YHA Stour Valley trip 7-9 June 2011
I’m not sure now where the idea came from, but a 3-day tour, riding to Suffolk and spending a day there before riding back again, proved to be a popular offer.Stuart had visited the Stour Valley YHA with Cambridge CTC and the Southend Forty plus CC had also been there, so I looked into using this bunkhouse as a base for a midweek trip in June. Some cyclists have been put off using Youth Hostels, claiming they are now poor value and dominated by families and couples arriving by car rather than by outdoor enthusiasts arriving under their own steam - why not use a Travelodge - it’s often cheaper. This may partly be true of the larger hostels, but there are now some 17 YHA bunkhouses spread across England and Wales. These are what simple hostels used to be like, but without the compulsory ‘chores’.
Having fixed the destination, it was now time to plan some routes. How do I get 10 cyclists the 85 miles from places like St Albans to the Suffolk coast in a day? How much energy would they have left for a ‘rest’ day before cycling home? So out with the maps, a lot of googling and a look at the websites of some cycle clubs in the area.
