UKC

Any suggestions for a nice small town/ village to spend a night around 20 miles radius east of Cambridge? 

We'll be getting a train to Cambridge with touring bikes but not arriving till tea time....heading over to the Suffolk coast but wanted a short ride on the first day!

Any advice greatly received.....will be looking for a b&b/ pub to stay in...

Clare and Cavendish are pretty  Suffolk villages (Google maps says 30 miles from Cambridge station)

A bit further east is Lavenham (very touristy and therefore pricey but very pretty; stay in Long Melford instead).  Kersey also pretty (and less touristy)

All the above, although Lavenham is a bit of a stretch for a short evening. I'd go for Clare personally or if after something bigger, Bury st Edmunds.  

Worth taking time plotting routes to use smaller roads.

Think I'm heading over to Clare and Bury this morning.  Coincidence. 

Haverhill is about 20 miles South East of Cambridge. Once crowned Chav capital of the UK!! Quite a nice town and not overly expensive. 

I'd second Bury St. Edmunds, but it's going to be outside of your 20 mile radius. It's a lovely place though. Newmarket is kind of OK-ish. Do not, under any circumstances, go to Haverhill. You'll probably have your bike nicked. Heading North-East-ish kind of direction is Ely, which is also pretty nice. A couple of nice cafes and pubs there. 

The ride out to Dunwich/Southwold area is lovely - I've done it a few times.

Its not got better then?  30 years since I was last there...

Wherever you aim for I’d suggest taking the busway cycle path out of Cambridge. Probably the best cycle path in the country.