Wednesday 9th June 2021

Long Ride Report 9th June 2021

by Alan

Two significant milestones in my life look place on Wednesday of this week. After nearly 3 years from joining the Wednesday cycling group I finally got to ride with the legend that is John Catt. If I die tomorrow my life would have meaning.

The other milestone occurred when we had covered 38 miles before Mick disappeared into a bush to answer the call of nature for the first time that day. A record for him and one I’m sure he is proud of. He should put that on Strava as a personal best.

Our destination this week was Repton, a round trip of 42 miles, reasonably flat but with the potential of being quite warm later in the morning. I was joined by the ever faithful, Mick, also Trish, John, Bryan, Phil and a couple of new riders for me Dave and Patrick. Our coffee stop was going to be at the Mercia Marina, just short of Willington after 22 miles.

The journey there took us through Hathern, Long Whatton, Diseworth and then through East Midlands Airport and skirting the Castle Donnington race track. The airport did have more parked cars than last time but nowhere near capacity. Superbikes were warming up for the forthcoming season; again signs that things are slowly returning to normal. Stanton by Bridge, Barrow upon Trent and Stenson were passed through before we reached the marina.

Luckily for us a sizeable cafe was now open on the left, with lots of outdoor seating. It did need someone to untangle the chairs from a stack in the corner and then set them out. I saw Phil’s eyes light up when he was given the task. Cometh the hour, cometh the man. The snacks were plentiful and varied and a large pot of tea for one cost £1.90. What more could you want on a glorious sunny day?

Suitably refreshed, Repton was just a couple of miles down the road. One day I’ll stop there just to see if it has more to offer than just a school. From there we passed through Ticknall before turning right to enter the Calke Abbey grounds. 

I gave strict instructions to the riders not to stop at the toll hut as technically visitors should pay £8. Imagine my horror therefore to see that Mick had defied my orders and had stopped outside the very same booth. The red mist had descended as an unfortunate driver had impatiently driven past him far too close on the narrow path from the entrance. I don’t think that driver will make that mistake again in the future.

No matter where we cycle each week there are only about 4 ways back into Loughborough and on this occasion we opted for Tonge, Belton and Shepshed. 42 miles covered, water bottles all empty and possibly some sunburnt arms.

 

Short Ride Report 9th June 2021

by David

On another hot sunny day, with large numbers of cyclists gathered to follow their favourite leaders, the short ride set off with Keith, Robert, Pat and Lyn, led by David.
Grooves in the road would have told us how to get across town to Meadow Lane, from the numerous tyres that have followed that way.  As we crossed the meadow on the way to Stanford, a large field of buttercups was to our left, vying with our high-vis vests.  The first hill was Leake Lane, after which, the ride to the coffee stop was less challenging.  We were held up at the A6006 due to traffic, but afterwards sailed into East Leake.  The road through to Gotham weaved over the railway line, then straight past some big houses.  It was evidently sludge pumping day this time (pooh!).  We could have bypassed Gotham via Gypsum Way, but it was more interesting to see the village where one of the rides took a break last week.  We turned left into Kegworth Road, and carried on to Kingston on Soar, passing the impressive gates of Kingston Park.  From Kingston on Soar, we went under the railway bridge just as an Intercity train was crossing.  Turning immediately left, we followed Kingston Lane and Station Road over the River Soar to Kegworth.   The left turn into Nottingham Road took us to the junction with the old A6, where we were kept from our sustenance, just yards away, by a red traffic light for what seemed like ages.
Oaklands was inviting, although temporarily lacking toilet facilities.  We sat in the sun to chat and enjoy the coffee.

Pat left us at this point as we were headed in the opposite direction for her journey home. Shortly, after our break we encountered the second hill of the ride. A Ryanair plane passed over us several times doing a “circuits and bumps” routine (to use RAF jargon). We coasted into Long Whatton, then turned right, and after a few hundred yards, left up Smithy Lane, which crossed the M1 and reached a junction with the Belton Road. Here Robert left us to return to Hathern, and the rest of us turned right. Down the hill we came to Hallamford Road, and prepared ourselves for the third and final hill, into Shepshed. This was shorter although steeper than the other hills, particularly the last few yards into Oakley Road. After a right turn into Lansdowne Road, we crossed Brook Street and found the footpath across the Garendon Estate to Thorpe Acre. We were met by an old couple out for a walk; the couple were appreciative of cyclists warning of their approach by using the bell. At Kenilworth Road, Keith left us, and Lyn found a more interesting route through Garendon Green and the University to Forest Road. We were back by 12:30 having covered 23.5 miles at an average speed of 10.9 mph, and all the hills came to just under 1000 ft.

