The Cambridge Pork Pie 200 calendar event 2021 Enter this event >

8am, Saturday 5 June 2021, from the Recreation Pavilion, Girton, Cambridge (next to the church).

214km 218km, 15 to 30kph (6h48m to 13h32m).  1900m of climbing.

IMPORTANT — this event will be run under current covid rules, which means riding in groups of up to six, ten minutes apart.

IMPORTANT — there is a diversion on the way to Melton Mowbray, because of bridge works. The A6003 from Manton to Oakham will be COMPLETELY closed to ALL traffic, because they are lifting a new span into place.  The GPS files and routesheet have been updated to show this (1 June 2021). 

We love a good pork pie!  Melton Mowbray is synonymous with that tasty, pastry-covered block of jelly-enshrined meat!  Nom-nom!  Wikipedia suggests that Melton Mowbray promotes itself as the Rural Capital of Food and that it is also one of the five homes of Stilton cheese.  This all adds up to a very good reason to go there: food.

Pork Pie    Pork Pie   

I like the look of this, bringing pies to the people, almost like a British version of the Beaujolais run but with pork pies! I think I could be in.

— Paul, January 2016

This is a surprisingly hilly — and fun! — route for one starting from Cambridge: made more fun because most of the hills are concentrated at the far end.  However, a flat and quick run-out for the first leg, and a mostly flat and quick run back in again on the final leg mean that you should easily make back any time you lose climbing les Alpes de Leicestershire.

The end goal 

The destination of this ride — Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe in Melton Mowbray

This event takes place in mid-March June, so expect a bit of weather en route — and pray for a north-westerly to blow you back home after all that winching!

There are a number of pubs along the route to break up the ride, and a couple of local village-shop cafés, although don't dilly-dally on the way out if you want to beat the cut-offs!  And, of course, your taste buds can be tempted with treats in The Rural Capital of Food

We've posted a report from our side from last year here (clickety).

The route

The route has been simplified from three to just a single control at Melton Mowbray — it is up to individual riders to decide for themselves whether they wish to push on thru without stopping in a single 105km 108km stage, or instead to stop for a break in Oundle or Oakham on the way out, and in Oundle, Huntingdon or St Ives on the return leg.

IMPORTANT — there is a diversion on the way to Melton Mowbray, because of bridge works. The A6003 from Manton to Oakham will be COMPLETELY closed to ALL traffic, because they are lifting a new span into place.  The GPS files and routesheet have been updated to show this (1 June 2021). 

Also, for those who like a bit of an extra challenge, or who rode the Classic route last year and would like to try something else, then there will an alternative and rather scenic route available — this route includes even more hills at the cost of an additional 10km, so 225km in all.  We rode it last year and it took us just over 12 hours, and I was riding fixed-gear (72-inches on the flat and 64-inches for the hilly stuff), so with gears and a bit of fitness this is well within the 13h32m allowed.  You can get your Extra Helping of Pork Pie here.

Starting from Girton on the northern edge of Cambridge, this ride heads north-west to St Ives and onwards, flirting with the fens and providing a very fast run-out to the most historic Northamptonshire town of Oundle, famous for its centuries-old school, as well as the one-time home of Billy Bragg.  (Note: Oundle is not a control this year.)  From Oundle, the route climbs steadily before dropping down into Melton Mowbray, where you can sample some really great food (there's also a MacDonald's should you wish).

Up the right and back down the left — only 30% of the route is the same both ways.  RideWithGPS page.

The return leg takes a distinctly scenic route out of Melton Mowbray and the 60km to Oundle will likely challenge flatlanders (although not uplanders), which is good and character-building.  The upside is that the run from Oundle back to Cambridge is very flat and any time you lost in the hills you should easily gain on the flat — the final 50km has only two hills, they're really only bumps, and the very final 30km is pan-flat and lit with fairy lights along the Busway.  Just look at the elevation profiles here.

This is definitely a route of two halves.  Flattish to Oundle and back, with hills between Oundle and Melton Mowbray … All in all this was a thoroughly enjoyable ride with much fine scenery, mostly very quiet roads, and challenging but not punishing hills.  I'd give it a 10/10.

— Steve, April 2015

The route passes through traditional sandstone villages in Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, Rutland and Leicestershire, as well as the ancient market towns of St Ives, Huntingdon, Oundle, Oakham, and Melton Mowbray.  If you are lucky you will see lots of red kites and other hawks flying overhead — when we tested this route we saw dozens of individual raptors a-wing, a real pleasure!

Tom climbing yet another hill on the way to Melton Mowbray 

All in all a great route that has the makings of a tough, early-season classic  :thumbsup:

— Tom, March 2016

When we rode this route in March 2016, the weather was a bit heavy and the lanes were somewhat agricultural!  Mudguards are requested for the benefit of café proprietors and other riders.

