Head for the hills

By way of contrast with last week's Fenland trip, today's outing saw seven Spokers cresting the hill to the south of Ickleton. Peaking around 100m above sea level, this forms part of the ridge running along the Cambs / Essex border and affords fine views south towards Saffron Walden.

Alan, Lewis, Jenny, Jim, Jane and Hilary taking in the view near Elmdon

Returning via Duxford, we pulled in at Café 19 for coffee and cake before heading for home, clocking up 23 miles in total.

23 miles anticlockwise

An eventful Ely trip

Whereas last year's train journey to Ely got off to a bad start, though the bike ride home went smoothly, this year the train ride went smoothly, but the bike ride was, well, eventful.

Mid-way home, Lewis got a puncture and, confident that he could fix it, Brian C waved the others on while he and Dominic stayed with Lewis. Despite two attempts, the puncture proved too much to fix in situ, so we owe a big thanks to Dominic's wife, Hetty, who drove out across the Fens - with dog - to scoop up Lewis and his bike.

On the bridge at Adventurers' Fen

Jenny, Jeremy, Brian H, Chris and Tiggr continued homewards, albeit with an eventful stopover at Anglesey Abbey, Brian and Dominic arriving an hour or so later. 

Rest assured we'll do it again next summer - but maybe we'll ride with the prevailing wind to Ely and catch the train home.

Along the river to Milton

Monday morning saw perfect weather for cycling and five Spokers setting off along the DNA path bound for Milton Country Park. Along the way we stopped to admire the view from Chisholm (we like to call it Our Jim's) Bridge before following the towpath along the Cam to Milton.

Hilary and Jenny on Chisholm Bridge

Milton Country Park has the most cycle-friendly of cafés; where else can you ride up a ramp to the first floor, park your bike and take a seat with a view over water? The coffee and cake is pretty good too.

Returning via central Cambridge, we wove our way through the tourists on Trinity Street before turning homewards via Grantchester and Trumpington Meadows.

Lewis, Alan, Jenny and Hilary on the balcony at Milton Country Park

Milton and back; some 24 miles anticlockwise

A bank holiday dozen

Monday morning saw a record turnout of twelve Spokers pedalling out of Shelford heading for Hot Numbers, Shepreth's temple to fine coffee. Our peloton comprised Alan, Ann, Hilary, Jane, Jim, Janet, Paul, Lewis, Jeremy and all three Brians, strung out over a half a mile or more, holding up the bank holiday traffic in and around the villages of South Cambs. 

Restoring caffeine levels at Hot Numbers

Not forgetting Alan

22 miles clockwise

 

May Day bluebells

Bank holiday Monday saw Hilary, Dominic, Lewis, Victor and three Brians exploring a new route to  the south. The five miles of minor road between Chrishall Grange and Littlebury offer some of the best views over South Cambs / North Essex - and are notable in several other respects.

Firstly, the roads are - for us lowlanders - remarkably hilly. Secondly, they are heavily pot-holed, at least on the Cambridgeshire side, whereas once you cross the border into Essex the tarmac is silky smooth. But thirdly, and most notable of all, is the sublime sight of the bluebell wood on the hill above Littlebury. 

Victor in seasonal blue

Chatting afterwards over coffee at Duxford Community Centre, we wondered whether there were any poems about bluebells to match Wordsworth's on daffodils. Dominic promptly found one by Anne Brontë who must have been in competition with her sister, Emily, who penned another.

We returned to Shelford having clocked up 27 miles, a little further than Brian's promised 24 miles, but worth it for the bluebells alone.

Pausing for a breather on the Cambs / Essex border

27 miles anticlockwise

A café crisis

One Brian was pretty sure the café at Fowlmere was closed on Mondays - whereas our other Brian was equally sure it was open. Turns out, first Brian was right; El Cafecito, excellent in all other respects, is indeed now shut on Mondays. The prospect of 23 hilly miles, with little sustenance other than fine views and fresh air provoked some harrumphing from the rear of the peloton.

Fording the stream at Hinxton

We considered our options; whether to head for Hot Numbers at Shepreth or the Granary at Stapleford? But in the end agreed the safest bet, not to mention the shortest ride, would be Brunch Base, back home in Shelford.

Cresting the hill near Elmdon

And there we spent a very pleasant 45 minutes: Hilary, Jane, Ann, Alan, Chris, Paul and two Brians, sipping coffee and generally putting the world to rights.

Café crisis aside, it was an excellent ride; 23 miles in glorious early spring sunshine and plenty of snowdrops to see along the way.

23 miles clockwise:
Shelford - Whittlesford - Duxford - Hinxton - Ickleton - Elmdon - Chrishall Grange - Fowlmere - Newton - Shelford

Madingley Hall

 Having missed the past two Mondays due to sub-zero temperatures, it was good to get out again on two wheels and in glorious sunshine, clocking up 24 miles and stopping off at Madingley Hall for coffee.

