Meet the Examiners Evening

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We’re pleased to announce Meet the Examiners Evening on Thursday 20th November. An event open to all, but aimed squarely at Associates … whether you’re our most recent recruit or  awaiting a test date, this evening is for you! The two Examiners linked to CAM – Simon Burgin & Martin Munday – will be there to share a wealth of experience as former police riders and to discuss what they look for during the test, the common pitfalls and how best to showcase your riding. The evening is also an opportunity for Associates to meet members of the Observer team, several of whom will be on hand. Full Members are of course also very welcome: as always, all attendees can expect to pick up riding insights and a refresher on motorcycle roadcraft!

Since our last Meet the Examiner Evening earlier this year, CAM has seen successes in both the Advanced Rider course and the National Observer Training Program, and we’ll start with short presentations acknowledging those individual achievements before handing over to our guest Examiners, both of whom are keen to address what’s on the minds of CAM’s Associates & Members. When requesting a place, please mention any points which you would like to bring up during the Q&A session

7pm to 9pm, Thursday 20th November
Over Community Centre, CB24 5NW     what3words  

Sunday rideout with a proper breakfast in mind

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Photo by Ajeet Panesar on Unsplash

Our  21st September Sunday rideout sees Keith Bartlett leading and Alan Triggs on tail-end duties. Over to Keith for an outline of the route…

Starting out as we mean to continue, we sidestep the A428 roadworks leaving McDonalds Caxton Gibbet and head to Yelling on our way to the Offords to cross the A1 at Buckden. Pushing into Bedfordshire, we make a circuit through Great Staughton & Bolnhurst (avoiding further road closures) before swinging east again towards Colmworth & Wyboston. Skirting yet more road closures we eventually arrive for some good old-fashioned greasy spoon fare at the Market Café in St Neots

Following a healthy breakfast we thread through St Neots and head out to Eynesbury and the Gransdens, working our way around one final set of road closures, and then wind our way through various villages to finish at BP Arrington. Totalling around 60 miles (in spite of the various detours), this relatively short ride stays for the most part on lanes and B-roads

Date & time     Sunday 21st September, 9:30am
Start                  McDonalds Caxton Gibbet  CB23 3AS       what3words
End                    BP Arrington  SG8 0AD       what3words

Shaun Digby leads an autumn night ride

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There’s much to look forward to in autumn, and that of course includes Shaun Digby’s night ride, which this year is on Thursday 25th September. Shaun has provided the following description of the outing….

Photo by Erik Karits on Unsplash

The hours of darkness add an entirely new dimension to the art of Advanced Motorcycling. By choice or necessity some of us use our machines at these times; others restrict themselves to daylight riding. Whichever camp you’re in, if you’re an experienced full CAM Member this is your chance to either try a night group riding for the first time, or get out on a refresher for the autumn & winter months to come

Extra factors come into play as we move out of summer – fewer hours of daylight, cooler temperatures, wind & rain to contend with. But as an Advanced Rider your first considerations will be the Human Factors (the opening chapter in your Course Logbook)! On this rideout you can health-check yourself & your bike ahead of the winter months: how effective are those lights, how is your night vision, is it time for a change of tyres, how warm is your kit? Early autumn is the time to start your winter preparations!

With no breaks planned along the way, I anticipate the ~42-mile taking around an hour and a half to complete, subject of course to traffic and road conditions. Please do consider joining meWith no breaks planned along the way, I anticipate the ~42-mile taking around an hour and a half to complete, subject of course to traffic and road conditions. Please do consider joining me 


Date & time     Thursday 25th September    Convene at 6:30pm
Depart              Cambridge Services, A14/ J24  CB23 4WY        what3words
End                    Caxton Services  CB23 3PE        what3words
Participants     Maximum 16 riders

It doesn’t get much better than this!

