A bracing ride - and a bright future for cycling in the area!

This was the scene halfway round the nine miles that a group of cyclists rode today from Wandlebury to Whittlesford to mark the opening of the new cycle routes along the A1307 and the A505. 

It was a blustery day, but we set off in bright sunshine from Wandlebury Ring, along the A1307 and thru the awesome high-tech Babraham Institute site, which was specially opened for us. We popped up into peaceful Babraham itself, past the George and then left through Babraham `farms and over a footbridge of the A11 and finally onto the A505 at Little Abington, down past the Temple, Granta Parks and skirting Pampisford to Whittlesford itself, where the cycleway links to the rail station there. Tea and cakes at Whittlesford village hall afterwards were very welcome as the weather and the wind made the final section hard going (well I thought so).

This path was largely paid for by the Granta Parks and Babraham Institute, as both see the value in enabling their people to access both sites from either Cambridge itself, or via the Whittlesford rail link. The county cycling team and Skanska have done a good job - though it would be good if LED lighting along the A505 could go in at some point.

I have high hopes that the money coming from the Cambridge City deal will in part be used to provide further cycle and footpath links between villages and si and I talked to the head of the cycling team as we were munching slices of cake. A good day.