Tuesday, 16 June 2015

Hey hey Heydon

 Cambridge - Shelford - Duxford - Elmdon - Chrishall - Heydon - Newton - Granchester - Cambridge
https://www.strava.com/activities/324139836

After a pleasant and familiar ride down the DNA pathway to Shelford, we took the bike path to Sawston.

Troll bridge
The path to Sawston is not that interesting, but there were flowers.
Sawston flower

Sawston flower 2
From Sawston, the path to Whittlesford is superb, next to the stream through tree tunnels. We weren't even put off that one of the group had fallen off low speed due to the terrain changing from pea shingle scarplings to tarmacadam
Post fall

Whistleford Church group

The Stalwort Ridgeback, the heaviest bike in the group

 We stopped at the John Barleycorn in Duxford for our first refreshment, a really nice pint of Dumbledorf3D
Rose
Old windmill
We the headed down towards Ickleton, and west along the lower Grange Road over the motorway. It started to be a bit hilly!
Hill
We took the hill uptowards Elmdon (Welches Wood climb). Hard to see from the picture, but it just went up and up, and gets steeper as it goes! Fosty and I ended up doing a walking-pace standing-pump, while Monty ended up pushing the last bit. Hamble used seated power. And gears.

Chrishall Church
 Then a few more hilly bits to Chrishall
Chrishall pub
Where the pub was shut.
King William IV
Then on up a few more hills to Heydon, where there is a fantastic pub.
All a bit tired out after hill work, we snacked on yellow stuff and a tapa. I'd definitely like to come back here!
Study in yellows
On leaving Heydon, there was a superb downhill run on the Fowlmere Road to the A505, where Hamble found a speed cycling buddy, and the rest of us enjoyed the gravity.
 Simple nip up to Newton, Queens Head.
 Then up through Harston and Haslingfield for the Canteloupe way and bridge back over the motorway.
A superb ride was finished of my a pizzas and romatic bottle of wine for four.