Category: 70-80 Km - RFW

Top Lodge, Fineshade Wood

29/10/2023

Top Lodge café at Fineshade Wood can get busy if the weather is good, but there's lots of room and an outside courtyard. Fineshade is one of the last remaining wooded areas left of the old Rockingham Forest.

This loop starts off going West from the club, then swings up North through Uppingham and Rutland before returning across the Welland Valley to Fineshade. The total loop is 75km; here's the route in Strava.

top_lodge_fineshades_75km.gpx
File Size:	122 kb
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Cafe Ventoux, Tugby

22/10/2023

Café Ventoux in Tugby is a real cyclists 'honey pot', where you'll always find plenty of customers in lycra.

The first route takes us out to the North-West via Houghton, before coming back up and round from the North; here's the Strava link.

café_ventoux_73km_nw.gpx
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And this second route goes North East and round Rutland Water, arriving at Cafe Ventoux after 55 km.

cafe_ventoux_via_rutland_74km.gpx
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And here's a shorter route that also goes North-West and is a loop of 60km.

nw_loop_to_tugby_60km.gpx
File Size:	96 kb
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Pitsford Reservoir

1/10/2023

Heading South West from the clubhouse, this route visits the café next to the Pitsford Reservoir.

karoo-pitsford_78km.gpx
File Size:	61 kb
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Winging it!

10/9/2023

Here's a 78km route into the Rutland Alps, with the coffee stop some 60km in, then a shortish ride back to the clubhouse.

Strava route is HERE, and the gpx file is below.

clockwise_to_wing_78km.gpx
File Size:	125 kb
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Here's a slightly altered route, with a bit less climbing, but a similar distance (75km).

karoo-clockwise_to_wing_75km.gpx
File Size:	81 kb
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Rutland Water East

9/9/2023

Here are a couple of routes that visit the East end of Rutland Water. The longer route targets the Harbour Café on the North Shore, while the shorter route stops at Wing Hall. Both routes hit their café stops after 40km, so are good for a winter run out.

At time of writing though, the Harbour Café has closed down; we hope it opens again soon.

karoo-rutland_water_harbour_cafe_70km.gpx
File Size:	72 kb
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karoo-rutland_water_and_wing_59km.gpx
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W to Mini Meadows in Welford

6/8/2023

Mini Meadows is a modern café attached to a family-friendly farm near Welford. Here's their website.

Here's a link to the 77 km Strava route used in November 2020, and a longer ride of a little over 80 km is downloadable below.

karoo-club_run_to_welford.gpx
File Size:	73 kb
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Circuit to Uppingham

9/7/2023

This route takes in a west and northerly circuit from the clubhouse to Uppingham. When there we usually pause at the Uppingham Garden Centre for coffee at The Orchard Café, some 60 Km into the route.

karoo-uppingham.gpx
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SE to Geddington 70km

24/4/2023

2020-10-25_rfw_sunday_geddington_70_km.gpx
File Size:	79 kb
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Loop to Cafe Oak in Geddington. Medium sized garden, plus indoors; cycle friendly.

New Lodge Farm

26/3/2023

Here's a longer route that comes back to New Lodge in Bulwick for a coffee stop. It is 71 km in all and 52 km to the cafe.

karoo-new_lodge_farm_bulwick_71km.gpx
File Size:	55 kb
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Buddhist Centre at Thornby 71 km

12/2/2023

This is a shorter loop to Thornby, it's ideal for a moderate paced, or a shorter, winter ride to the Buddhist Centre. It goes clockwise and is 40 km out and 30 km back.

karoo-rfw_sunday_to_thornby_71_km.gpx
File Size:	73 kb
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Cafe Monde - Direct Route

1/1/2023

Here's the direct(ish) route to Café Monde in Church Brampton. It gives a 75km round trip from the clubhouse. Strava link here

Sadly Cafe Monde is not open on Sundays or Mondays now... :(

rocko_-_cafe_monde_direct_75km.gpx
File Size:	130 kb
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Northern Cobbler

12/6/2022

A triangle route; West, North-East, South-East, with the coffee stop at the Northern point. This is very fitting, as the stop is the Northern Cobbler, near Billesdon.
The route as a whole is 72 Km, with the stop coming after some 50 Km.

karoo-northern_cobbler.gpx
File Size:	65 kb
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Buttercups Tearooms, nr Billesdon

26/6/2021

Buttercups is a large barn cafe, with loads of space for social distancing. It is part of a petting farm complex off the Tilton Road, just North of the A47.

The 78 km route shown is HERE on Strava, and in the GPX file below.

karoo-buttercups_tearoom_78km_nw.gpx
File Size:	73 kb
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And below is a shorter route with the cafe coming up 38 km into a 63 km loop.

63km_nw_from_rfw.gpx
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The Workhouse, Brixworth

19/6/2021

This is a busy cafe with a great selection of food, with lots of local trade. The 79km route starts off going West then drops South to loop round to Brixworth.

brixworth_79km.gpx
File Size:	133 kb
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Wadenhoe - routes to Kings Head

11/4/2021

Here are two similar routes that go South and East from the clubhouse and visit the King's Head in Wadenhoe for refreshment. The pub is also well set up as a café, and has a lovely riverside garden.

Here's the longer route on Strava.

The return routes go via Geddington, so Cafe Oak is an alternative watering hole.

wadenhoe_long_91km.gpx
File Size:	144 kb
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wadenhoe_medium_75km.gpx
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Mkt Harborough/Gt Bowden 71km SW

21/3/2021

This loop goes SW and comes back through Harborough for Welland Park Cafe, or Great Bowden for Weltons. Here's the Strava route.

harborough_sw_loop_71km.gpx
File Size:	118 kb
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New Lodge Farm Bulwick

13/3/2021

Bulwick's New Lodge Farm is a favourite. Lots of space inside and out.

There's a long route with a 71 km loop in Strava here, and a slightly shorter one at 63km here.

course_bulwick_long_route.gpx
File Size:	140 kb
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course_bulwick.gpx
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