Luckily my knee has recovered from my little black ice commute on Tuesday. Today was the day to do this months imperial 100.
I knew I'd be getting a headwind for some of this ride, but I wanted to clock the milage to Ely riverside as I'd like to do a there and back with Mrs Dave in the warmer weather and to see which way I'd like to do this longer ride with my brothers in spring...
So off I set at 8ish along quiet roads to Cottenham with the wind on my back, sun out but chilly. Up twenty pence hill to Wilburton and then a left through those right angled roads that take you to Witchford. It was along here that I inadvertently flushed a barn owl out of some rough grass, I watched him fly over toward a farm, then I lost sight of it. My next right angled bend took me in his direction and this time I flushed him out of the hedge, he must have cursed me!
On entering Witchford I overtook a little old man on his bike, Ely CC were coming the other way, I waved as I assumed one of them would be
@Elybazza61.
On into Ely to meet a friend for a cup of tea at the Cutter, but I went a way so I could see the cathedral, because it's so beguiling!
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Ely riverside....
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So after a pot of earl grey with Rebecca it was on to the delightfully named Prickwillow, it's like the Wild West! There are some ramshackle places along there ( this is the point where Bazza says he lives in one, and I've offended him!)
Isleham, kennford, Kennet, Dalham, Cowlinge..... All these out of the way Suffolk villages have some beautiful houses, each one seems prettier or more impressive than the last. I'd love to know what people do to afford them as there doesn't seem to be much employment there!
An so I made my way to Saffron Walden and stopped in the market for a Danish pastry! I had to stop and take a pic of Audley End...
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The next 6-7 miles were grim. It had been blowy in my face since going round the back of Newmarket but I now had a gradual trudge up into a head wind to Great Chishill, the highest point in Cambs, and where current pop sensation Sam Smith hails from. I stopped for jelly babies and a photo or 2...
The view to the left... Herts
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To the right.... Sunny Cambs!
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I'd saved the "biggest" climb (this is Cambs, stop laughing!) Barrington Hill, no ALP du Barrington for the last 10 miles, but it was fine.
Into Haslingfield and a man mountain appeared on my right shoulder, he slotted in in front of me... "Sit on my wheel, I'll take you back to cambridge...."
"Why, do I look that knackered?"
" well I caught you quite quick, how far you been?"
I looked down 94.94, I informed him "K or miles?" So I told him it was miles "hmmmm, no wonder, this wind is a bugger for you". It was nice to have had the company, I never asked his name, if I did he may have just said "Camouflage" (now that was a great song!)
I left my hero in Barton and turned for home, a few spots of rain on my lenses. I'd been so lucky with the weather.
101.75 miles
) It turned out to be a ride of pairs, as I purchased two bottles of vino, two bananas, two tins of fruit, two lb of sugar, a pair of windscreen wipers and took two padlocks with me.
