New cycle path in Cambridgeshire now open

[Glow worm]

Hopefully this will be of interest to some, but the long awaited cycle path between Quy and Lode (Anglesey Abbey) is now open. I took a spin along it earlier and below are a few pics. I think there is still some work to do on it, but it is now rideable. It cuts out a longish diversion via Bottisham now for riders heading to Ely and Kings Lynn from Cambridge. @mjr was asking about the new route so hope below is useful.

It's only 1.2 miles long but it gives a pleasant alternative to the B1102 which is very busy and unpleasant to ride on with some v fast traffic. Above is the start at Quy.

I'd say it's about 6 or 7 foot wide.

About halfway along is quite a sharp bend, but at least it takes you further away from the road and just out of range of driver's bottles of piss, cans, fag packet lobbing distance.

Nice smooth surface.

Looking back toward Quy.

At Lode, you get spat out almost opposite the entrance to Anglesey Abbey with another bend.

And looking back from t'other side of road (Angesey Abbey side).

All in all a thumbs up from me. It's a shame it forces you to cross the road but it's better than nowt. I've had some terrifying, malicious bullying passes from drivers along here in the past so I won't miss that. I guess long term maintenance will be an issue (in that there won't be any) but for now, it's pretty good.

Just past Lode is the old cycle track, showing a distinct lack of any maintenance at all (next to a beautifully smooth road surface as usual!).

 

[Welsh wheels]

Hopefully this will be of interest to some, but the long awaited cycle path between Quy and Lode (Anglesey Abbey) is now open. I took a spin along it earlier and below are a few pics. I think there is still some work to do on it, but it is now rideable. It cuts out a longish diversion via Bottisham now for riders heading to Ely and Kings Lynn from Cambridge. @mjr was asking about the new route so hope below is useful.

View attachment 387553

It's only 1.2 miles long but it gives a pleasant alternative to the B1102 which is very busy and unpleasant to ride on with some v fast traffic. Above is the start at Quy.

View attachment 387554

I'd say it's about 6 or 7 foot wide.

View attachment 387555

About halfway along is quite a sharp bend, but at least it takes you further away from the road and just out of range of driver's bottles of piss, cans, fag packet lobbing distance.

View attachment 387556

Nice smooth surface.

View attachment 387557

Looking back toward Quy.

View attachment 387558

At Lode, you get spat out almost opposite the entrance to Anglesey Abbey with another bend.

View attachment 387559

And looking back from t'other side of road (Angesey Abbey side).

All in all a thumbs up from me. It's a shame it forces you to cross the road but it's better than nowt. I've had some terrifying, malicious bullying passes from drivers along here in the past so I won't miss that. I guess long term maintenance will be an issue (in that there won't be any) but for now, it's pretty good.

View attachment 387560

Just past Lode is the old cycle track, showing a distinct lack of any maintenance at all (next to a beautifully smooth road surface as usual!).

Looks blissful compared to cycle paths we have around here!

 

[Glow worm]

Looks blissful compared to cycle paths we have around here!

Fear not- we have some terrible ones here too!

 

[steveindenmark]

It actually looks like a a Danish cycle path

 

[mjr]

It actually looks like a a Danish cycle path

Corners too tight and no centre line, no?

 

[Drago]

It actually looks like a a Danish cycle path

What, made from a sweet, puff pasty?

In a serious note, looks like a halfway decent bit of tarmac. Is any of it lit, or is it all unlit, which wouldn't surprise me on a rural route?

 

[steveindenmark]

This is how a lot of ours look like. As soon as you go over the border into Germany you notice the difference. They have cycle paths that shake your fillings out.

You may notice that the side road has a give way sign. Most of the time, cyclists on the cycle path have priority over cars coming out of the side roads.

 

[mjr]

The new path is a big improvement. I can't wait until they finish the A10 path as well.

Are they actually planning to do that? Close the gap Waterbeach to Little Thetford? Rebuilding the existing substandard bits or not?

 

[mjr]

I was thinking of the A10 south of Cambridge, where they are part way through completing a Cambridge to Royston cyclepath.

North of the city would be great as well, although i’d Probably stick to going via Lode and Wicken Fen to Ely, as I like the route so much.

Oh, awww. The Wicken Fen route could be OK if they used the river bank to bypass the lumpy stone track north of Barway.

 

[Glow worm]

What, made from a sweet, puff pasty?

In a serious note, looks like a halfway decent bit of tarmac. Is any of it lit, or is it all unlit, which wouldn't surprise me on a rural route?

It's not lit- it's fairly rural and the skies are surprisingly dark at night given the proximity of Cambridge and Newmarket. So I think on balance it's a good thing we can still admire the stars!

 

[mjr]

Thanks for the details. So we're still on-road through the Quy and that's still 30mph?

It seems worth having, even if I wish the ends were a bit more straightforward (the zig zag through the traffic island seems unnecessary and the island doesn't look very long, as usual). I hope they learn from the mistakes at the Ely end (which looked similar to that when it was opened about 12 years ago) and keep the weeds and farm traffic off it, so it lasts.

 

[Glow worm]

Thanks for the details. So we're still on-road through the Quy and that's still 30mph?

It seems worth having, even if I wish the ends were a bit more straightforward (the zig zag through the traffic island seems unnecessary and the island doesn't look very long, as usual). I hope they learn from the mistakes at the Ely end (which looked similar to that when it was opened about 12 years ago) and keep the weeds and farm traffic off it, so it lasts.

Yes on road through Quy, but heading north you can bear right at the village sign and take the back road (Main St.) for a couple of hundred yards to avoid a section of B1102, then you just turn left at the White Swan (excellent pub by the way!) and you are almost there. I think Quy might be 40mph- it certainly was a few years back. I'd have to check- I very rarely drive through it.

Edit just checked- it is now 30mph through Quy.

 

[Crankarm]

What, made from a sweet, puff pasty?

In a serious note, looks like a halfway decent bit of tarmac. Is any of it lit, or is it all unlit, which wouldn't surprise me on a rural route?

No, that's an Eccles.

 

[Crankarm]

And how about getting out of Cambridge safely to Quy to join with this new path?

Won't be long before there is fly tipping along it, a few broken down fridges, mattresses and grotty armchairs and sofas, rubble, old car tyres, dumped by pikeys.

 

[mjr]

And how about getting out of Cambridge safely to Quy to join with this new path?

Won't be long before there is fly tipping along it, a few broken down fridges, mattresses and grotty armchairs and sofas, rubble, old car tyres, dumped by pikeys.

Route 51 from the Riverside through Fen Ditton isn't awful but isn't as good. Even the Newmarket Road bus lanes aren't particularly unsafe - I just don't like riding with a PnR bus tailing me.

I don't see why that cycleway should suffer fly tipping more than others. If anything, the lack of easy car access by being behind a hedge should make it less likely than on, say, the farm access road from the way under the A14 to Quy, or on route 51 east of Quy.