With Cambridge firmly in the grip of winter the turnout for this weeks ride wasn’t as high as previous rides this term, none the less 5 of us set off South in high spirits. The route took us over some of the ‘big’ hills that Cambridgeshire has to offer, which everyone dealt with easily. Toughness points for the guy tackling them on his single speed! Shortly after going through Great Chishill we spotted a Red Kite, a rare sight this far from The Chilterns where they’re being reintroduced! One of our group pealed off after Littlebury Green to catch the train back to Cambridge where he had left his friends who were visiting for the weekend, I hope they understood the importance of riding. Onwards now as a quartet we passed the beautiful Audley End House & Gardens, where I snapped the picture below, mis-timed and not quite getting the house but still capturing a happy cyclist at least!
Next we went through Saffron Walden past Bicicletta, beloved by cyclists and café enthusiasts alike, however that was not our stop for today so we waved as we rolled past with Linton in our minds.
Not even the shift in wind direction could stop us now, and the 10k from Saffron Walden to Linton flew by, before we knew it we were faced with the welcoming sight of The Linton Kitchen. Believe the hype. The Linton Kitchen is amazing. A homey atmosphere, delicious coffee, and indulgent treats. A perfect escape from the cold wind.
Full of coffee and treats we headed back out into the cold to complete the trip. After the initial freezing of leaving the café we were rolling again and battling the headwind back to Cambridge. It began to take its toll on some of the group but spirits remained high and we stuck together to make it back to Cambridge in decent time, hoping to visit The Linton Kitchen again soon for another sweet brownie…
