Blog by Tim Helstrip
Sunday 25th May was the third PECAM social ride out of the month, following the first ride – a local circuit taking just shy of 2 hours and ending up at the Webbs Motorcycle open day – on May 4th and the 3rd week of the month summer evening social ride for excellent fish and chips at the Riverside Restaurant in Stamford. This ride targeted the Rookery Waters Café https://www.rookerywaters.co.uk/cafe on a gentle countryside tour taking about 1.5 hours.
This Sunday 11 PECAM members gathered at Peterborough Services off the A! at Haddon, and making use of the indoor space adjacent to the patio at the side of the services, as we were experiencing the first rain showers, on a scheduled ride day, for a couple of months. Bob A was the volunteer ride lead, and he gave a brief briefing informing the group of key group ride expected behaviour, and that we were going to be using the 2nd man drop off system https://pecam.org.uk/second-man-drop-off-system/ to keep the group together.
Heading out of the services we made our way one junction north on the A! and then turned off for the Bullock Road at Elton Furze golf club. We then followed Bob through many excellent and familiar country roads eventually crossing the A605 into Oundle and out through Stoke Doyle until recrossing the A605 to head east at the Waddenhoe roundabout.
As we proceeded east through very pretty villages, and managing to avoid the £150,000 Ferrari reversing out of his drive on a sharp blind bend, some of the roads became more suited to those in the group with GS style bikes rather than the sports bike fans. However, we made good progress until we hit the A141for a mile or so and then turned off into the fen villages and eventually Pidley itself.
The café is excellent, very good food, excellent facilities and nice outdoor seating area.
The route back was the same but different, with an excellent mix of roads and about 1.25 hours after leaving Pidley Bob ended the ride at The Cuckoo Pub in Alwalton, where some of the group made their way home and a few of enjoyed more chat and banter and a cold beverage.
In the end the weather was kind to us, and although the bikes ended up needing a good clean, we actually stayed dry for the whole ride.
Many thanks to Bob for the organisation and excellent ride leading and the Andy G for pink vest TEC duties for his first time.