Wednesday 9th October 2019
Post date: 08-Oct-2019 08:03:50
A good forecast for sunshine and a comfortable temperature was an excellent turnout. Even after Howard had departed with those wanting a longer ride, John was left with 14 riders. Keith kindly agreed to lead another shorter ride and headed of south.
Short Ride 1
Rob, Myles, Lyn, Dom, john, Paul and Gill headed out over Cross Lane and through part of the Shelthorpe estate to join the A6 at Outwood Medical Centre. They then rode through Quorn and took a right up Wood Lane where they caught sight of some of the riders who had set off with Keith. Catching up with this group after descending Hawcliff Hill, it was agreed that Derek and Patrick would join John's group and Myles and Lyn move to Keith's to balance up the optimal speeds of the riders in each. John & Co. then headed through Rothley, avoiding the A6 traffic lights by taking the path past Rothley Primary School. After the climb up Wanlip Hill the riders took the new bridge over the A6 and the cycle path to Wanlip, then turning south for the very good value refreshments at the Church Hall in Birstall. The group returned through Watermead Park and then on the towpath/cycle path to Cossington, passing through Sileby and Mount Sorrel arriving back in Loughborough just after noon.
Short Ride 2
The decision to have a second group meant a long induction procedure for Keith’s first ride lead – “Go to Quorn, turn right, Rothley, Birstall, then back through Cossington.” So induction over we set off! After the rider swap (covered in ride 1 report), we rode the traffic-light way through Rothley, and down and across the super bridge over the A6 to Birstall. A quick Google maps check showed we were on course, so we went down to the canal and back up through Watermead Park. Refreshments were taken at Cossington garden centre where a decision to stay inside required substantial furniture rearrangement, willing done by the staff. After that it was a simple ride back through Sileby and Mountsorrel, arriving back having covered around 22 miles.
The new leader failed to obtain his full licence however, having forgotten to take the obligatory photo.
The Long Ride, (ride report by Eric.)
There was 6 that followed the Wizard (Howard) out of Outwoods Drive on the long ride this week. Hot on his heels, or should we say Wheels, were Terry, Brian, Trish, Rob, Jeff, and Eric. We were off to a new venue South of Ashby de la Zouch and over the other side of the .... A42, I hear you all audibly gasp, and some may have even choked on your tea cake. It is one thing to occasionally venture into Nottinghamshire with all the toilet rules that apply there but for Loughborough Wednesday cyclists to venture to the other side of the A42 is unheard of. It is akin the the rabbits of Watership Down crossing the river and the railway and taking on General Woundwort! Fortunately in the Wizard we had our very own Hazel and with his faithful Fiver or Terry as we call him ably giving him wise council we had someone who had been there before and had more than a "cunning plan".
So off we went rather incongruously in the opposite direction down the A6 to Quorn. Here we turned right past the Manor and the GCR station and through Old Woodhouse and onto Woodhouse Eaves. Once past the Bulls head the first ascent of the day commenced. Up and up, peddled the weary rabbits all the way to the top of the Beacon , well to the top car park at least. After a brief rest there, the fearless leader drove them on into a fierce westerly wind.
Then we whizzed down the hill until we hit the B591 and turned left and then slowly plodded up hill to Copt Oak. Turning right by the lights we went along Warren Hills road past another Bulls Head (and informed by Brian, another expert in this group on all beer related matters) that is claimed to be the Highest pub in Leicestershire. Mightily impressed we mused that probably meant we had a higher pub than .. lets say Lincolnshire or even ..Holland!
The Wizard tried to fool us all and shake off those not paying attention, by saying he would turn left down Greenhill and then sailing past it. However we know these cunning tricks he plays and stuck to him like glue albeit the rather elastic type from several hundred yards back. Instead we turned down Meadow lane and so plummeted down into the delights of Coalville. Through the town we went and crossing the A511 we came through Donington le Heath and turned right and onwards to Ravenstone. On again down a long stretch of the Ashby Road until we turned left at New Packington. Next stop was Packington itself. Here the clever leadership of the Wizard shone through. Whilst mutiny had reigned supreme in his absence last week, the wize old wizard gave the assembled warren "a choice"! Either break here in Packington OR are you brave enough rabbits to venture across the A42? Well you are hardly likely to get the likes of Bigwig, Buckthorn or Strawberry saying they weren't up to it, are you, whatever they felt like in reality? so Willesley it was to be.
Now this is where we saw the true nature of the cunning plan. Down the Measham Road we went and then as we crossed the busy B5006 we entered Willesley Wood side that was stated to be a dead end lane. Half way down the leafy lane we paused by a 5 bar field gate to have a group photo with Howard the Horse. This was merely lulling the dullest into a false sense of security. We wizzed rapidly down hill at and as the roar of traffic filled our ears The Wizard did a very sharp right on a rough gravel path and luckily we all followed. For those not paying attention it would have most certainly a gruesome and grizzly scene of squashed rabbit, for the straight on down hill would have taken you right onto the carriageway!! as it was we came up and round and over a cattle bridge and safely onto the other side. a little further on down some more leafy lanes and we were soon upon Hicks Lodge and our tea stop. This is a cycle centre with tracks around old quarry workings and Bike hire and sales and fortunately for 7 weary travellers .. a cafe.
In we marched and surveyed the comestibles. Then something very strange happened. Eric who claimed he had eaten too much cake this week already, as if such a thing was possible then proceeded to order a "vegan sausage roll". He also claimed he had never eaten anything vegan before in his life although someone believed he had eaten a vegetable previously. Anyway, not wishing to be sidetracked, the main point was that he then claimed that the "vegan sausage roll" was very nice indeed and he recommended it. Although he though it could have been improved if served alongside a couple of slices of black pudding but still pleasant enough.
As we mounted our cycles fully refreshed Howard said we were to skirt Ashby on the way home. He then proceeded to take us through the very centre of the High street and then expressed surprise that this was indeed the bustling metropolis of that name. Having successfully negotiated the traffic we went out on the Leicester Road and crossed back over the ghastly A42. At New Packington this time we turned left and then later crossed the Busy A511 and through Farm Town. ... where we saw ...A Farm! once we crossed the A512 and got onto the fast B5324. This had a fair amount of traffic but was in the main down hill and we took the long stretch past Coleorton, Griffydam Worthington ,Osgathorpe, Belton and finally Long Whatton until at last we hit the A6 at Hathern. This long stretch was a fast part of our journey and with the strong wind behind us, at times we were averaging 19MPH! From there we took a familiar route back to Loughborough and by the time we split up all would have completed at least 40 miles. We were safely home and thoughts of the fearsome A42 a distant if frightful memory that one could perhaps scare young rabbits with a scary bedtime story.