Wednesday 18th July 2018

09:30 duly arrived and thirteen intrepid riders turned up. John bottled out of leading such a magnificent turnout and we split into two groups John leading a short ride to who knows where and asked Terry to lead a misguided group on a longer more hilly ride to Newtown Linford and Bradgate Park. The magnificent seven, Marcus, Myles, Philip, Pat, David, Clyde and the misguider Terry, set off slightly earlier towards Mucklin Wood. Through Beaumanor and right towards Woodhouse Eaves we went left at the Bulls Head and stopped in Woodhouse Eaves to check the map (wanted to ensure we took the hardest route possible) right in the dip to Maplewell school, we regrouped at the school entrance and Philip went on ahead he wanted to wear himself out on the hills or is it he doesn't like queuing at the coffee shop. Up onto Priory lane with Philip out on his own an even older boy came up behind him up the hill! Philip being Philip was not going to let this upstart beat him to the top and put a spurt on, only to learn at Greenhill it was an electric mountain bike!!

Down the other side of Greenhill (can't really appreciate the down as there is a left at the bottom with loose gravel, no street pizzas please).

Lovely easy ride into Newtown Linford with coffee at Jade's Tea Rooms, a lady amongst us claimed the scone was too big, how can a scone be TOO big? Apparently the Post Office cafe is very good with bike parking. A steady ride through a busy Bradgate Park found John and the other group at Hall Gates.

A reasonably direct return to Loughboroough via The Ridings, Mountsorrel and Quorn.

The "leisurely" group consisting of Gustavo, Brian, Rob, Patrick, John and Rosalind took a flatter route to Bradgate Park taking the track past Mucklin Wood and then onto Swithland entering Bradgate Park from the north and wending their way to the Deer Barn Tea Room. Après refreshments the riders returned to the northern gate and just after egress the "magnificent seven" turned up. The "leisurely" departed leaving the "Magnificent Seven" to negotiate the gate and headed along the road along the reservoir dam to Cropston. They then headed towards Rothley just in time to see the "Magnificient Seven" disappearing along The Ridings. The groups took an indirect route back to Loughborough via Halstead Road