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Pretty much perfect riding conditions are in prospect this Sunday (17th August) for Graham Maile & John Hawkins as they take lead & tail positions on their 67-mile round trip to the Corner Café in Sible Hedingham. Here’s their plan for the outing:

We head towards Balsham, where a turn south takes us across the A1307 and through Bartlow & Great Sampford to pick up the twisting B1051 to Thaxted. It’s then onto a series of unclassified & B-roads to Finchingfield, where we cross the river to take the B1053 towards Wethersfield & Sible Hedingham for breakfast stop at the Corner Café
After breakfast we head north through Great Yeldham to Clare before branching off to Kedington to pick up the B1061, which takes us across the A143, through the Thurlows and on to Dullingham. We cross both the A1340 & A1303, to finish on the outskirts of Swaffham Bulbeck

Depart           BP Newmarket Road, Cambridge       what3words
Breakfast      Corner Café, Alexandra Road, Sible Hedingham        what3words
End                 Swaffham Bulbeck Recreation Ground        what3words

Sunday ride to Picks Barn Café in Rutland

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This weekend’s Sunday rideout, led by Peter Grant & tailed by Jennifer Stannett heads north and west to England’s smallest but perhaps most attractive county: Rutland


Setting out from Brampton Hut Services, Peter & Jennifer will initially take the group north on the A1, but turn off at the first junction after just one mile and thereafter should encounter very light traffic as they follow well-maintained, twisting B-roads through Clopton, Oundle & Upper Benefield, under the Welland Viaduct and into Rutland for breakfast at Picks Barn Café

The equally scenic return route winds its way eastwards through Duddington, Polebrook & Glatton to the B1043 (the historic Great North Road) then heads south to Alconbury. The ride ends, after a second one-mile stretch on the A1, back at Brampton Hut Services. Click here to request your place

Start & end point  Brampton Hut Services (A1/A14)
Briefing 9:20am                  Ride departs 9:30am
Total distance ~80 miles     Maximum number of participants 16

Sunday April 27th – ride to The Woodman Inn

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Our April 27th outing includes an aviation link, as ride leader Phil Duffy explains in his route description. Phil is joined by tail-ender Paul Norman on a loop into Hertfordshire, with breakfast at The Woodman Inn, Nuthampstead

The ride starts at Tesco Royston. We head north along the A1198 at first, before turning just before Arrington onto fairly fast minor roads taking us through a few villages. Eventually reaching Potton, we turn to Edworth & Ashwell & continue south, crossing the A505 at Slip End and joining the A507 at Rushden. We follow the A507 to Buntingford, cross the A10 & join the old Cambridge coaching road at HareStreet. Heading north to Barkway, we then turn right to Nuthampstead and our breakfast stop at the The Woodman Inn
Used now only by light aircraft, during WWII Nuthampstead Airfield was home to Flying Fortresses used in bombing raids over Europe, as commemorated on a memorial stone outside The Woodman and in the museum behind it.
After breakfast, we head south on a twisty road to Anstey, then on to Great Hormead. We then head east through Furneux Pelham & Manuden, cross the M11 near Newport, and turn west at Wendens Ambo to follow the ‘road of doom’ back to Barley. We re-join the coaching road and head north to Trumpington P&R where the ride ends

Photo by Matias Luge on Unsplash

Depart               Tesco Extra, Royston SG8 5UA    what3words
Breakfast          The Woodman Inn, Nuthampstead SG8 8NB     what3words
End                     Trumpington Park & Ride, Cambridge CB2 9FT     what3words

Riders must arrive fully fuelled & in time for the 9:20am briefing
Limited to 12 participants in total

Sunday ride to Boxwood Café near Oundle

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Our Group-organised ride-out on Sunday April 6th will be led by Mark Fox and tail-ended by Barry Dickinson. Mark describes the route –

