On the ride over from Cambridge to the start, I was passed on the busway by Flatlander, and I thought I would see if I could hang on to his wheel, just for a little bit. In less than a mile, he had shaken me off and disappeared into the distance!
With the wind in the northeast, I found it very hard work to Kings Lynn. Some riders may be able to "just put down more power", but when the headwind blows like that, mile after mile, I got nothing! At least with hills you eventually get to the top! I put my head right down and hung on to some generous wheels and then when I couldn't hang on any more I stopped and hunted in my pannier for something to eat. I always find morale difficult to keep up in a headwind, especially since there's a tempting train home to Cambridge from King's Lynn.
River Nene (old course) near Benwick. (29 km)
Binnimoor Fen, east of March. (44 km)
It was a good opportunity to try out the panorama feature on my phone: there's no better way to capture the relentless bleakness and flatness of the fens:
Upwell Fen near Christchurch. (54 km)
I do like the run-in to Kings Lynn from Stowbridge. The high bank of the Great Ouse provides some protection from the wind, and as you cycle along you can contemplate the fact that the road runs more or less along the zero contour, and many square kilometres of farmland in Marshland Fen to the west are below sea level. Then you cross the Great Ouse and, a couple of kilometres later, the flood relief channel (begun after the great floods of 1953 and completed in 1964). On the Great Ouse there was a pair of great crested grebes doing their courtship dance—each one bobbing its head in turn.
Wiggenhall St Germans. (77 km)
Great Ouse relief channel near Saddle Bow. (79 km)
At Kings Lynn I resisted the temptation to have a sit down and instead bought a baguette to eat while waiting for the ferry. I was lucky with the timing—I only had to wait about five minutes, and soon I was in West Lynn. I looked at the clock as I set out again from the ferry car park: it was 13:00, so I had averaged only 17 km/hour for the first five hours.
Waiting for the ferry to West Lynn. (85 km)
There was a tailwind as far as Sutton Bridge, but then there was some difficult riding on the top of the dike at Guy's Head with the wind blowing straight off the North Sea. It was a huge relief to make the turn at Holbeach St Matthew and finally put the wind behind me for good.
Lighthouse at Guys Head, north of Sutton Bridge on the Nene Outfall Cut. (105 km)
River Welland near Crowland. (154 km)
I didn't take many photos in the latter half of the ride: with the wind at my back I was keen to make progress, and in any case there's hardly anything to see after Thorney: just mile after mile of dead-straight and boring B1040. I ate my last twix at Ramsey St Mary's, and then it was up into the "hills" north of Huntingdon—the high point is at 44 m near Sapley, but this seems quite exciting after 150 km below the 10 m contour line!
At the George I ate a bowl of chips and chatted to a couple of audaxers who had come down from Sutton Coldfield, and then it was back on the busway to Cambridge. Along the way I surprised an unwary heron, and saw a barn owl sweeping low over the meadows.
A good ride—thanks to Martin for organizing it. I hope the rider who crashed is OK.