2013-11-16 Cambridge via Duddenhoe End

I know nothing By the way Oliver, that route up the Narroway, along Powerscroft and over Millfield is perfect - thanks for that!

You're welcome. Glad you liked it. It's part of the ancient Porters' Route, or Black Path, which you can still trace on a map, although it's been interrupted in several places. Once upon a time, a spur of it would have gone to Spitalfields Market and either along, or very near, Brick Lane, where you started off. The best way of getting up to Lea Bridge is to follow it most of the way, i.e. go north from the polo court, right into Chambord Street, Columbia Road, turn left into Goldsmith's Row, and then all the way to Mare Street in a straight line. (It's interrupted at Hackney Town Hall and at Clapton Square, where you have to go slightly out of your way.) The only reason the DD route sheet points you at the Lea Bridge roundabout is because of the numbers.

Yes, I'd spotted the alignment of Columbia Road with the section from London Fields up to St John's Hackney, and then went looking at maps and discovered the various other sections, including (on Goldsmiths Row, I think) a bit called Hay Street which made the connection with bringing livestock in to market. Lovely stuff, this history.

You must mean Kay Street. :)

No, Hay Street is a bit north of Kay Street

@ Vunugu - :-). Chasing you was good for me, although my lungs weren't happy. Any further and I might have regretted not taking my inhaler with me.

@ Indra - Not sure what you mean by 'not very good' pics. Seem fine to me.

I guess they're ok just mostly all soft or out of focus.

I guess they're ok just mostly all soft or out of focus.

#indragram

No, Hay Street is a bit north of Kay Street

Ah, I'd forgotten about that bit. No idea what the origin of the name is.

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Thanks to everyone on the ride especially Ludd for putting it all together, Had a great time riding with you all and I hope to ride a lot more with you guys (albeit with a different saddle).

Also I hope the guys who mistakenly followed me across the park on my way home managed to get to the station alright, wish I could have escorted you there but my legs had just about given up by then.

Does anyone know if the steady chap with the white beard made it?

Not Bernie, the other one. Peter?

Yes, Peter arrived at the station at about 4.15 and got a train back, then reported having had a good day out. He had the company of saoirse for a good part of the ride.

Good ride with lovely autumnal countryside and great company with the team special needs ^^
Thanks Bernie for sticking with us :)

It was definitely a quicker pace than I'm used to but I still enjoyed the ride a lot, and surprisingly my legs are absolutely fine today.

I'm definitely looking forward to other group rides now.

Yes, Peter arrived at the station at about 4.15 and got a train back, then reported having had a good day out. He had the company of saoirse for a good part of the ride.

Peter is great, totally unflappable - made 100k look like a turn round the park.

Also I hope the guys who mistakenly followed me across the park on my way home managed to get to the station alright, wish I could have escorted you there but my legs had just about given up by then.

That was me... and I've know idea who followed me following you but I'm sorry for taking you in the wrong direction!

We made it fine though :)

Ace ride, cheers all.

I've got three braking mechanisms....

1. skids
   
2. footjams
   
3. riding into things
   
   

you forgot falling over

That was a great ride. The flattest route I've even done to Cambridge!
Weather: brilliant - ok
My gloves: bit too thin
Company: great
Beer: 2 lovely pints of porter
Train: group-save4 worked out at just £7.15 - result
also: got off the train at Finsbury Pk and saved at least 20mins getting home

cheers Ludd, we are all your luddites

PS. managed to unblock the sink when I got home

Nice to see all the photos, cheers for sticking them up. Although one of them does catch me thinking about reaching for my mini pump so that I can batter Hefty for spilling tea on my shoe :-p

Cheers all for a good ride, esp Ludd for putting it together. Think that route's gonna go onto my regular list, was lovely.

Great to see you all at the High Beach/Beech green tea hut.

I really want to see the Tour, which will be going down the Epping Road, use it as a food stop

Going there makes you a " proper" cyclist!

Just had a thought - an amazing lack of punctures considering the amount of wheel & tyre bling

Indeed - that was a headline in the report I filed with Mrs Ludd on arriving home. 35 or so riders, mixture of inner city roads and country lanes, wetness, 60+ miles - in fact it's pretty miraculous! That's well over 2,000 miles ridden and only the interferometrist punctured.

Hello Folks, thank you for a lovely LFGSS baptism (of warmth and kindness), thank you leaders (Ludd n co) and to Bernie for showing me how it's done with gold teeth (crack?)people (I would have been more hot-headed!). Lovely day, nice beers after and ill come down to east beers soon to chat more. Ps if any if the riders missed out on their knuckleduster ride medal just pm me, they make nice key rings necklaces bottle openers etc ;) K

Hi KL, sorry to be slow in thanking you properly for adding such a curious twist to this ride by producing those action-man sized knuckledusters at the end.

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I shall treasure my mini knuckle duster, thanks KL, but really tho - what is it? It's too big for action man and my little ponies can't make a fist.

Isn't an NCT class a pregnancy thing?

The weirdness does make me like it all the more.