Start point for Saturday and Sunday rides

(For the start points for our Thursday rides, see here)

Our Saturday and Sunday rides depart from the traditional club meeting point which is at Brookside (Lensfield Road end) on the southern edge of Cambridge City Centre.


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We assemble by the bench near the Hobson's Conduit monument. The bench bears a small plaque commemorating the fact that we have been meeting here for many years.

Start points for Thursday rides

(For the start point for our Saturday and Sunday rides, see here)

Our Thursday rides normally start start in one of two places:

• 50 Jopling Way, Hauxton. We meet outside this private house which is about 5 miles south-west of Cambridge City Centre

• Haslingfield Church. This is about 6 miles south-west of Cambridge City Centre.

See the details for each ride to find our which start point is being used that day.


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Our weekly rides programme

CTC Cambridge runs several cycle rides every week throughout the year.

Our rides reflect the seasons and the amount of daylight. In this description, "Summer" means the period of British Summer Time, which is from the last Sunday in March until the last Sunday in October, and "Winter" means the remainder of the year.

See Riding with CTC Cambridge for more about what our rides are like, and what you need to know.

Sunday rides

We run two rides on a Sunday: an all-day ride and an afternoon ride. Both rides meet for tea and then return directly to Cambridge.

Sunday afternoon rides

The Sunday afternoon rides start at 2.15pm at Brookside in Cambridge. The length of the ride varies from week to week, but in as a general guide we cover about 45 miles in the summer and about 30 miles in the winter.

The goal of the ride is the tea stop, after which we ride directly back to Cambridge or wherever we live.

For most of the year, tea is usually at a country pub, where a spread of sandwiches and cakes has been pre-booked and is waiting for us. There is a fixed charge of about £4.00. From December to February we stop at cafes (often at garden centres) or at the houses of members.


Tea is at 5.00pm during summer (during the period of British Summer Time) and 4.30pm during winter.

Sunday all-day rides

The Sunday all-day rides start at 9.00am (summer) or 9.30am (winter) at Brookside in Cambridge. These last all day, with stops at a cafe for coffee (approx 11.00am) and at a pub or cafe for lunch (approx 1.00pm) before meeting the afternoon riders at tea.

These rides might be 70-80 miles in the summer and 50-60 miles in the winter but you can have a shorter ride by dropping out (or joining in) at one of the intermediate stops, and many members do just that.

During the warmer months, whilst most riders eat at the specified pub or cafe, some prefer to bring a packed lunch and eat it nearby.

Saturday rides

We also hold rides on Saturday mornings about twice a month except during the winter. These start at 10.00am at Brookside and cover about 15 miles, including a refreshment stop along the way.

Thursday rides

We hold all-day rides on Thursdays, starting a few miles south of Cambridge at either Hauxton or Haslingfield. See the rides list for detals. These are shorter than the Sunday all-day rides, with a stop for coffee and lunch but no formal tea stop, returning to Cambridge during the afternoon and always before dark.

The mid-morning stop is often in the countryside so riders tend to bring their own coffee and snacks. Lunch is at a pub or cafe though some riders prefer to bring a packed lunch.

Tuesday rides

A number of our pensioner members meet for a ride on Tuesdays. These start at 9.30am from one of three park and ride car parks on the edge of Cambridge: Madingley Road, Newmarket Road or Trumpington. The ride is at an appropriately comfortable pace. Lunch is at a village pub.

About riding with CTC Cambridge

Notice: this is a test page

This page is used for testing new features of the site. The information
given on it may be out of date or incorrect.

If you enjoy sociable and non-competitive cycling in the local countryside, for an afternoon, a whole day and occasionally for longer, CTC Cambridge is the club for you.

We're a local group of CTC, the National Cyclists' Association. You don't have to be a member of CTC to try us out, but if you become a regular you will be expected to join.

As a club, we are open to everyone with an interest in cycling. Cycling with CTC offers an environmentally-friendly and enjoyable way of keeping fit, making friends and exploring some of the country lanes, villages, cafes and pubs in the Cambridge area.

Read Our weekly rides programme for a description of the various rides we run each week.

Thinking of riding with us?

The best option for newcomers is to join one of our Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon rides.

The Saturday morning rides are short, about 15 miles, and are gentle-paced and suitable for virtually anyone.

The Sunday afternoon rides are rather longer, 45 miles in summer and 30 in winter. They are the core of what the club does, with the tea stop being a particular highlight.

We don't ride especially fast. A typical average is 12mph, which is slower than most racing clubs though we tend not to stop very often until we reach the tea stop. So come prepared to ride fairly steadily for about 30 miles (summer) or 25 miles (winter) until we get to tea, where there is ample opportunity to rest and recharge before the shorter ride home. This might be a challenge for the first few weeks but you will soon develop the legs for it.

Whatever your strength and speed, we won't abandon you, and the ride leader will adjust the route to suit the speed of the group.

Taking part in rides

Altough the leader and the other riders will try to look after you when on the ride, you do need to be fairly self-sufficient and responsible for your own safety:

1. Make sure your bike is in good working order. Check the brakes work and make sure that you can use all the gears. Put some oil on the chain if it looks a bit dry. And check the tyres are pumped up fully.

2. Carry enough tools to allow you to mend a puncture. This means a puncture repair kit, a spare tube, a pump, tyre levers and a spanner if necessary to remove your wheel.

3. Bring enough cash for the refreshment stops or to pay for a taxi home in the event of a complete breakdown.

4. Bring lights for all rides in the winter

What to wear

Wear whatever you like and feel comfortable in, though make sure it is appropriate to the weather.

Although many of our members wear specialised cycling clothing (lycra shorts, etc) quite a few don't, and you shouldn't feel you need to wear anything in particular to "fit in".

However cycle-specific or similar sports clothing is often the most comfortable and can add greatly to your cycling pleasure. Your ride leader and other members will be pleased to give advice.

The best approach is to dress in layers so you can adjust your clothing according to the changing weather and how warm you are feeling, and since this is Britain come prepared for rain.

Photos by Julia Hochbach.