Wednesday 21st November 2018

A rather grey and damp morning saw another good turnout with Howard taking a group on a longer ride into the Vale of Belvoir while John led Gill, Paul, Jeff, Rob, Myles and Marcus out into the Wolds via the Salt Way from Barrow. It was decided to head out into the wind as far as Berrycott Lane where the sun put in some brief appearances. From there on it was generally down hill and down wind via Seagrave to the Green Place in Sileby. Here the group clustered around a very warm and welcoming wood burning stove while they consumed refreshments. After a rather longer than average tea stop the group set out for the return trip via Mountsorrel and Quorn, only for Paul to experience a pedal falling apart leaving him with only the pedal axle to apply pressure on.

The Long Ride. Tricia, Pat, Alan, Lynn, Clyde and myself set off on the long ride with a view to stopping at The Wharf in Hickling for coffee. We began by leaving town on Meadow Lane out of Loughborough to East Leake, where we turned right towards Costock and the A60. We arrived at the A60 and stopped the otherside of the crossroads to regroup. We were still waiting when Clyde came up and explained that Tricia had had a puncture a little way back. Leaving Lynn at the junction Pat and myself joined Clyde to return to see if we could assist. It was obvious that both Alan and Clyde were quite happy fixing the problem and before very long we were all back at the A60 junction. All that is except Lynn. Lynn was nowhere to be seen, so we continued on through Costock and caught up with Lynn somewhere before Widemerpool.

Following Station Road across the A606 right to very end where, picking up a bridleway we headed north parallel with the A46 before crossing it by bridge and back South down the other side, again parallel with the A46 before turning left into Kinoulton. In Kinoulton we turned right and very soon arrived at our destination. The Wharf at Hickling.

Going back; as we had lost a little time what with the puncture and various stops to regroup. I suggested to Pat, Tricia and Alan to go on ahead via Nether Broughton and Upper Broughton and as Lynn was going slower than the others we, (Clyde Lynn and myself) would bring up the rear. Very soon the others were out of sight. I had put a slightly different route for getting back that took us up Hickling Lane directly to Upper Broughton. This turned out to be not a lot different to a cart track and round by the farm about halfway, slurry from cows carpeted the surface for some distance (and depth). At the top we joined the A606 then almost immediately turned off right through Upper Broughton and joined Station Road (A different Station Road to the one going.) Whilst going past what might have originally been the Station itself, I noticed not far behind another cyclist. We stopped at the top of the hill and Alan caught up followed by Tricia and Pat. Whilst I knew we had travelled a slightly shorter route I hadn't expected them to be behind us. We then continued as a group as far as the A46. From here Pat led the group back via Wymeswold and I followed with Lynn. As Lynn was going slowly and I was with Lynn the two of us were soon quite far behind. Lynn and I got back to Cotes about 1:30, here we parted company returning home via different routes The Wharf at Hickling is to be recommended with a V. good selection of cakes.