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Ashwell-Wells Classic, Friday 8th Sept 2023
Hi all
Put your name in for this year's 123-mile ride to Wells-Next-The-Sea. All welcome. CCA members or not.
The basics for those new to this ride...
This ride bookends the summer and it's a joy to ride along the flat and gently rolling lanes and go through the Holkham Estate to finish by the seaside. It's a long way - but Norfolk miles sail by. Especially if there's a good group of us to help share the work and lols.
We set off Friday 8th September, 8.30am, Ashwell Three Tuns. Rhubarb & Mustard will open for those wanting an early morning coffee from 8am. Please buy a coffee, tea, maybe a little cake, and support Charlotte and Sarah who are opening for us especially.
If turnout is high, we will set off in two groups.
We will have a pit-stop in Ely, next to the cathedral, after around 40 miles. We can leave Ely as one big group, as we then use mostly empty B-roads and farming lanes.
We booked the fabulous Apple Cafe in the West Acre Gardens for lunch. They will prepare their room set in the gardens for us, especially, with a range of salad & local ham or cheddar cheese baps, small sausage rolls, scones topped with cream & damson jam, and slices of cake plus pots of tea and cafetières of coffee & lots of jugs of water... £14 per head. Let me know if you want to opt out of this cost. But you'd be mad if you did. It's a ride highlight.
Wells-Next-The-Sea - for fish and chips if you fancy - is around 95-miles. We then ride to King's Lynn to get the train back. Depending on turnout, we may have to stagger ourselves on the trains back. Good train times to note for Ashwell & Morden and similar stations: 17:10, 17:40, 18:10, 18:40, 19:10, 19:40, 20:10, 20:42, 21.42, 22:42! All trains will require a change at Cambridge. Buy tickets in groups of four for a bit of a discount. The journey takes approx 1hr 40mins (to Ashwell station). Bring front and rear lights.
For those under no pressure to get back, settle in at the Fenman Pub opposite King's Lynn train station. We will not be getting a buffet this time. I think people have eaten enough by King's Lynn.
Everyone completing the ride gets a special edition badge.
Please make yourself self-sufficient. There are many options to bail out early, or do a shortened version of the ride, if required. Make sure your bike and tyres are in good condition. If you're not confident on the distance, don't be a hero on the front, and ask everyone to take it easy if the pace feels too high. It's not a race.
If the weather is rubbish, we might shorten the ride or cancel.
Here's the full route:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28509468
Put your name in for this year's 123-mile ride to Wells-Next-The-Sea. All welcome. CCA members or not.
The basics for those new to this ride...
This ride bookends the summer and it's a joy to ride along the flat and gently rolling lanes and go through the Holkham Estate to finish by the seaside. It's a long way - but Norfolk miles sail by. Especially if there's a good group of us to help share the work and lols.
We set off Friday 8th September, 8.30am, Ashwell Three Tuns. Rhubarb & Mustard will open for those wanting an early morning coffee from 8am. Please buy a coffee, tea, maybe a little cake, and support Charlotte and Sarah who are opening for us especially.
If turnout is high, we will set off in two groups.
We will have a pit-stop in Ely, next to the cathedral, after around 40 miles. We can leave Ely as one big group, as we then use mostly empty B-roads and farming lanes.
We booked the fabulous Apple Cafe in the West Acre Gardens for lunch. They will prepare their room set in the gardens for us, especially, with a range of salad & local ham or cheddar cheese baps, small sausage rolls, scones topped with cream & damson jam, and slices of cake plus pots of tea and cafetières of coffee & lots of jugs of water... £14 per head. Let me know if you want to opt out of this cost. But you'd be mad if you did. It's a ride highlight.
Wells-Next-The-Sea - for fish and chips if you fancy - is around 95-miles. We then ride to King's Lynn to get the train back. Depending on turnout, we may have to stagger ourselves on the trains back. Good train times to note for Ashwell & Morden and similar stations: 17:10, 17:40, 18:10, 18:40, 19:10, 19:40, 20:10, 20:42, 21.42, 22:42! All trains will require a change at Cambridge. Buy tickets in groups of four for a bit of a discount. The journey takes approx 1hr 40mins (to Ashwell station). Bring front and rear lights.
For those under no pressure to get back, settle in at the Fenman Pub opposite King's Lynn train station. We will not be getting a buffet this time. I think people have eaten enough by King's Lynn.
Everyone completing the ride gets a special edition badge.
Please make yourself self-sufficient. There are many options to bail out early, or do a shortened version of the ride, if required. Make sure your bike and tyres are in good condition. If you're not confident on the distance, don't be a hero on the front, and ask everyone to take it easy if the pace feels too high. It's not a race.
If the weather is rubbish, we might shorten the ride or cancel.
Here's the full route:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28509468
Comments
Paul S
Dan Hall
Toma
Matt Scales
Chris L
Paul S
Dan Hall
Toma
Matt Scales
Chris L
Taff
Morning coffee
Rhubarb & Mustard are opening up especially for us at 8am for tea and coffee. Maybe pocket a cake too. Please support Sarah and Charlotte and buy a drink.
Lunch
Also... The brilliant Apple Cafe in West Acre Gardens has us booked in for lunch (approx 2pm). They will prepare their room set in the gardens for us, especially. Lunch will be a range of salad & local ham or cheddar cheese baps, small sausage rolls, scones topped with cream & damson jam, and slices of cake plus pots of tea and cafetières of coffee & lots of jugs of water... £14 per head (which includes a tip).
Let me know if you want to opt out of this cost. But you'd be mad if you did. It's a ride highlight.
cheers
Probably double my mileage for the year! Just don't expect me to do any work on the front.
Paul S
Dan Hall
Toma
Matt Scales
Chris L
Taff
Simon Probable
JT
Please add:
Stephen Douglas
Trevor Lunnon
Claire Duguid
Caroline Baker
Lee Cooke
All would like food at West Acre.
I have to be Gluten free please, I'm happy to ring them, please let me know. Thanks
Martin L
Paul S
Dan Hall
Toma
Matt Scales
Chris L
Taff
Simon Probable
JT
Julien
Stephen Douglas (GF)
Trevor Lunnon
Claire Duguid
Caroline Baker
Lee Cooke
Stephen - I told the Apple Cafe I'd call them a week before the ride to confirm numbers. I will let them know then that you'll want a GF option and any other requests from the others.
cheers
Paul S
Dan Hall
Toma
Matt Scales
Chris L
Taff
Simon Defo
JT
Julien
Stephen Douglas (GF)
Trevor Lunnon
Claire Duguid
Caroline Baker
Lee Cooke
Robert B
Paul S
Dan Hall
Toma
Matt Scales
Chris L
Taff
Simon Defo
JT
Julien
Stephen Douglas (GF)
Trevor Lunnon
Claire Duguid
Caroline Baker
Lee Cooke
Robert B
MC
Matt Palmer
Robert Howard
Paul S
Dan Hall
Toma
Matt Scales
Chris L
Taff
Simon Defo
JT
Julien
Stephen Douglas (GF)
Trevor Lunnon
Claire Duguid
Caroline Baker
Lee Cooke
Robert B
Matt Palmer
Robert Howard
Graham A