Wednesday 22nd April 2020
Post date: 21-Apr-2020 12:59:24
Solo ride report: from Rosalind, with Stava Art.
I have been perfecting my route this week to create a special message for all my cycling friends. Looking forward to seeing you all in the not too distant future. The route: from home, in beautiful sunshine, alone, south along Epinal Way, straight across onto the A6 dual carriageway and off at Barrow. At the dinosaur roundabout turn left, left again past the school and onto Cotes Road. At Cotes, right and left through to Stamford. Across the Meadows and right to Home Bargains, then right again round to Go Outdoors and finally round the ring road home. Breakfast of blueberries, raspberries, banana and pineapple with yoghurt followed at home with Philip. No cake today, as 2 each were eaten yesterday!
Oddly enough David Greenleaf, did almost the same ride today.
Solo Ride Report: from David It was yet another bright sunny day, and right for an early start to try to avoid bumping into too many people in order to keep safe from Covid-19 infection. Last week I was overtaken by somebody on a bike seeing me as a “ta.rget”. This would be understood in terms of pacing himself, but suddenly being confronted from behind with his loud close greeting left me wondering how does one keep safe even out in the countryside? Following advice, I went for a shorter route, and found a suitable ride on Rosalind’s Strava page. This ride is shaped like a heart, but goes no further than one neighbouring village. I found that Rosalind had traversed the route an hour earlier than me. There were lots of cars and people about, so I was wondering whether we are still in a lock-down. I saw the light striations on the road between Cotes and Stanford, which seemed to lie between gates to fields. I do miss the coffee and cake and comradeship (not in that order). Still, I’ll keep riding as long as I can, and look forward to more witty attachments in WhatsApp.My ride was 11.9 miles with an elevation gain of 384 ft and average sped 12.7 mph
Solo Intermediate Ride report: by Philip
Hark! "For morning in the bowl of night has flung the stone that puts the stars to flight." The arrival in the Close at 7 am on the dot of a council workman who then started work not a second after 8 O Clock motivated me for today's ride.
Riding along Epinal way in glorious spring sunshine, my bicycle felt raring to go in its summer sprint mode, stripped of mudguards and on treadless tyres after the incident earlier In the week. Peeling off from one ash roundabout , it was flat out into a headwind, along the dual carriageway again down to the Barrow turn. Over the canal bridge, I was surprised to encounter a tandem with a couple who looked awfully liked the Wildes.
What a glorious smell of baking is experienced at the moment, as one passes the industrial estate almost opposite Slash Lane. Into Sileby, and the road by the side of the church was closed off for undisclosed reasons. Large diameter swerves continue to be taken around pedestrians to ensure distancing. The road was quiet into Cosssington but there were a number of cars parked up in the lay-bys near the canal. The rise up to the Rothley lights was again taken, to my delight, on the outer ring and gained me a PB segment on Strava. Travelling north on the old A6, cars were queuing outside the plant nursery in the dip but drove off before my arrival having spotted that the site was open only for pre booked pick ups. A group of delinquents was loitering together in the centre of Mountsorrel and being spoken to as I rode through, Doubtless they and all their families have a natural immunity to covid. Aided by a tail wind I fairly flew to Quorn, one ash, Shelthorpe and back to Hamson Towers. See you soon everyone!
Another Solo Intermediate Ride report: this time by Graham Rode to Anstey via Watermead, waving to Clyde through Cossington. Bought some beer at the Mash and Press takeaway. Rode to a field and drank some of it. Rode home through Bradgate Park and drank the rest. 26 miles and 4 pints.
Another Short Ride from John
Headed out past Mucklin Wood resplendent with bluebells and then climbed the Beacon, carrying straight on to the B591 near Copt Oak where a left turn and then climb took me to Whitcrofts Lane. Up past the Aerials and then down through Ulverscroft and Polly Botts Lane and on to Newton Linford. It appeared that wardens were turning people away from Bradgate Park so I just headed on to Anstey returning via Swithland and Quorn.