24 miles anticlockwise: Shelford - Hauxton - Trumpington Meadow - Grantchester - Coton - Madingley - Hardwick - Toft - Kingston - The Eversdens - Harlton - Haslingfield - Harston - Shelford

Murky in Milton

A foggy morning saw ten all-weather Spokers heading into town and along the river to Milton Country Park. Riding mostly on cycleways and the Cam towpath we covered the 9 miles to Milton in little over an hour before pulling in for refreshments at the country park café.

Baits Bite Lock

Revived, we set off on the return leg via Cambridge North and Chesterton. It was while crossing Jesus Green, however, that ride leader Brian experienced an involuntary dismount and, much to the alarm of passers by, found himself lying sprawled across the path. Oo-er!

Pride aside, no real harm was done and we resumed the homeward ride, returning to Shelford in time for lunch.

October outings

It's been an unseasonably mild month with bumper turnouts of up to twelve riders.

Pausing for a breather on Garret Hostel Bridge

For the record, October's tally was:

• five rides . . .
• clocking up a total of 121 miles . . . 
• collecting £49 for charity . . .
• with stops for coffee and cake at:
• Madingley Hall
• Histon's Station House
• Balsham's Old Butchers
• Kingsway Golf Centre
• Cambridge Technology Museum

3 October: 26 miles anticlockwise

October 10: 21 miles anticlockwise

October 17: a 24 mile figure of eight

October 24: 26 miles anticlockwise

31 October: 24 miles clockwise

Cresting the hill

What better way to warm up on a chilly Monday morning than by climbing the hill up to Elmdon?

Setting off from Winners: Alan, Ann, Dominic, Graeme, Hilary, Jeremy and two Brians - some eight Spokers in all - paused to admire the view before freewheeling back down to Fowlmere for coffee and cake.

Wot, no shorts?

24 miles clockwise

Wimpole

There are only two National Trust sites within range of our Monday morning outings and - having visited Anglesey Abbey last week - we thought we'd do Wimpole this week.

Taking in the view down The Avenue at Wimpole

Monday also saw the first appearance of Lewis' shiny new e-bike; an impressively sleek model on which he effortlessly crested Chapel Hill leaving the rest of us trailing in his wake.

For the record, the turnout was Alan, Graeme, Hilary, Janet, Jeremy, Lewis and two Brians - and we clocked up 24 miles.

Lewis and his dream machine

Anglesey Abbey

The first Monday of September saw a record turnout - twelve Spokers - head down, bound for Anglesey Abbey and the obligatory stop for coffee and cake.

Pausing for a breather at Great Wilbraham

Along the way Jeremy introduced us to a new off-road, woodland trail around Marleigh - a housing development near the airport - and on the return leg we pulled over at Great Wilbraham for a photo opportunity.

24 miles clockwise

Bourn to be wild

There's twenty-odd cafés within easy cycling range of Shelford - and we've been to most of them. But having only visited The Stove once before, we thought it was high time for a return visit.

Slap bang in the middle of Bourn village, it's a delightful little place with plenty of seating indoor and out. Where better to sip coffee, munch good cake and catch up on everyone's holiday tales.

Refreshed, it was back on the bikes for the 11 mile return trip to Shelford.

For the record the turnout was Lewis, Graeme, Jenny, Jane, Hilary and three Brians. Well done, team!

And for reference, there's a list of all our favourite cafés here.

Bourn and back, 23 miles

Our Place in Space

Monday's ride took us on a 22 mile jaunt around the solar system. Stretching from Midsummer Common along the River Cam to Waterbeach, the Our Place in Space trail features scale models of the sun and planets recreated as art sculptures – an arch housing each planet with its name on an illuminated sign above.

A blue planet on a very brown Midsummer Common

Preparing for take off

Brian showed some reluctance to leave his home planet

Jane & Jim visiting Mars

Chris at Neptune . . .

. . . and Pluto

22 miles with a coffee stop at Waterbeach

A trip to Saturn

Sometimes we end up farther from home than expected. The return leg of Monday's outing to Oakington took us past Saturn where, naturally, we stopped for a photograph.

Jeremy, Hilary, Alan and Brian; way out in the solar system

It was one of the installations along the Our Place in Space art trail that's currently visiting Cambridge. Stretching some five miles along the river from Midsummer Common to Waterbeach, it provides some perspective on our little bit of the cosmos.

Saturn as viewed from the Chisholm Bridge

Back on earth we clocked up 24 miles and enjoyed coffee and cake at the Station House, Histon.

Maybe next week we'll tour the whole solar system.

24 miles (plus a space warp)