Skip to main content

Tour: St Albans Abbey to Saffron Walden

This post describes a 2-day cycle tour from St Albans Abbey Station to Saffron Walden going via the delightful Emily's Tea Rooms at Whitwell and coming back through Bishop's Stortford and Hertford. Just add a start date and book your hotel!


Start Point: St Albans Abbey Station
Finish Point: St Albans Abbey Station
Meetup Time: 09:20 (second train arrival on a Sunday)
Start Time: 09:30
Route: St Albans Abbey to Saffron Walden 
No. Days: 2
Day 1: 81 km
Day 2: 73 km
Overnight: Individuals book their own accommodation such as the Premier Inn.

Hotels:
Saffron Walden Premier Inn, in 2025 a room on a Sunday night was £55 though prices vary. 

Average Speed: 16km/h
Stops: Every 25 km on average. As this is designed to be a comfortable tour extra stops are possible and even encouraged.

The Day 1 Stages:
Stage 1, St Albans Abbey Station to Whitwell (21km), Emily's Tea Shop. Opens 10am. Closed Monday's. 

Stage 2, Whitwell to Buntingford (50km), Buntingford Coffee Shop (closes 3pm on Sunday). Sainsbury Local is open.

Stage 3, Buntingford to Saffron Walden (81km), Kim's Coffee House in Saffron Walden (closes 4pm on Sunday). Park and public toilets adjacent if you want a stroll around town and the Costa is open until 7pm.

The Day 2 Stages:
Stage 4, Saffron Walden Premier Inn to Bishop's Stortford (104km), Terrace Park Café. Opens 8:30am daily.

Stage 5, Bishop's Stortford to Hertford (128km), Hertford Coffee Lab on Bull Plain in Hertford though there are plenty of other options.

Stage 6, Hertford to St Albans Abbey Station (153km), 

Suggested Café Stops:
See Stages above. 

Suitable Bikes:
Any, though bare in mind the distance and pace.

Surface:
Tarmac, compacted gravel, rough surfaces and potholes on lanes.

Mechanic:
None

Support Vehicle:
None

Broom Wagon:
None 

No Drop Ride:
Yes, no-one gets left behind, though note the rider requirements.

Rider Requirements:
Be responsible for your own safety 
Follow the highway code
Carry equipment to repair a puncture or two
Dress/pack for the forecast conditions 
Be comfortable maintaining 10mph for about 15 miles of continuous cycling
Be self-sufficient with regards hydration and fuelling; ask for a stop if you require one

Organiser Tips:
Premier Inn and some other chain hotels typically do lower Sunday and Monday night rates, higher Saturday rates. Check café opening times for your chosen dates. Premier Inn allow bikes in rooms. 

The organiser might sensibly pack a few additional items and this Kit List is a starting point. 

Rider Tips:
Pack light. Packing should be the same as for a day ride plus any overnight essentials. Seriously, pack light. If you have any questions ask the organiser. 

In contrast to shorter rides the person navigating may not be familiar with the whole route, there may be roadworks and diversions so be aware and look after your own safety.

Premier Inn, for example, allow clean bicycles in rooms though some don't have lifts so phone ahead and request a ground floor room if this might be an issue for you. Keeping your bike in your room means you don't necessarily need your heavy Gold Secure bike lock.

Popular posts from this blog

Tour: Chelmsford to Clacton-on-Sea

This post describes a 3-day cycle tour from Chelmsford to Clacton-on-Sea staying overnight in Colchester and Felixstowe. Just add a start date and book your hotels. Specific timings assume a Monday to Wednesday tour in 2026 so your own train times may be different. An average of 300m ascent over 61km each day on average means this is a relatively flat tour with options to reduce the mileage each day by using the train.    The route makes heavy use of NCN 1 and NCN 51, and if you keep moving on the last day you should have time for a dip in the sea!! Seriously, prepare to enjoy a swim at Holland-on-Sea. Start Point:  Chelmsford Station (Greater Anglia) Finish Point:  Clacton-on-Sea Station (Greater Anglia) Meetup Time:  09:15 Start Time:  09:30 Route: Chelmsford to Clacton-on-Sea   Route (alt): Harwich to Clacton-on-Sea   No. Days:  3 Overnight:  Individuals book their own accommodation in Colchester such as the "...
Read more

Bike rides accessible from Harrow

Group Ride Etiquette The rides listed below are suitable for social rides so it is worth learning ride etiquette . Remember your ride leader - if there is one - may be sacrificing their own ride to lead so be on time, follow the highway code, be prepared to fix your own bike (including punctures), be responsible for your own safety, take sufficient fuel and hydration, and don't race ahead. Bike components do break, punctures happen, and these things can't be avoided. However, bike maintenance can reduce the risk of failure during a group ride. The LCC has some well worded advice on bike checks . Use a safe and correct mount and dismount routine so you aren't the one who loses balance and crashes to the ground.  If you want to understand the practical considerations of a Guided Ride take a look at the relevant sections of  British Cycling Ride Leader Guidelines . This includes helpful supplementary links at the end. Mont Ventoux - May 2023 Hatch End Rides The start point is...
Read more

Tour: Harwich Ferry Practice

This post describes a 2-day cycle tour from Wivenhoe to Harwich (staying overnight in Felixstowe) and back to Clacton-on-Sea. Just add a start date and book your hotel in Felixstowe. At the time of writing the Harwich Premier Inn didn't have availability but that may be an option in the future. The distances and timings provided below exclude any riding in Felixstowe such as the 3km (10 minute) ride from Felixstowe Harbour to the Premier Inn. Specific timings assume a Sunday-Monday tour so your train times may be different. Both routes do a short detour to the DFDS ferry terminal before progressing to the Harbour ferry. Though the route uses B roads they are of the white-line-down-the-centre variety with fast traffic but not excessively busy. Start Point:  Wivenhoe Station (Greater Anglia) Alternative Start:  Clacton-on-Sea Station (Greater Anglia) Finish Point:  Clacton-on-Sea Station (Greater Anglia) Meetup Time:  09:50 Start Time:  10:...
Read more