Intermediate Ride, 9th June 2021

Led by Howard, Report by Eric.

It was warm and sunny as they met at Holt Drive.
The various groups divided up ... Terry with one crowd, whizzed off quickly, to avoid the Melee, The hardy gathered as ever around Alan and a desultory bunch hoping for an easy life and the promise of a sunny new venue gravitated towards Howard. No short ride appeared, so they left John standing alone and forlorn later to Join Alan on the Long ride.
On a new adventure they followed the Wizard. In his wake was Graham, Rob, Clyde, Dom, Vic, Derek, and Eric bringing up the rear. (But please don’t bring up his rear, as 55 miles in the saddle the previous day had not been kind!) The usual secret squirrel byways of Howard’s took them out of town North via the A 6 through Hathern and turning off to Long Whatton and on arrival right up the Hill and back down again along Kegworth Lane.
At Kegworth there were the twists and turns that lead down and around the A 453 and then the Lanes to Sawley bridge. At Sawley The Wizard threw all caution to the winds and took them on a 3 mile trek on main roads through his old haunts of Long Eaton. Finally they turned off onto what looked like a deserted lane which took them to the hidden gem and  oasis that is Spring Lakes.
There was cable skiing, Paddle boarding, pedalos, wild water swimming and the fascinating sight of what looked like the set off “Total Wipeout meets Gladiator”.Vic stripped to the waist and looked like he was about to dive in and challenge the teenagers to a pugil stick duel, like some sort of latter day emaciated version of “Hunter”.
However sense prevailed and they settled down to grub from the cafe in glorious sunshine, content merely to watch the fun filled aquarium antics of the young. Favourite on the menu was the meal deal of Panini of choice with a choccy bar of choice along with your coffee all for 6 quid.
Fully refreshed there was a reluctance to leave the tranquility of water and sunshine but The Wizard was insistent on rapid departure and off they went down more lanes in search of the river Trent at Trent lock and then back to Sawley. Then came a wonderful array of highways and byways to Ratcliffe on Trent, Kingston on Soar, Sutton Bonnington, Normanton on Soar and Stanford on Soar. All the way back the group could hear a rambling and incoherent conversation between the latest comedy double act Vic and Dom about every ancient and decrepit footballer that had ever played in Loughborough. Their comical reminiscing will soon be available on a podcast on BBC sounds.
Arriving back in Loughborough having completed nearly 33 miles the group split up and Howard retired to his garden where he spent his afternoon teaching a young and Naive apprentice the art of bike mechanics. the main lesson the young man learnt was you need a hell of a lot of specialised tools and a wise Wizard to know how to use them!

 A zipped gpx file for this route is available to download from the website. SpringLakes.gpx.zip

Medium Ride, 9th June 2021

By Terry.

It was great to see so many at the 2^nd Great Gathering * on Holt Drive and a panic stricken John. He quickly whipped out a piece of paper with various rides on and quickly assigned leaders and cyclists to routes.

I, Terry, was the first to leave with Anne, Margaret, Rosalind, Myles and Andrew to a new destination, the Melbourne View Hotel between Kings Newton and Isley Walton about a mile off the Cloud Trail, the plan was 28 miles but if the stop was no good rather than let the others murder me we could easily carry on to Staunton Harold and do 32 miles.

We left Loughborough through Garendon Park to Shepshed and Belton on to Osgathorpe and the Cloud Trail. On the track down to the Cloud Trail we stopped at the quarry view point to see what appeared to be miniature trucks operating in the quarry. Along the Cloud trail to Kings Newton, it’s a pity about the diversion onto the road at the A42 crossing, was this an oversight in the A42 contract or a stroppy landowner? The shade along the trail was welcome even early in the morning.

Off the trail at Kings Newton towards our destination. On arrival the first impressions were very good, there was plenty of tables and parasols outside on the lawns and the view to Breedon church magnificent. The young lady was very welcoming and the cakes looked  and eventually tasted, delicious, they also did bacon butties. As there were no other customers the service was both quick and excellent. They are only open Tuesday to Friday, I guess because it is a wedding venue at the weekends. 

On leaving the hotel we turned right to Wilson, Breedon and Tonge leaving Tonge on the short uphill section of the A453 which no one seems to like, but it was not busy so it head down and climb the hill. Left at the roundabout to Diseworth Long Whatton,  Hathern and home.

A total of 28 miles.

*1^st Great Gathering was May to July 2013 at the National Railway Museum York when all surviving A4 Pacific steam locomotives  (Mallard etc) were on display simultaneously.