The Fridays Cycling Club

Thanks from ride leader to the team of Andrew B, Nick B, Anton B and Greg T, along with James R and all the waymarkers for making this a fantastic edition of Cambridge to King's Lynn night ride. George Alexander (who some may recognise as a London Edinburgh London audax controller) has kindly contributed his ride report below.

Photos can be found on our Facebook group and Google Photos album.

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As a Fridays member living in the Fens, getting the chance to ride on home roads with the group is always appreciated and this would be my second time on Claire’s jaunt through the Fens. My ride to the start took in a section of the guided busway, the moon hanging above the ever expanding new town of Northstowe and the temperature very pleasant for 11pm, although the forecast was for something lower as the night wore on.

The meeting point at the station was already busy at 11:30, with the registration and briefing taken care of while locals tottered past, and after the tricky job of sorting out a group photo we set off towards the centre of Cambridge. Kings College looked impressive even without dedicated lighting, and the Corpus Clock deserved a short stop for an explanation and photos.

The riverside path took us alongside the Cam, dodging the markers left by the cows before turning east and soon leaving the city behind, with a noticeable drop in temperature as we did so. The route picks its way past Wicken Fen on the better roads in the area, and in the darkness it only gave a little sense of just how flat the landscape around us was, with clusters of lights giving no indication of distance. The main discussion was about where we might drop below sea level, despite being many miles from the coast.

The Ship of the Fens came into sight as we sprinted down the almost empty road towards Ely, and we tackled the short climb to take a break in front of the cathedral. Heading out of town and up a steady climb (it’s not all flat around here!) into the village of Little Downham, a break for some to explore the hedges gave a chance to get out the stargazing app and confirm that we were getting a brilliant view of Jupiter and Mars, along with one or two Perseids if we were lucky. Some slow-moving lights in the fields were also spotted, the weather allowing the combine harvesters to keep working long into the night.

A slower section through Pymoor gave a taste of what true Fenland roads can be like (and it’s a lot better than it used to be), but no mishaps occurred and we were soon getting close to the café stop at Welney. The lack of unexpected stops meant an extra stop on the bridge at Welney to admire the view before dawn started to break (and to make sure we didn’t arrive at the café before 4am).

By this point there were a few of the group feeling the chill in the air, and some with heavy eyelids, so the sight of the Wetland Centre lights and the warm café with coffee, sandwiches, and generous slices of cake was very welcome indeed. It was quite a wrench to venture out again into the pre-dawn light, but the steady pace through the Welney Wash and on towards Three Holes warmed everyone up. The sun was beginning to appear by now, and the combination of cloud on the horizon and the smoke carried over from North America gave us a spectacular big sky sunrise that deserved more than one photo stop.

A short comfort break at the Tesco Extra in Wisbech, followed by a quick spin past some of the Georgian townhouses and a double crossing of the River Nene saw us heading north out of town. The next few miles were almost traffic-free, following the river to Sutton Bridge and its impressive swing bridge. Thoughts were turning to breakfast, and thankfully the slight tailwind and empty roads made the last 12 miles a superb cruise into the sun.

The only big decision before breakfast (which was pre-ordered for speed) was whether to take the ferry from West Lynn or follow the road. Those of us who took the ferry had a short but pleasant journey over the river, with plenty of space on the boat for bikes alongside the local commuters.

Some riders opted to catch the first train south, and since we had avoided any delays some others arrived in time to catch the Kings Lynn Parkrun. For those who chose the breakfast option, the food and service at Marriott’s Warehouse were excellent as we took the chance to reflect on the ride while sitting outside in the sun.

Riders who had the time and the legs to make the most of the sunny Saturday morning could follow Claire back to Ely, on a more direct route that included a stop in Downham Market at Mabel’s, a superb bakery in the centre of town.

-George Alexander​

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