The usual three ride options for riders joining us on Sunday. After 62 mile rides on the last three Sundays we drop down to 45 miles for a change at 9am, the other routes are the usual 32 miles and 23 miles.

All rides meet before the start time outside Ivinghoe church.

10.30 am short route https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52223457

10.00 am medium route https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52223276

9.00 am long route https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52274373

During the early 90s my musical brother was in a local band called “snot trough” as you can imagine romantic ballads were not a speciality. “BVHC” was their top song which was all about the Bovingdon Village Hard Core, the 9am route travels to the heartland of the BVHC, expect the sound of Thrash Metal from behind garage doors.

The 10am route travels to Dunstable, a town famous for producing indie popster “badly drawn boy” Damon Gough won a Mercury music prize in 2000 for his album “The hour of the Bewilderbeast”, sounds just like an Ivinghoe Velos 10am group!

At 10.30 Our route takes in Cow Roast, if you return on bank holiday Monday you will see cover version band “mouth on a stick” playing at the Artisan pub, an energetic acoustic duo who will perform songs from 1950s to modern day classics, you might even hear the song “I want to ride my bicycle”

Roll On Sunday.

Three routes for your enjoyment this Sunday. All starting from Ivinghoe Church at the stated times, please bring your yourself, a working bike and a paper map or ride instructions on your bike computer. We aim to leave no one behind, so moderating the pace for all riders in the group would be sensible.

The shortest option makes it’s way to the end of the world, so you could be in for a rough ride. Oh no sorry, it’s Worlds End and it’s part of our flat earth society collection, so a nice easy one for 10.30am riders https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52168510

Leaving Ivinghoe at 10am the mid range option is a 31 mile outing all the way to Drayton Parslow via Soulbury and back via Stewkley https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52168375 watch out for the devils foot in Soulbury

On a still night In August 1963 a royal mail train was stopped by a bogus red signal, half a mile from Bridego bridge where two drivers were violently attacked, the engine and first carriage were uncoupled and shunted to Bridego bridge where 120 huge bags of cash were unloaded into a truck under the bridge. 

In today’s money the haul would amount to £65 million. 

The gang disappeared into the Buckinghamshire countryside telling Royal mail staff to remain still for 30 minutes or they would be killed. Aylesbury police began a search around the Buckinghamshire countryside, the same countryside we ride through on Sunday.

On Sunday we ride in the tire tracks of the getaway vehicles, perhaps using the same quiet lanes the gang used to escape to Leatherslade farm. The route is 59 miles, passing the scene of the robbery at 4 miles and the hideaway farm at 34 miles. The ride starts at 9am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52183981

Following a tip-off from a herdsman working in a nearby field on 13th August police found the farm where the gang had hidden and began searching through finger print evidence. The gang wanted the farm burnt to the ground but this wish was not carried out by their accomplices so evidence remained on beer cans and a monopoly set at the farm.

When it was realised most of the gang were south London based detective Tommy Butler known as “the thief taker” was appointed to lead the investigation. The first arrest followed days later with Roger Cordrey arrested in Bournemouth. Over the coming days through August 1963 arrests continued….

Some of the gang hid or ran for years with leader Bruce Reynolds not caught until November 1968, a very fine month in my opinion.

It is said that three members of the gang were never brought to justice, so look out for clues on Sunday’s ride, keep your eyes peeled as they say. Roll on Sunday.

Three rides for your enjoyment this Sunday with the longer option starting from a different location so we can ride on some different roads. Ride lengths are 22, 31 and 62 miles.

10.30am shortest option is a trip up to Stewkley https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52053402 leaving Ivinghoe church & heading North

10am From Ivinghoe church the medium route wiggles round Buckinghamshire lanes to Chesham https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52053854

9.30am (yes 9.30) From Cranfield High Street War Memorial MK43 0DP a route that heads North on quiet unfamiliar roads https://ridewithgps.com/routes/51892557 plenty of free parking on the high street or side roads.

All rides will be ridden at a pace that keeps the group together, the short and medium routes run straight through, so you should be knocking on the door at the pub at opening time, the longer route has a planned stop at Colmworth golf club.