To the Watch Office for the final rideout of 2024

Aviation has been a recurring theme in 2024’s busy ride schedule, one to which ride leader Graham Maile & tail-ender Peter Grant return for our final ride of the year. Graham heads to the Watch Office Bar & Kitchen, a building which served as the operations hub for RAF Alconbury during World War II. Graham outlines the route –

Starting from the Shell station just outside Fenstanton, we cross the village before turning right to skirt St Ives and pick up the A1123 to Bluntisham & Earith. We then follow B-roads through Pidley, Warboys & the Riptons to Alconbury Hill. A short ride south on the old Great North Road takes us to Alconbury Weald and breakfast at the Watch Office 

Once back on the bikes we head under the A1 and through Alconbury to begin a loop west through Old Weston & Kimbolton before turning for the Perrys and the southern shore of Grafham Water before reaching the A1 at Buckden. We finish our ride with a hop north on the A1 to Brampton Hut Services. The ride is a little shorter than usual at 55 miles 

Start: Shell, Cambridge Road, Fenstanton    what3words
End: Brampton Hut Services, A1/A14    what3words
Breakfast: The Watch Office, Alconbury Weald   what3words

Briefing: 9:20am      Ride departs: 9:30am       Maximum 16 participants

Sunday Ride: Newmarket-Finchingfield-Fourwentways

Ride leader Robin Freeman has unveiled his plan for our next Group-organized ride, which he leads on Sunday 17 November! Use the link below to request a place now and join Robin & tail-ender Keith Tremeer on their ride from Newmarket (a first departure  Cambridgeshire/Suffolk border town) to Finchingfield in Essex

The ride sets out from the BP garage in Newmarketand heads south through Dullingham, West Wratting, Ashdon & Thaxted before reaching Great Dunmow – where the route swings north again to pass the Angel & Harp Inn and on to Finchingfield for breakfast at the Winners Tearooms (brunch menu here)
Ohomeward journey heads due north at first – through Steeple Bumpstead – to Haverhill, before swinging east to Clare. Thereafter the route snakes its way through Kedington, Burrough Green, West Wratting & Balsham before finishing at Fourwentways after approximately 80 miles

Photo by Gene Devine on Unsplash

Start                 BP, Bury Road, Newmarket CB8 7BP    what3words
Breakfast         Winners Tearooms, Finchingfield, CM7 4JX   what3words
End                   Fourwentways Services, A11/A1307   what3words

** Ride limited to 12 participants **        Click here to request a place

Sunday ride to Route 11 Kitchen near Attleborough

Roger Taylor leads our next Group-organised ride on Sunday 3rd November, heading into Norfolk and the Route 11 Kitchen near Attleborough

“ Starting out from BP Cambridge, tail-ender Catherine Ryan and I will take the Group north-east on B-roads skirting Newmarket, along the Icknield Way & past West Stow Country Park. After a short stretch on the A134 we return to B-roads to pass through East Harling and on to our breakfast destination at the Route 11 Kitchen
The return route weaves cross-country to Hingham, then due west to Watton & south past RAF Lakenheath to the end point at Walkers Café, Barton Mills. The outing is 95 miles in total, but at 56 miles the outward journey is longer than the return ”

Photo by Arteum.ro on Unsplash

Start                BP Cambridge, Newmarket Road, CB5 8AA    what3words
Breakfast        Route 11 Kitchen, A11  Attleborough NR17 2PU   what3words
End                  Walkers Snacks, Barton Mills IP28 6AE    what3words

Click here to request a place

Briefing  9:20am                    Ride departs  9:30am       
Total distance  95 miles       Maximum number of participants  16

Sunday ride to Old Buckenham Aerodrome

Our next Sunday ride once again has an aviation theme, with Paul Norman & Keith Tremeer taking participants to The Liberator Café situated in Old Buckenham Aerodrome. Opened during WWII the aerodrome was home to the USAAF 453rd Bombardment Group. Jimmy Stewart flew the B24 Liberator on numerous missions over Germany from this base

B24 Liberator in flight (public domain image)

Paul writes: We start from Sainsburys in Haverhill (which has petrol for those needing to top up). Following the customary briefing we’ll set off at 9:30am on quite a challenging route following country roads north of Haverhill, passing through small villages before heading east of Bury St Edmunds and past Thetford for breakfast at the Liberator Café located on Old Buckenham Aerodrome (just south of Attleborough) – menu here
The return route is a straightforward run across to Watton and on down past RAF Lakenheath, with the ride finishing at Walkers Snacks – making for a total journey of 90 miles 

Briefing  9:20am                    Ride departs  9:30am       
Total distance  90 miles       Participants   12 max

Join Keith Curtis & Nick Harwood heading west

Fellow Committee Members Keith Curtis & Nick Harwood join forces on October 6th to respectively lead & tail our next Group-organised Sunday ride. They’ll be heading west into Northamptonshire – Rose of the Shires – for breakfast at the Aspen Café on the outskirts of Burton Latimer. Keith outlines the ride…

Starting from Cambridge Services we make our way through Huntingdon and on to Northamptonshire – the Rose of the Shires – using minor roads running north of and parallel to the A14. Continuing west and southwest, we cross the A14 three times as we make our way to Bosworth’s Garden Centre where we will stop for breakfast at the Aspen Café.
On the return journey we stay to the north of the A14 following minor roads through some lovely villages on the way to Oundle before crossing the A605 at Barnwell. Pushing homewards we pass through Thurning, Winwick & Hamerton before passing through Huntingdon once more to end the ride back at
Cambridge Services

