made more enjoyable (?) by having been made super-slippery by the rain. However, our intrepid crew were up for this and so we slid ahead and exited onto the road east that we sought without mishap. Even better, this was a new element to Karl who was duly thrilled to have made this discovery of a safer cut through.

Now things picked up because we were turning off the wind and soon enough we were through Nuthampstead and very much on home territory. The Three Humps duly behind us we then turned left at the pub to take the long downhill to Flint Cross. This was payback for our earlier efforts as we could enjoy about 3 km 2 miles of gravity whizz. Even better the A505 was for once being kind and we got across straight away.

The gods decided we were having too good a time at this moment and the heavens duly opened with the rain now becoming fairly heavy.

We pressed on and, in Newton, Karl and Sharon headed back via Haslingfield whilst the remaining three of us headed up Newton Hill. Now the rain went from heavy to Hollywood – you know, the type you only see on films and delivered via a fire hose just off shot. To say it was heavy was an understatement but home and hot showers were beckoning and the ride ended with us all smiling, sort of.

In hindsight at least, this was a great ride: fresh air, exercise, good company and, like this year's LEL contestants, we can say we braved the storm and made it. It was 'type 2 fun' all the way, which was 68 km 42 miles with some 600m of climbing. Greg