Wednesday 17th June 2020

Long Ride

Those of you who have had the dubious pleasure of riding with me (Alan) in the past will know that at any point on any journey I have no idea where we have passed through in terms of place names. This is mainly because almost every village in Leicestershire sounds the same to me and seems to begin with the letter “W”. This is probably a form of dyslexia on my part. However having consulted Google maps I am fairly confident that Trish, Brian, Rob and I left Loughborough, went through Barrow High Street and ended up turning left at some point in Wymeswold. We were heading towards Keyworth via Wysall on the promise that the tea room on the High Street would be open for take-aways. Unfortunately the proprietor told fibs to me about a fortnight ago and Alice’s tea room remained firmly closed. The next best thing to a cappuccino and a scone in a warm inviting tea room is a cemetery and it is there the 4 of us decamped to swig on tepid water from our bottles and nibble on some protein bars. It turned out the cemetery on the outskirts of Keyworth was a pretty little oasis, if you like sitting in cemeteries. Having discussed Covid 19 and the intellectual merits, of the Conservative party we set off again travelling through Costock, East Leake and finally Stanford-on Soar. Rob departed on to Loughborough having done 29 miles, leaving Brian and I to accompany Trish back to Quorn via Barrow. All in all a very pleasant ride on rolling quiet roads in cool temperatures and almost no wind. Apologies for not including a photo. We are so used to cycling on our own these past few months we simply forgot the Wednesday cycling protocol!

Intermediate Ride - Eric's slightly later than usual ride report has arrived.

And so it was, after three months of decorating, baking, quizzes, puzzles, gardening, walking, drinking and eating HELL, the Loughborough Wednesday Cyclists were allowed out to play .. well some of them were ... there were notable absences!

We met in splendid, socially distanced isolation. One member was so confused by his lack of social contact, other than a teenager and a slave driver for the last 12 weeks sailed past the spacious green of Holt drive up to our old meeting venue of outwards drive mini roundabout, failing to notice about 2 dozen people clad in fluorescent lycra!

The 25 mile group led by the very old wizard himself were making move to the far right corner to isolate themselves in an allowed pod of 6. With Howard was John N. Tricia, Margaret, who had been 3 times prior to lockdown and yet was driven to still come, in spite of that experience. Then Eric arrived and introduced himself to a new member Wendy, who claimed whilst being new was married to a current member. Eric wrongly assumed John N, was the lucky fellow, who never denied it in spite of him being stood right there. Anyway Wendy flatly denied any connection and it was decided she was married to someone else, probably Alan! At this point Tricia did the sensible thing and sidled off to another group and a passing Marcus was roped in instead.

So it was these 6 set off for Kegworth. Howard found some weird and wonderful ways out of Loughborough and passing all the Roadworks on the A512 we ended up turning off to Shepshed and taking the back road out for a rolling ride to Belton. At Belton Church we turned right and swooping first down then up and back down again we came to Diseworth and turned right for a steady ride onwards to Long Whatton.

At Long Whatton we turned left just before the Post office and so we climbed up the hill to where the new bypass crosses and links to the M1. At the top a lady with a couple of large hairy dogs came into view and in order to impress her Marcus stood up on his bike and fell over. We were all very impressed, and indeed entertained but for some reason neither the lady nor her hairy dogs were! Crossing the bypass we dropped down the steep hill into Kegworth and headed to Oaklands. Current circumstances means queuing and Howard doesn't do that so he sat down on a bench and let someone else queue for his coffee.

Eric was impressed that when he asked for a sausage cob not one but 3 sausages came with the cob with coffee all for under a fiver. We sat on the benches outside and discussed tactics.

Once refreshed off we went down the hill and headed for West Leake. We had not gone far when a pair of extremely young, fit looking cyclists came whizzing past us with a cursory good morning , and off they sped into the distance. What they didn't realise but we did, Was that Howard had also whizzed off into the distance about a foot off their back wheel. They climbed a distant hill and you could see that with a dawn to realisation they turned round to find an elderly man with hair of Gandalf trailing in the breeze was latched onto them, like a small, annoying terrier, attached to your trouser leg!

As we rounded the bend and approached The Star pub we found Howard sitting nonchalantly waiting for us.

Off we set again and turned right down Brickyard lane for a pleasant ride and then turning right up Travells Hill for a steep climb. At the top of that hill we turned right and immediately left, and down the beautiful Butt lane into Normanton on Soar. There we turned left and came out of the village crossed the railway line and climbed the short sharp Fox Hill. From here we went down into Stanford on Soar where the jolly band split up. John and Eric to Cotes, Barrow and beyond and the rest back into Loughborough via Meadow lane.

A very successful restart to the LWC 25 mile ride and many more jolly occasions, can hopefully be had without such rude interruption from that nasty V word.

John; Found this poem in at http://www.ctc-northampton.org.uk/history . Attributed to Ivor Wilson in a 1979 edition of Cycle Chat, I've modified it to be more inclusive (the original referred just to men).

THE PEOPLE WHO RIDE FOR FUN

We're the healthy, happy heathen,

The people who ride for fun,

The faithful friends of bicycling,

The sport surpassed by none.

We've ridden through long seasons past,

we'll ride long seasons more,

And while we've gained both health and strength

we have had fun galore.

We're close to Mother Nature,

and she greets us every year,

with blossoming flowers,

budding trees and sunny atmosphere.

We hear her voice low-calling,

just as soon as Spring has begun,

she tells her choicest secrets to

the people who ride for fun.

We start the season's wheeling,

when the frost first leaves the ground.

We know the roads in every town

for fifty miles around.

Our minds are clear, our hearts are light,

digestion Number One.

We've three big appetites a day,

The people who ride for fun.

There are people who ride for exercise

and people who ride for health,

There are people who ride for mileage

and people who ride for speed,

And once people rode for fashion,

but they quickly petered out.

And giving their attention

to nervousness and gout.

There are people who ride for mileage

and people who ride for speed,

And in a few short seasons

they get all the wheel they need,

While we keep on, year after year,

our wheeling's never done,

We hearty, hungry vagabonds,

The people who ride for fun.

We wear each other's burdens,

and enjoy each other's jokes,

Respect each other's feelings,

and the rights of other folks.

Bring out your wheels and join us,

you'll be welcome everyone,

To the comrades of the bicycle,

THE PEOPLE WHO RIDE FOR FUN.