Milton Country Park

 

25 miles anticlockwise - 7 riders - coffee at Milton Country Park

Linton and Balsham

It's been a while since we cycled through the Abington Land Settlements and caught up with the resident emu - or rather emus - there seems to be two of them. Last time we managed to include Brian H in the photograph - to give a sense of scale.

 We somehow managed to lose Tiggr and Brian C along the way, only catching them up at The Old Butchers in Balshsam.

25 miles anticlockwise - 9 riders - coffee at The Old Butchers, Balsham

Waterbeach and Landbeach

Monday morning saw 13 Spokers pedalling along the river to Waterbeach where we pulled in at the Evolve Coffee Shop & Bar for refreshments.

On the towpath at Milton

Back on the bikes, we followed the excellent new cycleway from Landbeach to Kings Hedges where we turned on to the busway towards Girton. The return leg via Cambridge was going well until we got tangled up with the tourists thronging Kings Parade. So it was that Brian managed to lose half the peloton, but everyone knew the way home and all arrived back safely in Shelford in time for lunch.

26 miles anticlockwise

Madingley, Hardwick and Toft

Twelve Spokers set out on a glorious spring morning headed for Madingley Hall, where we pulled in for refreshments. Then it was on to Hardwick and Toft, where Brian H took the photo of Jeremy (with dog on board), Guy, Hilary and Dominic.

Pausing for a breather in Toft

24 miles clockwise - 12 riders - coffee at Madingley Hall

A daffodil outing

The Thriplow Daffodil Weekend was first held in 1969; the church roof was in need of repair so the villagers decided to raise funds by opening up their gardens and selling cakes. Since then they reckon they've planted half a million bulbs and the annual, ticket-only event now attracts some 12,000 visitors. This year they've raised £80,000 for good causes - and the church roof is looking good too.

So what better time to visit Thriplow than the morning after the big event when the crowds have gone and there's an unimpeded view of the daffodils.

So it was that 13 Spokers set off from Shelford on a 25 mile jaunt taking in Duxford, Fowlmere and Melbourn - where we pulled in for refreshments at The Hub - before heading on, via Meldreth and Foxton, to Thriplow.  Pulling over to admire the daffodils, we ran into three of Brian's and Jeremy's pals, members of the Windmill Cycle Club, similarly drawn to see the blooms.

25 miles - 13 riders - coffee at Melbourn Hub

St Patrick's Day outing

Spokers re-fueling at The Station House, Histon

A chilly Monday morning saw Alan, Dominic, Eddie, Hilary, Jenny, Jim, Michael, Phil, Rich and two Brians setting off along the DNA path bound for Milton, Histon and Girton. Both Brians have Irish heritage so it was only right that one was dressed in green for the day, the other having forgotten it was St Patrick's Day!

26 miles anticlockwise from Shelford - 11 riders - coffee at The Station House, Histon

Eleven riders and a dog

Knitted postbox toppers are popping up everywhere, they even have their own Facebook page, and Newton seems to make quite a thing of it, changing the topper to suit the season. This new one features spring lambs and daffodils.

Newton's postbox, with Hilary and Brian for scale

Monday's ride was notable in several other respects. It was five years to the day since Shelford Spokes' first outing. Secondly, we were delighted to be joined by new members, Michele and Michael. Finally, and another first for the club, a little dog came along for the ride - Jeremy's Tarka.

Jeremy - with Tarka in tow

22 miles - 11 riders - coffee at Hot Numbers

Up the hill to Elmdon

 A cold grey February day saw five hardy Spokers labouring up the hill to Elmdon and back. What better way to earn a reward of coffee and cake in Duxford Community Centre.

Brian, Janet, Jenny and Paul atop the hill, with Rich behind the camera

23 miles clockwise - 5 riders - coffee at Duxford Community Centre

To Wimpole and beyond

A cold February morning saw six well wrapped Spokers - Hilary, Jenny, Jeremy, Philip and two Brians - heading out of Shelford bound for Wimpole Hall. It must have been the chill factor that encouraged fast pedalling as, arriving at the hall early, we decided to add on the 5 mile loop around the National Trust estate, bringing our total mileage for the outing to 29.

29 miles - 6 riders - coffee at Wimpole Hall

A dry run to Histon

With the Met Office forecasting a 70% chance of rain, little wonder Monday's turnout was low. So it came as a pleasant surprise to stay completely dry for the 24 mile ride across town to Histon and back.

Pulling in for coffee at The Station House we somehow got talking about cathedrals, whereupon Jenny, ever the teacher, set this week's homework: what's the difference between a cathedral and a minster? Answers on a postcard, please.

