Loughborough Wednesday Cyclists

 With snow and ice already in evidence and a forecast indicating that temperatures will remain below freezing for most of the morning, discretion is the better part of valour, so NO RIDES THIS WEEK. Remember today is the last day for booking the Xmas lunch.

We will once again be having our Xmas Lunch at Rothley Court . You can use this form for booking your place and selecting your courses. Derek is organising the event and you can pay him either by giving him cheque or crediting his account direct. Details are towards the end of the form. You need to reserve you place by 20th November. YOU MUST CLICK THE SUBMIT BUTTON AT THE FOOT OF THE FORM FOR YOUR ENTRIES TO REGISTER. Once you have clicked on the submit button you should get both a confirmation screen in your browser and receive an email confirming your choices. Unfortunately it seems you may need a google account to use the form. If you don't succeed in getting an automatic confirmation please email your choices (a screen shot of the form should suffice) to  wxmaslunch@ctclr.org.uk .

Short Ride Report by John After John announced that he intended to head up to Ulverscroft for refreshments, most of the riders opted for other routes and just Elaine, Andrew, Nim, Myles and Derek were left after the other rides had departed. The riders departed Loughborough past Mucklin Wood and Beaumanor, then slowly climbed to Woodhouse Eaves and then up to Maplewell. After a brief descent, the riders continued ascending up Priory Lane. By now some of the riders were feeling the effects of all the climbing and it was decided that discretion was the better part of valour and that it would be sensible to divert to the Jade Tearoom in Newtown Linford. Myles leading Elaine, Derek, Andrew and Nim along Ulverscroft Lane After some brisk descents the riders enjoyed the usual excellent cakes before returning through Bradgate Park and on through Swithland, Woodhouse and Quorn with riders leaving the group at different points along the way.

Short Ride Report by John The short ride once again proved popular this week and two sets of riders set out from Holt Drive. John led Dennis, David, Elaine, Mick, Derek, Chris, Andrew, Myles and Rob to the tea room in Beacon Hill Country Park. The group set out through the University towards Shepshed, turning off Ashby Road through Garendon Park, skirting the Temple of Venus and the many holes in the tarmac cut by road repairers. It is to be hoped that we will end up with a smooth tarmac surface on the Coach Road into Shepshed. The riders wended their way to Forest Street and descended to Market Place, where John made the mistake of going up Bridge Street, rather than Chapel Street. However he manage to find a way through to New Walk and the riders joined Tickow Lane only to find that it was closed for road works a mile of so down the road and the workmen were not prepared to let cyclists squeezy by. So the group retraced it steps to the point where they could get into the new ho

Short Ride Report by John John was offering a short ride to the Jade Cafe at Newtown Linford, which proved popular, so some of the group were persuaded to join Terry on a ride to Millies. The group that set our consisted of Andrew, Myles, Dom, Margaret, Chris, Mick, Betty, Rob, Derek & John. Betty leading the group towards Beaumanor Hall The riders ventured south past Mucklin Wood arriving at Bradgate Park via Swithland. The park was comparatively quiet, so many of the deer were close at hand as the riders passed through. Andrew, Myles, Dom (hidden), Margaret, Chris, Mick, Dennis, Betty, John, Derek & Rob outside Jade Tearoom Newtown Linford Most of the group gave way to the temptation to buy cake at the Jade cafe, where they were joined by Dennis, before returning though the Park, taking a left turn to Roecliffe to return via Woodhouse and Quorn. Dom, Mick and Rob returning through Bradgate Park

Short Ride Report by John Elaine crossing the Soar in Watemead Park This week the short ride was to the Methodist Tea Room at Birstall. John C., David, Elaine, Derek, Dennis, Margaret and John N. headed south through Quorn, ignoring the road closed signs and skirting the road works. There were more road works in Mountsorrel and the group led by Terry could be seen ahead. They climbed out of the valley to avoid these while our group negotiated the road works, which meant that at the Bier Way roundabout the groups almost merged. More road works held up riders at Rothley, but here Terry's group headed east while we carried on south, negotiating the new cycle paths skirting the Broadnook Garden Village. The riders followed the Sustrans route into Birstall where they found that the church hall looked very full. However a lady indicated that they had an "overflow" room and on entering found that a table had been vacated that could accommodate the seven of us. David, Elaine

Longer Ride Report by Alan Despite the absence of the three wise men (John, Derek and Howard) and the cast iron assurance of rain at mid-day, the turnout at Holt Drive was surprisingly large. Dave M, David, Trish, Rob, Divendra, Mick and Jones joined me on the odyssey to Twyford. Four bits of good news accompanied us on the trip. Ø    Nobody got a puncture Ø    There was almost no wind Ø    It was unseasonably warm Ø    It didn’t rain   I thought no one could match Mick for riding a pile of c**p each week but I must admit Dave M pushes him pretty close. I don’t think the latter’s bike has ever seen a cleaning cloth or been introduced to an oil can. Coming up Bridge Street in Barrow we had the first of the stoppages where his chain came off. Dave nonchalantly announced “it always does that on hills ... it’s best to avoid them”. Unfortunately for him, and us, I forgot what a hilly ride lay in front of us, and so the chain said farewell to the sprockets a couple of other times later. Stra

Longer Ride Report by Alan The only way I can convince my wife to get out of bed and join middle aged men and women on a bike ride, on a Wednesday, is to convince her of 3 things. The ride will be short, The weather outside is warm, There is no possibility of rain. On this latter point I put my faith in the hands of (giggly) Carol Kirkwood, the weather woman on BBC Breakfast, who stated categorically that today “would be dry with sunny spells”. Looking out of the window, and seeing darkening clouds building up, together with the rainfall radar showing big blue blobs moving west from Lincolnshire, I knew she was fibbing. No wonder her first husband left her. At 9.15am at Holt Drive there was just Rob, Wendy and me present and raring to go. At 9.28am the numbers had swollen to at least 30, (possibly more) with people pacing around impatiently waiting for the arrival of Holt Drive’s answer to a very slim, and better looking, version of Kim Jong Un. Eventually 8 others joined m