Essex Ride

Lets go to the sea my wife said. 

Where? 

I fancy Mersea Island.

So off I went and planned a 35(ish) ride to Mersea, 'cos I wasn't that bothered about a full day there, but as a finish to a ride... why not.

Here is said ride. Although I only started at the exit from Great Dunmow having been dropped off near the Travel Lodge off the A120 junction. As a ride it works quite well until the end when your choice in roads is severely limited. The off road section at the start is 'interesting' to access down a dirt track that will dump you in a ford if you don't notice the footpath sign has a NR 16 sign on it. But once you get started most of it is either on NR 16 or NR 1. The B-roads at the end are a bit busy but not too bad. The navigation through Witham is a little stressful, and you need your wits about you just before the station to get on the right road. Garmin told me I was going the wrong way which made me think and go back and get it right.

Tea stops I hear you ask... I used Ellies food hut semi-attached to the farm shop near Ranks Green. It is in a working farm yard and most of the farm hands seem to use it. Then I stumbled across Braxted Bakery, good tea and the Apple and Sultana cake hit the spot, but did make the following hill harder than maybe it should have been. 

Enjoy... I did.

Entering Cambridge from the North

As I live outside Cambridge to the North I often have to enter the city from here. Just a couple of suggestions of the ways I like to go and one I prefer to avoid.

1. The Busway all the way. Coming in you follow the busway past Cambridge North station, then follow the up the river into town.
2. Girton. Use the busway until New Road Histon, turn right using cycle track to the Oakington-Girton road. Cycle track into Girton, 20 mph speed limit inside Girton so road cycling is OK. Finally down the dutch style cycle track along Huntingdon road.

The one I don't like? Busway to  middle of Histon then roads, shared use pavement, across A14 junction and up Histon road. Just seems so much pfaff, and too many potential hazard points. Although the Histon road cycle track is much improved in the last few years.

Just a personal view, your mileage may vary.

Oundle Circular 50 Miles

Planned this route using the 'suggest a route' feature and then adjusting it slightly to get to 50 miles. The ride highlights the rolling nature of the Northamptonshire countryside, avoids major population centres and is mostly on minor roads. 

Garmin was completely misleading after Glapthorn, said 6.xx miles to next instruction, but when I rode past a minor, unfenced, gated road it complained I was off route. Also turn onto and off of A427 in Lower Benefield don't warrant a specific instruction. This is a Garmin problem not a cycle.travel one as I've had it before where the route leaves a more major road for a minor one but the minor is mostly (sort of) straight on. 

Oundle seems to have plenty of free parking - necessary for me. But maybe busier on market days - don't know.

Most importantly it has 3 potential tea stops at approx 17 mile intervals. I did this on a Wednesday and all venues were open, having noticed previously on other rides that some places don't open on Monday and/or Tuesday. The three stops are:

• Buttery Cafe in Woodford, just off the route and signposted from it up a track as you leave the village. Tea and home made cakes.
• Crawfords in Kimbolton. A bit further off route in the centre of town. Tea and homemade butties. There is another tea shop Olivers (?) but not investigated.
• Beans Coffee Stop. In centre of Oundle (end of ride, but you could also start with a tea I suppose). There are also other tea shops available but this one was obvious. 

I walked up the 13% hill just after the A14 crossing at Spaldwick. I could claim this was due to the big Tractor coming down forcing me to stop. Which would be true but also misleading as I was probably going to walk it anyway - I'd run out of gears and oomph.

Beat The Heat

Went out for one of my regular rides and went early 'cos it's going to be hot later.

Stopped in St Ives for an early elevenses at Toms Cakes - fine Eccles cake.

Bury St Edmunds to Lavenham loop

This is an adaption of a ride in the old (1995) OS book of rides. Starts and finishes at Bury St Edmunds railway station. Uses NCR 13 to get out to the original route. Quite a few food options in Lavenham, also decent pub in Hartest - I had a pint and some crisps after lunch in Lavenham. 

Undulating countryside throughout. All on road and mostly minor ones.