Wednesday 3rd October 2018
Post date: 02-Oct-2018 08:26:29
A rather dull morning saw a record turnout of twenty. Howard led of a longer ride with Pat, Tricia, Phil, Marcus, Alan, Brian and Derek and setoff promptly at 9-30am. John waited a few minutes for late arrivals and set of with the slower group of Rob, Paul, Anne, Terry, Jill, Rob, Myles, David, Lawrie, Patrick and Anne in trail. The slower group headed out through the Market Place and out onto Meadow Lane where they consolidated after the fast changing traffic lights at the Belton Road traffic lights splt the group into three. After Stanford on Soar the riders took left up Fox Hill and descended towards Normanton. At this Point they were puzzled to find Phil belting past them. Wasn't he meant to be with the faster group? Passing through Normanton the group suddenly enlarged as Howard and his riders who had taken a more circuitous route came past.
After the faster group had disappeared off the front heading towards Long Lane, the more civilised riders headed up Marle Pit Hill and on through Kingston on Soar before turning south down West Leake Lane. After passing through West Leake the group found a horse rider ahead as they approached Kingston Brook where the bends made overtaking with appropriate clearance almost impossible. The rider kindly pulled into a gateway to allow the group to progress towards coffee at the Chefs Cafe in East Leake. After refreshments the riders took the direct route back to Loughborough via Castle Hill and Leake Lane arriving back in town around noon.
On the longer ride we had as John suggests taken a more circuitous route out of town having taken every jitty, snicket
and ginnel to avoid traffic and have a bit of fun. Cycling through John's group I did a double check to make sure we hadn't picked up any extra riders or lost any. Still all there, we continued past the Agricultural College (university of Nottingham) in Sutton Bonington to Ratcliffe on Soar and under the A50 picking up Long Lane a little further on. At Sawley Marina we took the tow path along the cut, over the footbridge alongside the railway bridge and past the golf course to Trent Junction. Coffee and cake was had at the Lock House Tea Rooms and very nice it was too. Going back pretty much the way we came but continuing on Long Lane into Kegworth and back to Sutton Bonington. Here we split the group with 4 going by road and the rest of us going down Pasture Lane and across the fields over the bridge over the canal and meeting back up with the road group by the King's Arms on the A6. We then used the cycle path alongside the A6 as far as the brook where we went under the A6 and back up to Epinal Way. By which time the group had thinned somewhat with various riders peeling off. By the time we were almost back to our starting point it was approximately 12:55. Back before 1p.m. I've added the route file for those interested to the Routes Sheet. (Ignore the last bit up to Shelthorpe and back.) The files are at the bottom of the sheet and if you wish to download it click on the download arrow on the right hand side.