BRISK ride to Harrold – Saturday 24th June

Tim is leading this ride and writes:

Start: 9.30 am, Saturday 24^th June
Meeting point: East Hunsbury Library, Overslade Close, NN4 0RZ
Distance:  40 miles
Anticipated Speed: 14-16 mph
Refreshments: Castle Ashby

This Saturday’s ride starts at 9:30am from East Hunsbury Library. The led ride (ride leader Tim) will be at a brisk pace, but there is also the option for a shorter self-led alternative (see below).

The ride heads out in the direction of Salcey Forest & Stoke Goldington before turning north east to skirt Olney en route to Lavendon & Harrold. Here we head up Dungee Hill before turning back towards Northampton passing through the villages of Bozeat and Easton Maudit before arriving at our refreshment stop at The Buttery Tea Rooms at Castle Ashby (at approx 29 miles).

Post refreshment we have a shortish ride (approx 11 miles) back to the start at East Hunsbury Library via the villages of Horton & Hackleton. It is anticipated that we should be back at East Hunsbury sometime around 1:30pm.

Please note that there is a possible short cut from Olney to Castle Ashby that avoids the loop to Harrold. This shortens the overall route to approx 32 miles with the Castle Ashby tea stop at approx 21 miles. If you intend to ride this shorter route please ensure you are happy to self navigate, so you will either need to bring a map of the route with you or load the route on to your bike computer. Unfortunately, due to holiday absences, we do not have a ride leader available to lead you round this shorter alternative.

The proposed route and the shorter self-led option can be viewed (and downloaded as gpx files) from the CTC Northampton pages on RideWithGPS:

Led ride (40 miles): https://ridewithgps.com/routes/20043458

Self- led alternative (32 miles): https://ridewithgps.com/routes/20043453

Any questions, please contact Tim – 07749 477231.

Annual London Ride – Saturday 12th August

A reminder about our annual London ride!

We will meet outside Euston Station at the picnic tables outside Café Rouge / Café Nero (a slight change from our spot in previous years closer to Melton Street) at 10 a.m. on Saturday 12th August.

This is a return to our usual ride around London.  Last year we rode to London but in previous years we did this:

• 2015 included Karl Marx’s Grave in Highgate Cemetery, an ascent of Swains Lane, a Northampton connection at the Emirates Stadium, Burgess Park, the Imperial War Museum, the Oval, Battersea Park, Brompton Cemetery and Hyde Park.  Led by Ian M.

With Herbert Chapman at The Emirates (2015)

 

• 2014 included the Cross Bones Burial Ground, elevenses at The George Inn, a Banksy near the Alaska Factory, the Cutty Sark, the tunnel to the Isle of Dogs, the Bamboo Bicycle Club, Victoria Park, and Columbia Road Flower Market.  Led by Alex & Miriam.
  
  

Elevenses at The George, Southwark (2014)

• 2013 took us around Regent’s Park, house façades with no houses behind them in Bayswater, over the Serpentine, across Hyde Park Corner, viewing graffiti under Waterloo Station, lunch on the South Bank, over Tower Bridge, the Cable Street Mural, alongside an ornamental canal, and Postman’s Park.  Led by Iain D.

I hope that gives you a flavour of what you might expect.  The route isn’t revealed until we actually ride!  But there has been a request for a visit to the Olympic Park; may include an unusual Blue Plaque; and could well involve a ride along a Cycle Superhighway.  Two of us will ride a recce of the route one week earlier to get a feel for the traffic flows on an August Saturday – and to be clear where we’re going!

The ride is open to everyone on any sort of bike.

I’m grateful to Alex for reminding me about planned engineering works on August weekends.  Fortunately, Saturday 12th August is free of these and there are normal train services from Northampton to Euston (other Northamptonshire stations are available).  There is no charge for taking full-size bikes on London Midland trains.  You do *not* require a reservation.  All of Saturday is off-peak and so there are no restrictions on bikes on any trains.  (Wellingborough to St Pancras on East Midlands Trains are a different matter.)

From Northampton the 0825 and 0850 trains will get you to Euston before 1000.  If you are thinking of buying the cheapest Advance Non-flexible tickets over the web for particular trains, presently on sale at £7.50 each way (£4.95 with railcard), experience suggests that you do not select your return leg train before 1800.  Otherwise, an Off-Peak Return – which can be bought on the day and used on any train – is £27.80 (£18.35 with railcard).  That will allow you to enjoy a pint in the Bree Louise at the end of the ride (with a price reduction if you have a Camra membership card with you).

Save the date – Saturday 12th August – for what is always an enjoyable day out!

Ride report – Sunday 30th April

Milton went on this ride led by Tim and writes:

Eleven cyclists set off from the canoe centre last Sunday on a warmish breezy day for Tim’s 56 miler to Keysoe. Good to see new rider Mark on a fine traditional steel Thorn with Rohloff hub gears and a front hub dynamo – a true touring set up – and to welcome again Chris.

With the quite fierce breezes in our faces it was nearly a struggle to reach Scald End Farm just outside Thurleigh, but very worth while. We were welcomed at the cafe by exceptionally cheery and efficient service and a few full breakfasts were ordered to say nothing of the bacon butties. The addition of cake was too much after that, but most of us managed.

