Sam and Alin's Greenhithe - Cambridge - Greenhithe One Day Classic
6.03am With winter drawing closer and the prospect of cycling indoors rearing its ugly head, my friend Alin and I decided to cycle to Cambridge, and back, to make Sunday a Funday. Alin messaged me at 9.30 on Saturday morning, we decided between going to Brighton (120 miles with 10,000 feet of climbing) and Cambridge (135 miles with 4,500 feet of climbing). The total weight of me, my bike and all the gear come to ~100kg. If I can avoid climbing I will! Unsurprisingly, I opted for the longer, substantially flatter ride through Essex. As flat as Essex may be, and believe me it was strangely flat, after a year of cycling in East Sussex and Kent, around the North Downs, it was also incredibly windy. Even after Brian had buggered off, taking his storm up north with him, the wind still almost reduced me to tears. A headwind there and a tailwind home would have been ideal, but crosswinds the whole way made for a ride that demanded concentration, and a strong grip, at all times. Every