The ride commences from the McDonaldsat Caxton Gibbet. We take the back roads to St. Neots and travel on to Eaton Socon, where we pick up one of my favourite local roads via Bushmead to the B660. We take a relatively uninteresting section to Kimbolton & then the more interesting section north to Old Weston. We then head up through Clopton and a short blast up the A605 for breakfast at The Boxwood Café
Leaving Barnwell it’s across to Winwick to continue across country, over the A1 & south through Abbots Ripton to St. Ives. We then head through Conington & Knapwell to BP Childerley Gate where the ride ends

The ride totals 74 miles – with plenty of “progressive” roads you should be back well in time for your Sunday lunch ”

Depart               McDonalds Caxton Gibbet CB23 3PE     what3words
Breakfast          The Boxwood Café, Oundle PE8 5PB     what3words
End                     BP Childerley Gate, Cambridge CB23 8AY   what3words

Riders must arrive fully fuelled & in time for the 9:20am briefing
Limited to 12 participants in total. Click here to request a place

Briefing  9:20am           Ride departs  9:30am          Total distance  74 miles  

Members Evening: Bike Security & Masterful Riding!

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Our Members Evening on March 20th has two speakers to entice you along: Julie Emmitt from BikeTrac, and our own Roger Taylor.

Photo by Jason Hafso on Unsplash

Julie will be discussing bike security and the part that tracking devices such as those offered by BikeTrac can play. Julie will cover all the information you need to make the best choice for your circumstances if you’re considering installing a tracker, and will answer your questions on both electronic & physical security. She’ll also offer  tips & tricks to ensure that your bike does not end up in the wrong hands!

Roger will be familiar to many of you from one or more of his roles as Ride Leader, National Observer & CAM Secretary. He recently completed his IAM Masters and will be sharing his experience of the highest challenge on offer to civilian riders. Is it worth your investment of time & money? How does it differ from the Advanced Rider course? Hear directly from CAM’s newest Masters Rider.

Location          Over Community Centre
Date & time    Thursday 20th March, 7:30-9:30pm

Click here to let us know if you’ll be coming    Guests welcome!

Sunday ride to Shuttleworth

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Our next Sunday ride takes place on 16th March, led by Ian Dunckley & tail-ended by Steve Rowdon, has a new twist with Ian will be trialling an optional WhatsApp group for participants!

The ride departs from BP Childerley Gate and heads west into Bedford through Longstowe, Blunham & Cople on the way to breakfast at Shuttleworth Café (menu). The return journey first retraces a couple of short sections before branching off to Great Barford and heading cross-country to Riseley and on to the B645. It’s then east through Hail Weston, Toseland & Boxworth to finish at the A14 Cambridge Services

The WhatsApp group is entirely optional. Those joining the group will have the option of contact others during the ride should the need arise. Appreciative commentary & images posted to the group will be used (with permission!) in a Newsletter article. The group will be deleted after the ride

Departs        BP Childerley Gate, Cambridge CB23 8AY     what3words
Breakfast     Runway Café, Shuttleworth , SG18 9DT     what3words
Ends              A14 Cambridge Services,  CB23 4WU    what3words

Briefing 9:20am. Ride departs 9:30am. Limited to 16 riders in total

Sible Hedingham with Mark Fox & Keith Curtis

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Catherine & Nigel send special thanks to Mark Fox for stepping in to fill a gap in the Sunday ride rota. With Keith Curtis as his tail gunner, Mark leads on 2nd March. Mark writes…

Departing BP Cambridge we head to Six Mile Bottom & Bartlow, then east to Steeple Bumpstead & south to Wethersfield before turning east again to Sible Hedingham for breakfast at the Corner Café. After breakfast we head north to Clare & Stradishall, then meander westwards to Stetchworth, picking up the A1303 at Newmarket for a quick blast to the ride’s end at Stow-cum-Quy

The 77-mile ride features a good selection of country roads, with everything very suitable for an enjoyable early spring ride – whatever the weather! Due to space constraints at the breakfast stop – limit is a maximum of 10 riders including lead & tail