Ride Report - Seven go to NorwichRide Report - Seven go to Norwich
It was raining. We could have stayed in the pub all afternoon, but we didn't. Matthew Williams of Norwich Cycling Campaign (NCC) was desperate to show us The Bollard.
After lunch 15 riders set out on Route 1 of the National Cycle Network, passing the oldest surviving public concrete urinal, an obstacle course of 60s and 70s urban planning and another obstacle course of 80s and 90s cycling facilities.
The trail brought us to the low wooden post obstructing the cycle path that has come to symbolise the difficulties faced by NCC.
Although clearly not a cycling city at the level of Cambridge, Norwich has cycling levels well above the national average and deserves a higher level of provision than we experienced.
We hope to reciprocate the warm hospitality when NCC are invited to visit Cambridge in the New Year. We enjoyed using the new direct Anglia Railways route which made the journey so easy.
We should like to thank NCC for showing us the cycling routes of their city, and for the loan of four cycles for the trip.
More great photos are on François's site.
The Leisurely Ride on Sunday 10th November will be a tour of Norwich. We shall travel on the new direct Cambridge to Norwich service. In Norwich we shall be met by members of Norwich Cycling Campaign who will take us on a tour of their city. The itinerary is as follows:
Sunday 10th November --- Please be at the station by 10:30am so we can get all the tickets. Cambridge 10:55 Norwich 12:08 Pub lunch, tour of city at leisurely pace and coming back Norwich 16:33 Cambridge 17:44
The return rail fare is £9 + £1 per booked cycle. If I make a booking for 10 or more we can qualify for the group discount price of £7.10. The trains accommodate up to four bikes + as many folding bikes as we care to bring, but Norwich Cycling Campaign can supply half-a-dozen more that we can use at the other end. P.S. On the recent rides we have had people with trailers, tandems and recumbents. Unfortunately these cannot be usually accommodated on a train unless they fold down.
Based on the follwing there will be nine riders. Four will require a loan bike in Norwich and the rest will bring folding bikes or their own. I haven't booked the bikes on the train yet, I shall need to do that soon.
Simon (me) - bike: Giant Halfway (folding) - chance of participation: High Nigel - bike: use a loan bike in Norwich, height: tall - chance of participation: High Sarah - bike: prefer to bring own on Train (return from Ely) - chance of participation: High François - bike: use a loan bike in Norwich, (Height: 1m82 i.e. 6') - chance of participation: High Celine - bike: Celine to bring own bike. - chance of participation: High Bernhard - bike: use a loan bike in Norwich, height: tall - chance of participation: High Eleonore - bike: use a loan bike in Norwich (Height: I am 1m67 i.e 5'6" tall) - chance of participation: Confirmed
This page is: http://www.cam.net.uk/home/100.Thoday/norwich_trip.html.