As the café has requested pre-orders, so please indicate your choice from the breakfast menu when requesting your place using the link below 

Summer Flowers, Henri Fantin-Latour 1880 | Public Domain

Start & end         Cambridge Services, CB23 4WU    what3words
Breakfast            Aspen Café, NN15 5QA    what3words

Ride limited to 16 riders   |  Request a place here

Sunday ride to Chatteris (September 15th)

Many thanks to ride leader Mark Fox for providing the following description of next Sunday’s Group-organised ride to Chatteris, which has Keith Tremeer on tail-ender duty

Starting from the car park at Tesco Milton, we will head north and into the Fens, passing through via Cottenham, Haddenham, Somersham & Chatteris, where we’ll stop for breakfast at the Seasons Garden Centre {view the  menu here}
After breakfast, we’ll head across to Ramsey and then pick up the B660 for the run to Kimbolton. Heading into the countryside south of Kimbolton, we’ll eventually loop around Bedford Aerodrome and then wiggle our way back to Eaton Socon. From there it is a quick run along the A428 to Caxton Gibbet, where we’ll end the ride after 89 miles in total

Start                Tesco Milton, CB24 6AY
End                  Caxton Gibbet, CB23 3PD
Breakfast       Seasons Garden Centre, NN15 5LZ

** Ride limited to 16 participants **         Click here to request a place

Hungry Stag rideout, Sunday 1st September

Leader/tailer team Roger Taylor & Peter Grant head east into Suffolk for breakfast at that modern classic – The Hungry Stag Café near Stowmarket

>From BP Cambridge, our route uses mostly B-roads to take us south of Newmarket & Bury St Edmunds to The Hungry Stag Café, located a short distance from Stowmarket just off the A14. A favourite with bikers, car enthusiasts, truckers & locals alike – check the menu here

<After breakfast we head north and west to the ride’s end at another trucker haunt – Walkers Snacks Café near Mildenhall. The rideout covers 72 miles, but please note the distance between the start & end points! 

Starts  BP Cambridge (Newmarket Road)
Ends  Walkers Snacks near Mildenhall

Briefing  9:20am                  Ride departs  9:30am
Total distance  72 miles     Maximum number of riders  14

Use this link to request a place

Sunday August 18th – south to Hertfordshire

Barry D leads, with John Hawkins in tail position, on Sunday 18th with a rideout south into Hertfordshire and The Greenhouse Café, Vanstone Park Garden Centre (sorry – despite our best efforts we can’t locate the breakfast menu online!). Barry has provided the following outline of the route

Departing from Tesco Extra in Royston, we head south along the B1368 through Barkway & Puckeridge, before travelling on the A10 for one junction to Wadesmill. Returning to B-roads, Hertford & Hatfield follow before we swing north again to Kimpton, Codicote & the Greenhouse Café

After breakfast we double-back briefly, then follow back lanes to Frogmore Bottom & Charlton. Having skirted Hitchin we head through Apsley End, Shefford & Upper Caldecote, then cross the A1 to Sandy, Everton & Waresley. The ride ends after a brief stretch on the A428 at Caxton Gibbet

Start point          Tesco Extra, Royston, SG8 5UA                 what3words
Breakfast            The Greenhouse Café, SG4 8TH                what3words
End point            Caxton Gibbet, CB23 3PD                          what3words

Ride departs 9:30am     Please arrive fully fueled for the 9:20am briefing

Ride limited to 16 participants. Click here to request a place

Sunday ride to Sywell Aerodrome

 Try a new breakfast venueon our next Sunday ride led & tailed by Peter Grant and Mark Fox respectively. The Pilots Mess Café is locatated at Sywell Aerodrome, which first opened in 1928, became an important training base & aircraft production facility during WWII and now has four runways used for private flights and by fixed-wing & helicopter training schools

>The outward route heads west along the A14 from Brampton Hut Services for one mile then turns for Grafham Water & Kimbolton. Heading southwest it crosses the A6 near Bletsoe, then heads through Odell, Grendon & Earls Barton to reach Sywell after 42 miles
<The return journey is similar in length, but heads through Wilby, Wymington, Catworth & Old Weston before concluding at Brampton Hut Services with a one-mile stretch south on the A1. View the Pilots Mess breakfast menu here

Briefing  9:20am                    Ride departs  9:30am       
Total distance  85 miles       Maximum number of participants  16

Request a place   |   Events Calendar for full details

Ride to Café33 on Sunday July 7th

If you act now (using this link) you could still secure a place on the ride which Steve Rowdon & Graham Maile respectively lead & tail next Sunday. This outing heads to Suffolk and the ever-popular Café33 in Stradishall

Steve outlines his route:
Heading west along the A1307 from Fourwentways we’ll bypass Haverhill and continue through to Great Yeldham, where we’ll turn towards Bulmer. When we reach Sudbury we’ll double back through Guestingthorpe to Great Yeldham before turning for Ovington, through Clare and on to breakfast at Café33.
The return will take us north towards Newmarket, Isleham & Queen Adelaide. We’ll have a spell on the A142 before turning at Soham for Wicken & Stretham. The ride concludes with a stretch south on the A10 to Tesco Milton

Start: Shell Fourwentways, CB1 6AR     End: Tesco Milton, CB24 6AY
Breakfast: Café33, CB8 9XX                    Total distance:  ~100 miles

Ride limited to 16 riders