Wednesday 20th November 2019
Post date: 19-Nov-2019 09:38:06
A beautiful sunny but cold day saw many riders streaming along Outwoods Drive and it was deemed necessary to split into three groups if the refreshment stop were to be able to cope. First away were those who decided to ignore Howard's dire warnings about mud, leaves and clogged mudguards. These were followed by shorter rides led by David and John (both heading north west into the Belton/Diseworth area.
Long Ride, (Report, by John.) Led by Howard, with John, Brian, Trisha and Mick
Maybe it was the prospect of the clogged up close fitting mudguards but we ended up with just 5 of us on the long ride. We headed off on what was a generally bright but cold day with a slight headwind from the SE on the way out, which took us up through Woodhouse on Beacon Road and left through Woodhouse Eaves and on to Brand Hill (short but sharp), then down into Swithland. We had to pass the road closed due to roadworks, so the ride through Swithland had no traffic, and was nice and quiet. We then took a right up Leicester Lane, followed by two tasty little hills through Thurcaston, then on down to the A6 down the old Thurcaston Road. This was closed off to motor traffic at the top end so was a good traffic free road but alas periodically littered with fly tipping and a recently overturned car in the roadside ditch! Crossing the A6 turned out to be a near death experience for John and Mick who got caught at the back and had to wait for the traffic lights. When they changed to green an ambulance was coming up the road with his blues and twos through the red light so we waited for it to pass then set off. Unfortunately, when we were half way across, the lights changed again and three lanes of traffic set off headed for John and Mick - it was scary but we made it. Our three companions were waiting around the corner oblivious to our predicament. Then we had a relatively uneventful ride down to Peppercorns restaurant for 10:40. It didn’t open till 11:00, so we went off for a bit of a ride round Abbey Park and a team photo next to a carved tree with a “Green Man”. Mick who seems to know everybody everywhere called out “Paddy” and a man who had just walked past turned around and they had a good chat. Peppercorns…I could go on, apparently the service was bad when they were in Barrow and it hasn’t changed. As Trisha pointed out if you want breakfast, you’ll have to be quick, they open at 11:00 but only serve breakfast until 11:30 and as it takes them half an hour to get anything out of the kitchen, that gives you a very small window. Having said all that, the food when it arrived was very good. The ride back was very flat up the Soar valley along the canal/river where we saw a lock undergoing renovation (lots of old boots, tyres and rusty bikes in the bottom), through Watermead - very muddy in places, and Syston. Interestingly, the only person we had to stop for, to get the mud out of his close-fitting rear calliper brake was Howard. Those of us with close fitting mudguards were OK, though I think we all needed to give our bikes a good wash down after the ride.
The First Shorter Ride: (Report by David).
On a bright November morning with the chill that we expect for this time of year, over 20 of us gathered at Outwoods Road roundabout. Some of us were fragile from the onset of winter viruses, but nevertheless were determined to enjoy a ride to shake out the winter cobwebs.
This meant that there were two short rides.
One of these set course, albeit in a roundabout way, to Long Whatton post office. This is a friendly venue where they improvise to accommodate their customers; but not to the extent of having 20 people sat round tables in the confined space of the shop. They have a friendly grey fluffy cat, which nobody would attempt to swing in any way.
So, there were seven of us – Jeff, Philip, Rosalind, Pat, Keith, Terry and David who led the ride (until Long Whatton).
We proceeded through the university to Holywell Way, then along the Ashby Road crossing near the Wheatsheaf and climbing to the M1 roundabout.
From there we took the Leicester Road and Cambridge Street in Shepshed to Tickow Lane. Here, we encountered one of the ubiquitous “Road Closed“ signs due to roadworks, not floods this time, at the top of the hill. There was a pedestrian route though allowing us to turn onto Hallamford Road, down the hill and follow the cycle route over the fields to Belton.
Belton was glorious in the sunshine, and thoughts of group photographs didn’t quite surface until we were near Top Merrill Livery Yard. Here the dazzling sun caused group photos to be unrecognisable, so another was taken later at the post office.
We took the turning to Diseworth, then the long straight road over and under motorways to Long Whatton. We had arranged to meet Ray Clay, and he was at the post office to chat outside and enjoy the coffee and cakes. There was what could be considered a trillionaire’s longbread, a big step up from billionaire’s shortbread when placed alongside it. We were so comfortable with our company, our fare and our surroundings that it was half an hour before we left. Meanwhile the other short ride passed by, and we had thought we were the seasoned riders.
David’s plan to have us go back up Smithy Lane and via Shepshed met with a quiet mutiny, followed by indolent unanimity. Let’s just all go home! We peeled off in various directions. One route home took us through Hathern on the A6, then down to the little wooden footbridge at Dishley. Those taking that route encountered our first flood - of just a few inches. But it was an enjoyable ride short enough for most of us to be home before 12.
The Second Shorter Ride
After David's contingent had left Lynn, John, Wendy, Rob, Clyde, Dom, Myles, Mick and Patrick headed out through the University and then on up to Shepshed where they skirted the town via Anson Road to join Tickow Lane which was closed to the east because of work associated with the new housing estate. Having negotiated this obstacle the riders took the Sustrans route to Belton and then on past Asplin Wood to Gelscoe Lane where they took a right turn towards Diseworth. It was then on to Long Whatton where they hailed those on the first shorter ride who were taking refreshment outside the Post Office Store. After negotiating the back roads of Hathern the group sampled the wares of an untried tea shop in Hathern, the Old Curiosity Book Shop. These were found the be excellent and no doubt we will be returning there at some future date. Unfortunately on the way back to Loughborough there was a flooded section of the route near the Rugby Club with a kerb that caused Wendy to fall off. Fortunately no permanent damage was done to either rider of bike.