24 miles anticlockwise

Kingston, Bourn, Toft & Comberton24

 

24 miles clockwise - 7 riders - coffee at The Stove, Bourn

Northstowe

 

27 miles - 10 riders - coffee at Northstowe Tap & Social

Meldreth and Melbourn

The first ride of the year was a cold one; barely 2°C as we set off and not much more than that when we got  home. But that didn't deter five hardy Spokers, all well wrapped up against the cold. It's all about layers!

25 miles anticlockwise - 5 riders - coffee at Melbourn Hub

Short ride - long drinks

Monday again and only two sleeps until Christmas! A good excuse to keep the ride short and get back to Shelford for some festive drinks and nibbles chez Brian. 

12 miles clockwise

Great Abington (and its new café)

 

20 miles clockwise - coffee at Ruby's Room, Great Abington - 13 riders

Comberton, Kingston and the Eversdens

 

23 miles anticlockwise - 5 riders - coffee at Mohak Café, Haslingfield

Anglesey Abbey

 

24 miles clockwise from Shelford - coffee at Anglesey Abbey - 11 riders

A traffic-free route through Cambridge

21 miles anticlockwise from Shelford - 8 riders - coffee at University West Café

Melbourn, Meldreth and Shepreth

After all that rain over the weekend, it was good to get out in the dry - and visit a new (to us) café too. Top marks to Melbourn Hub for their good coffee and friendly service.

25 miles clockwise from Shelford - 7 riders - coffee at Melbourn Hub

 

Coffee and candy canes at Wimpole

Only 45 sleeps 'til Christmas - but it's already festive at Wimpole.

25 miles clockwise - coffee at Wimpole Hall - 11 riders

36 traffic lights!

Brian thought it was high time we tried out Cambridge's newest bit of cycling infrastructure. Recently completed at a cost of £32M the Milton Road Improvement Scheme features dedicated cycle lanes and, most notably, a CYCLOPS "cycling optimised protected signals" junction separating pedallers and pedestrians from the traffic. It's really a fancy roundabout featuring a remarkable 36 traffic lights.

Glad to say, our thirteen-strong peloton negotiated it all with aplomb and the general consensus was that it works. Hats off to the transport team at The Greater Cambridge Partnership.

24 miles clockwise - 13 riders - coffee at Kerb Kollective, Technology Museum

Elmdon & Duxford

Eight of us completed a 24 mile circuit taking us up the hill to Elmdon and back. Towards the end we stopped off at Duxford Community Centre for coffee (and repaired a puncture too!)

24 miles anticlockwise

Girton & Eddington

 

24 miles anticlockwise - 12 riders - coffee at Dulcedo Social, Eddington

Oakington, Histon & Impington

Another ride featuring three Brians - though one had to turn back after suffering a broken spoke or two in his rear wheel. Otherwise, a lovely ride.

25 miles clockwise - 7 riders - coffee at The Station House, Histon

Mutiny in the peloton

Chapel Hill, eh? Probably the steepest hill in this otherwise flatish bit of South Cambs - and Brian insists we climb it at least once a year. So there was much muttering from the peloton as we exited Barrington heading for Haslingfield knowing the only way was up!

24 miles - 12 riders - coffee at Day's Bakery, Newton

Burwash Manor

 

22 miles clockwise - 8 riders - coffee at Burwash Manor

Ely by bike - and the train home

Mid-summer and the weather set fair; what better time to make our annual pilgrimage to Ely. Whereas last time we caught the train there and cycled back (see blog), this time with the wind from the south it made sense to do it t'other way round.

So it was that eleven riders set off from Shelford heading for Lode, gateway to the Fens. But we'd only got as far as Cherry Hinton when Brian pulled up with a flat tyre caused by a discarded drawing pin (possibly an act of malice by an ex-pupil, he thought). Brian looked on while Chris and Paul effected a repair and, fifteen minutes later, we were back on the road, Ely-bound once more.

Brian supervises his puncture repair

From Lode we took National Cycle Route 11, all empty roads, gravel tracks and bridleways, across the Fens. It's a lovely ride under wide skies, but there's always the challenge of hauling the e-bikes up and over the Cock Up bridge at Burwell Lode. Why did they make the steps so steep?

The notorious Cock-Up Bridge

Hetty, Dominic, Paul and Chris pausing for a breather on another bridge

Alan

Jenny

Paul

Hetty

Hilary

Dominic

Arriving at Ely, we made our way to the railway station and caught the train home. Well done, team!

 

25 miles from Shelford to Ely