Cycling in Cambridge
maskofsanity
Posts: 8
Hey,
Anyone here from or done lots of cycling in the Cambridge area? What's the riding like? Are there any decent hills? I've never been there but I hear it's quite flat? I might be moving there for work but am concerned that i'll miss the hills that Bristol has to offer!
Cheers.
Anyone here from or done lots of cycling in the Cambridge area? What's the riding like? Are there any decent hills? I've never been there but I hear it's quite flat? I might be moving there for work but am concerned that i'll miss the hills that Bristol has to offer!
Cheers.
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I live near cambs, the riding to the north of the city is flat as flat can be as its fenland but south East cambs near Suffolk and Essex borders where I live now is much much better . Wont be anything like Bristol but we do have rolling hills and some beautiful countryside. I believe riding to the south West of the city is good too. In essence south is good north is bad( unless you like flat windy rides)Viner
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It's flat, there's no other way to cut it. The road sometimes points up, but not for very long.
If you go expecting hills then you'll be disappointed, if you go with the intention of making the best of what's available there'll be more than enough to keep you happy.0 -
Chapel Hill between Haslingfield and Barrington (5 miles SW of Cambridge) is about your only option. It climbs 100ft in half a mile. Could do a few repeats to get some kind of climbing fix. There are also a few roads around Wandlebury Ring (couple of miles SE of Cambridge) where it climbs around 150ft in just under a mile. Apart from that, as others have said, it's pretty flat.0
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If you go full gas, there are plenty of climbs up to 3 minutes and one or 2 that sit in the 4 to 7 minute range if you don't mind a plateau in the middle. They will be longer if you prefer to take a more leisurely pace up them!
To the North, you very quickly get into the fens, which has its own beauty. A lack of hills isn't necessarily a bad thing; if you like solid training, you can't really beat the fens. Hell, you can have a 2hr headwind there if you fancy it! (and a 1hr tailwind)
East and West are also reasonably rolling, pretty similar to the South really. The riding is beautiful, just like most places if you know where to go.I'm on Twitter! Follow @olake92 for updates on my racing, my team's performance and some generic tweets.0 -
I must say, 2 years ago I moved the opposite way and can't get enough of the Mendips, but still crave the longer ascents! I'm afraid Cambridge is not a climbing mecca, but entirely echo the above. A solid variety of riding, especially the wind resistance training, but going with the attitude of making the best of what is there rather than pining for what you had will only stand you in good stead. Or its a great excuse for a new TT bike and smash out some miles in the big ring in the Fens!0
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Chapel Hill between Haslingfield and Barrington (5 miles SW of Cambridge) is about your only option. It climbs 100ft in half a mile. Could do a few repeats to get some kind of climbing fix. There are also a few roads around Wandlebury Ring (couple of miles SE of Cambridge) where it climbs around 150ft in just under a mile. Apart from that, as others have said, it's pretty flat.
Nah there's plenty of other climbs similar to that.
https://velorichard.wordpress.com/2013/02/14/the-ahem-big-cambridgeshire-climbs/
Also heading south into North Cambs / Essex there's a few like that, but you're right it's not the Yorkshire Dales by any stretch of the imagination.0 -
I live in Newmarket and work in Cambridge. (House prices innit?) As the other posters have said, anywhere north and you're into the fens, which I hate. There's bugger all to look at and it seems like you're not going anywhere.
South and east and there's plenty of very attractive rolling countryside, so if you want to put together a ride with a succession of small hills you can. The longest uphill stretch I can think of is the very gradual climb from Fulbourn up to Balsham. It's so gradual that with a tailwind it can seem flat, but the Garmin doesn't lie!
ETA Looks like that's number 32 in the encyclopaedic entry above!0 -
Good riding to be had SW between the M11 and A10 and south of A505. There are a few of the hills on the link above. Also there is a decent hill coming out of Linton heading towards Saffron Walden IIRC. Then you can do the climb back out of Saffron towards Cambridge. I live further West of Cambridge so am within reach of the Chilterns which is worth a day visit (park at Tring station on a weekend) but like most said, there's nothing particularly taxing within 15 miles of Cambridge itself hillwise.
As an aside, Evans do one of their RideIt events from Wimpole Hall each year and I've done it the past 2. It's in and around the routes being talked about here and I really enjoy it. One of my favourite local sportives. I've posted the route and you'll see it covers a few of the "big" hills in the area
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/95256190 -
Good riding to be had SW between the M11 and A10 and south of A505. There are a few of the hills on the link above. Also there is a decent hill coming out of Linton heading towards Saffron Walden IIRC*. Then you can do the climb back out of Saffron towards Cambridge. I live further West of Cambridge so am within reach of the Chilterns which is worth a day visit (park at Tring station on a weekend) but like most said, there's nothing particularly taxing within 15 miles of Cambridge itself hillwise.
As an aside, Evans do one of their RideIt events from Wimpole Hall each year and I've done it the past 2. It's in and around the routes being talked about here and I really enjoy it. One of my favourite local sportives. I've posted the route and you'll see it covers a few of the "big" hills in the area**
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/9525619
* That will be the climb up from Hadstock onto the old airfield. Quite short and sharp. Coming the other way from Lt Walden up onto the airfield is a much longer, gradual drag.
** I have a 25 mile loop south of Newmarket and it seems it follows quite a lot of the Evans route but in reverse; I was doing a long downhill stretch with a tailwind heading for Thurlow, and I passed dozens of riders going the other way. I thought at the time that I was enjoying it a lot more. When I later found out that they'd come from Wimpole I could see why :shock:0 -
Agreed there is much more to play with around SW. The best I can get is around 500ft per 10 miles
something like this, I have a few routes circa 40 miles from SW all with a similar amount of climbing
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/39465960 -
Agreed there is much more to play with around SW. The best I can get is around 500ft per 10 miles
something like this, I have a few routes circa 40 miles from SW all with a similar amount of climbing
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/3946596
Ooh, that looks splendid. I could drop down via Balsham, Linton etc, do your loop then get a lift home with my wife if I can arrange for her to be visiting her friend in Walden. Some nice pubs en route too.0 -
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The wind is your hill in Cambridge.
Like a weight clinging to your back!I'm on Twitter! Follow @olake92 for updates on my racing, my team's performance and some generic tweets.0 -
Nothing more depressing than riding on one of those many many straight exposed roads that run in between Fenland fields, into a thick, solid headwind. No guests, no drama, just a solid headwind that makes you doubt your ability as a cyclist.
No trees shaking in the wind to encourage you that you're battling the elements, and no sudden whush passed your ears to remind you either, just the fact you look down and you're in the small ring going less than 30kph on a pan flat road blowing hard.
Well when I say nothing more depressing. There is one instance that's worse.
Flying on the way out on the same roads, convinced that you're on a great day. Nothing to tell you that you're being assisted rather.
Until you turn around that is. Ouch.
If you fancy it - head north of Cambridge - towards Ely.0
