Blog Posts - RFW

Spin to the Welland's Mouth

4/6/2023

This ride is another 'century' ride - 100 miles. It heads to the last place where the Welland can be crossed, Fosdyke. There is about a mile or two of 'strada bianche' along the Welland but it is easily passable on a road bike.

Refreshment stops are at about 50 and 100 Km, in Market Deeping and then Pinchbeck, just North of Spalding.

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82km loop to Buddhist Centre in Thornby

21/5/2023

Here's the full loop in Strava

Lovely coffee and cakes from the veggie café in the grounds of an old country house. It doesn't open until 11:00 though, so worth getting a few more miles in before the stop!

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Rogation Sunday Ride

14/5/2023

We will be riding this route on Rogation Sunday, when traditionally people circumnavigate the boundary of 'your parish'. This gives members a longer club run; a chance to achieve a century ride of 100 miles. This route follows closely the boundary of the old Rockingham Forest, so it is fair to say this is us 'staking our claim' for the area!

The ride will be at a pace to allow people to finish, not too slow, and not too fast. The main group will aim for a c15mph average on the road, and will stick together. There will be longish breaks about 1/3 and 2/3 of the way around the route, at places we usually stop for refreshment, and probably a couple of shorter ones too.

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Wymondham North

30/4/2023

Wymondham gives us a slightly longer ride, with there being two routes. Here are Strava links for the 83km and 101km routes.

Wymondham Windmill Tea Rooms is a lovely café next to the old windmill with outdoor open space and a small copse with a short walking trail.

There's an alternative stop on the larger ride, with the Dairy Barn Café and ice cream parlour being a bright, airy modern café in a country setting.

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SE to Geddington 70km

24/4/2023

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Loop to Cafe Oak in Geddington. Medium sized garden, plus indoors; cycle friendly.

Mega Gravel - 100 miles

9/4/2023

This is one if you really want to challenge yourself on a gravel bike. 100 miles of mixed terrain, 1,300 meters of climbing, in Norfolk.

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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.

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Sibbertoft Glider Club

12/3/2023

This place has a different vibe from most cafes, and with a working aerodrome there is usually plenty to see. The route takes an unusual path to get to Oxendon, just so that we can use a few rarely-ridden roads near the clubhouse :)

The route is 67km long, with the café stop just about half way round.

The route is also workable to visit Waterloo Farm near Oxendon, but you'd have to reverse it to get to the stop about 3/4 of the way around.

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Wadenhoe via Deene

5/3/2023

Here's one way to get to Wadenhoe without going through Oundle. It includes about 1 km of bridleway, so think about your bike and the ground conditions, but it makes a change.
The route is 69 km, with the King's Head at Wadenhoe coming up after 36 km, or Café Oak at Geddington after 56 km.

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Launde from the East

26/2/2023

Launde. The word to strike fear into any whose post-café form is not great. With it's 18% gradient straight from the stop, it is not to be taken lightly, but it is a lovely place to stop in any weather, so we do it anyway!
This route approaches from the East after rolling around the valley, through Wing and then heading to Braunston. It's not so long at 60km, with Launde coming up after 40km, so fine for a winter ride.

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Open Day Loops

19/2/2023

Here are two 55 Km loops that leave the clubhouse, go West around Market Harborough and then return to the start point for refreshments. One loop goes clockwise, and the other simply reverses the ride and goes anti-clockwise - make sure you download the right one!

For a Sunday club run, go anti-clockwise and stop off at Waterloo Farm, just North of Great Oxendon.

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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.

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Medbourne Winter Warmer

5/2/2023

Here's a short route that packs in the hills to keep us warm, and get us ready for the summer to come! There are over 700m of climbing in these 61kms, so bring your lightest self and bike! Once we reach Rural Relaxing (after 52km) you can do just that, as there's a short 20 min ride back to the clubhouse.

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Wadenhoe/Geddington

22/1/2023

This 67km loop runs round the north of Corby, then on a quick run to Oundle (good for a chain gang) before turning to Wadenhoe for the Kings Head. If you don't stop there, the route continues round to Geddington, so Café Oak is also an option.

Strava link to the route is here.

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Southerly Fig 8 to West Lodge

8/1/2023

This route gives options, in a southerly direction from the clubhouse. It stops at West Lodge Farm Park, where they are happy to let cyclists use their café without paying entry to the park.

The loop is not long - 53 km, so is ideal for a winter ride; and it has a much shorter option by following just the top loop (great if the weather turns horrible!).

Something for everyone :)

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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... :(

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Winter Route to Geddington - 52 Km

11/12/2022

Here's a shorter route to Café Oak in Geddington for a winter club run. The coffee comes up after almost 40 Km.

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Launde Abbey Clockwise

4/12/2022

There are three clockwise loops here of 39, 42 and 51 km to take us to Launde Abbey Café, where the coffee break is tempered by thoughts of the sharp climb immediately after leaving the stop! The return from Launde is 20 Km.

The first part of the two longer routes are also useful if you are looking for a short ride to Mint and Ginger in Tur Langton, which comes up after 16km/10miles.

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Here's a link to the longest route in Strava.

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New Lodge Farm at Bulwick

27/11/2022

This is a shorter route, ideal for winter, with the café coming up after 38 km. If you want a really short route you can cut through Bulwick village after 17.5 km.

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SE Loop to Thrapston

18/11/2022

This 85 km loop flies past Thrapston at 35 km and again at 60 km, so you could easily cut off the Eastern loop and save 25 km. This would mean you won't go past the Kings Head in Wadenhoe, but leaves Thrapston itself or Geddington as potential watering holes.

Here's a link to the Strava route.

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