Homeward bound then with bulging stomachs, but with the wind behind us, saw the peloton split in a number of places. Front runners were deservedly punished for going through a junction ahead of the leader by taking a wrong turning at Felmersham and had to be called back. One was too far ahead to hear and, no matter that attempts were made to phone him, he was never seen or heard from again. We hope you made it home John C, but if not and you’re still out there pedalling like mad, I can recommend a fine B and B in Glasgow which, at the speed you were going, you should have reached by now!

We had eaten too much for there to be any excuse to stop at Castle Ashby, so we did, and the coffee and cake was as fine as ever.

Back to base and we realised that we’d all averaged something over 14mph which, for a ‘steady ride’ was not at all bad. Couldn’t have been done without the cake.

Lovely ride Tim, thank you. Good quiet roads and a certain amount of new territory covered..

Ride to Keysoe – Sunday 30th April

Tim, our webmaster, will be leading this ride and writes:

Start: 9.30 a.m.
Meet: Nene Whitewater Canoe Centre, Bedford Road, Northampton, NN4 7AA. (If coming by car, don’t park within the car park barrier.  There is plenty of space on the approach road.)
Distance: 56 miles
Speed: 12-14 m.p.h.
Refreshments: Scald End Farm, Thurleigh (at approx 30 miles)

From the Canoe Centre we head out in a generally eastwards direction through the villages of Cogenhoe, Grendon, Bozeat, Odell, Sharnbrook and Riseley en route to our most easterly point at Keysoe.  From here we turn south and west to our stop for refreshment at Scald End Farm, located just outside Thurleigh.  Here you can feast on the breakfast “fit for a king” or maybe one of the several cakes on offer.  There is also the benefit of a cosy wood burning stove to warm oneself by.

Once replete, we continue south westwards through Milton Earnest, Harrold and Lavendon before heading north & west on our final homeward leg via Yardley Hastings, Castle Ashby (where a second tea stop is eminently possible) and Cogenhoe Hill before arriving back at the Canoe Centre.

The route can be viewed (and downloaded as a gpx file) at: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/20043554

Any questions?  Please contact Tim on 07749 477231.

Ride to Medbourne – Sunday 2nd April

 

Brian will be leading this ride and writes:

Start: 9.30 a.m.
Meet: Moulton Co-op, Stocks Hill, Moulton, NN3 7TB.
Distance: 51 miles
Refreshments: Medbourne (25 miles)
Pace: A steady average of 13 mp.h.

Our route starts at Moulton and heads out to Holcot, Old and Harrington and then north to the A6.  After a few hundred yards along the A6 we turn off to Dingley and on up to Slawston and Hallaton.  There we turn south for Medbourne and the Nevill Arms Café – a café popular with Leicester cyclists – for brunch (25m).

We return via Cottingham, the Triangular Lodge at Rushton,  and then through Rothwell, Broughton and Walgrave back to Moulton.

Questions?  Contact Brian on 01604 622073  (07843 505213 on the day)

See the route at www.ridewithgps.com/routes/19628593

 

“Boundary Rides” – Two morning rides circling Northampton – Saturday 11th March

Phil L has organised these two rides and writes:

Start: 9.30 a.m.
Meeting point: Brampton Valley Way (BVW)/A5199 crossing near The Windhover, NN6 8AA.  There is a BVW car park just up Brampton Lane.
Distance: 40 miles (brisk), 35 miles (moderate).
Refreshments: Salcey Forest Café

This circuit of Northampton skirts/circles the Borough boundary keeping the Express Lift Tower as our “hub” all morning – taking in Boughton, Moulton, Overstone, the Houghtons and Salcey Forest for an early brunch.  Then we complete the circuit through Quinton, Blisworth, Milton Malsor, Rothersthorpe, Kislingbury and return to BVW.

Brisk ride led by Phil L; moderate ride led by Brian.

Questions?  Phil is on 07867 388592.

Morning rides to Desborough – Saturday 25th February

James and Brian are leading two rides on Saturday morning:

Two rides – one brisk, one moderate – gathering at the same start point and meeting at the same coffee stop.

Time: 9.30 a.m.
Meeting: Moulton Co-op, Stocks Hill, NN3 7TB
Distance: 43 miles (brisk), 37 miles (moderate)
Refreshments: West Lodge Rural Centre: at 23 miles (brisk) or 17 miles (moderate)
Leaders: James (brisk), Brian (moderate)
Return: 1.15 p.m. approx

The brisk pace (14+ m.p.h. average) group starts at Moulton and heads out to Holcot, Brixworth, Naseby and Great Oxendon; then onto Desborough and the West Lodge Farm Rural Centre for coffee.  Return via Rushton, Rothwell, Broughton, and Walgrave back to Moulton.  Route here on RideWithGPS.

The moderate pace (12+ m.p.h. average) group follows part of the above route but at Brixworth heads by a slightly shorter route to Desborough via Scaldwell and Harrington to the Rural Centre to meet the brisk group.  Route here on RideWithGPS.

Questions? James is on 07841 933046, Brian is on 01604 622073 (07722 055149).

Do join us.