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Important notes

  • There are a few bollards on the busway path — please warn riders behind you!
  • The route can be agricultural in places and therefore mudguards are requested for the benefit of café proprietors and other riders.
  • There are some steep descents — you should check that your brakes are in good working order before starting.
  • This is an x-rated event — you must get just one proof-of-passage – a receipt – from a commercial establishment in Melton Mowbray, of which there are plenty.  Please check that the time and date on each receipt is correct and that the place name is clearly shown.
  • You are on a private excursion on public roads.  The given route is advisory.
  • You should carry a lock to secure your bike at the controls.

The controls

Start and finish at the Recreation Pavilion in Girton next to St Andrew’s Anglican church on Cambridge Road, CB3 0FH, 4km northwest of Cambridge city centre.

There is just one commercial control:

  • Melton Mowbray — Lots of cafés, pubs, Greggs, McDonalds, Wetherspoon, banks (ATMs), and of course Dickinson & Morris Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe on High Street (walk through the market, it’s on the RHS — the GPS files will take you there).

Toilets are available at the start (maybe) and in Oundle and Melton Mowbray, or behind the many hedges along the route.


The routesheet

IMPORTANT — there is a diversion on the way to Melton Mowbray, because of bridge works. The A6003 from Manton to Oakham will be COMPLETELY closed to ALL traffic, because they are lifting a new span into place.  The GPS files and routesheet have been updated to show this (1 June 2021). 

If you fancy a little Extra Slice of Pork Pie, this alternative, longer, harder route might be for you …

There are two versions of the routesheet, depending on what you want: one has distances between instructions and holds your hand; the other contains just the turn-by-turn instructions with only as many distances as necessary for navigation and planning, as preferred by old-school audaxers:  (updated 3 March 2019)


The GPS files

IMPORTANT — there is a diversion on the way to Melton Mowbray, because of bridge works. The A6003 from Manton to Oakham will be COMPLETELY closed to ALL traffic, because they are lifting a new span into place.  The GPS files and routesheet have been updated to show this (1 June 2021). 

IMPORTANT — make sure you understand which version of the following GPS files are most suitable for your device.

  • Garmin Edge devices — new 500, new 700, 800/810/820, 1000, 1030 — use TCX; 10,000 points should be okay
  • The RideWithGPS IQ App also allows direct download from the pinned track to the latest Garmin Edge units
  • Older Garmin Edge devices — you're in a murky area in that TCX should work, but you may get a more reliable result from GPX; 10,000 points should be okay
  • Wahoo devices — TCX 10k, or "pin" the RideWithGPS route
  • Older Garmin devices — GPX and either 250-point or 500-point depending on which device.

Make sure you test these files out on your device before you start!

The full-route files are provided as a single TCX or GPX each.  However, the rest of the GPS routes, where the route is split into multiple GPS files, are provided as a ZIP file for each format — you require all of the files in the ZIP file!

The routes are provided as follows:

  • a single route for the whole 218km — FULL;
  • two routes, one to Melton Mowbray, and one back home — STG1 and STG2

There are additional notes in the organiser's notes and routesheet, including cautions and alternative routes. It is your responsibility to familiarise yourself with the route and any reported hazards before you start, especially as none of this information is included in the GPS files!

This is now where it gets complicated — there are a LOT of options here, sorted by how split up the route is, how many points in each part, and whether it's TCX or GPX.


Getting to the start

Hopefully you live close enough to cycle to the start. 

Cambridge is well-served by train and you should be able to catch the 06.44 from King's Cross, London, and arrive just about in time for the start — don’t worry if you’re a few minutes late to the start, we will still be there for the start of the 100km event.  It’s an easy 7km ride from the station to the start through the historic centre of Cambridge — routesheet | GPX | TCX — if you use these instructions, continue past the Co-op to the start on RHS in 1km next to the church.

If you intend to drive, aim for St Andrews Church on Cambridge Road, CB3 0FH.  And then park in the village, but not in the Parish car-park (which will be busy all day), and ride to the pavilion.  Wherever you park, please park considerately.

Due to the large numbers of entrants, if you could ride to the start instead of driving, that would be an great help!

Refreshments

There are no refreshments at either the start or finish this year, I'm afraid — Covid.  We will have bottles of water to refill bidons of you adventurous ECEers.

On completion

The arrivée will be manned, so we will collect your brevet from you on completion, along with the single proof-of-passage from Melton Mowbray.  Please remember to fill out the box with establishment name and time, and sign your brevet before handing it in with your PoPs!

Have a great, safe ride!  Enter this event »