Ipswich to Cambridge by bike turned out to be less of an ordeal than I'd expected, helped by better than anticipated weather, excellent organisation and some very amenable company.
Despite a late start (thanks to my riding partner!) we soon caught up with the back markers as the route wound its way out of Ipswich, zig-zagging in a roughly westward direction. We hit a few climbs, but the organisers seem to have plotted a course to avoid most of the sharp gradients in west Suffolk, so it was all quite gentle. We threaded our way through pretty villages, and the weather was mostly kind to us, with only a few minutes' drizzle.
The best part of the ride came as we crested the Suffolk/Cambridgeshire border, with amazing views across both counties. That was followed by a nice long downhill stretch and some fast road into Cambridge.
Overall it was a great day - I'm even considering taking on the full three day challenge next year - and my friend and I raised nearly £600 for East Anglia Children's Hospices