Wednesday 25th August 2021

An overcast day with a hint of moisture in the air produced another good turnout with 3 groups setting out.

Short Ride Report

by John

It had originally been the intention that David would lead a ride to Coalville and John lead a shorter ride through Quorn to pick up any riders attracted by the publicity for the Quorn festival. However as only John, David, Marcus, Lyn, Dom, Phil and Isobel remained at the start, it was decided to set out as one group via Quorn.

After wending their way around the South Loughborough Development the riders emerged at the Woodthorpe roundabout and proceeded south to Quorn, arriving just before 10.00. As there were no potential riders at Quorn the group carried on south via Rothley ( where a bunch of unidentifiable cyclists was observed speeding down the hill) to Birstall and then turned north through Watermead Park and alongside the canal to Cossington.

Refreshment was obtained at the garden centre in Cossington. 

The riders returned via Sileby and Mountsorrel, arriving in Loughborough at 12.15pm.

Intermediate Ride

report by Terry

Another great turnout at Holt Drive, getting a bit of a habit this. Nine of us, Keith, Myles, Mick, Andrew, Lee, Robert, Margaret and Anne and me, Terry left heading up Beacon Road towards Pytchley Drive and Rainbows. We left Loughborough on the cycle track to Quorn and Barrow and Cossington all quite uneventful thank goodness, loads of eclectic chatter behind me from the fortunes and perils of one hundred cricket to Elvis films and the Rat Pack. 

From Cossington to the Rothley crossroads, thankfully Anne was keeping back marker and it made ensuring we were all together much easier.

From Rothley we headed to Anstey via Thurcaston, not the most direct route to Bradgate, but if we wanted a short ride we could have gone to Tesco, just passed the crossroads a bunch of unidentifiable cyclists cut across us heading into the new estate We spread out up the hill out of Anstey and therefore paused at the top for all to reconvene. Down the other side to Newtown Linford and Bradgate Park. The road through Bradgate was a little busy but I have seen it worse.

Refreshments were taken at the Deer Barn, one rider even had a secret sandwich apparently not allowed them at home! 

Setting off suitably refreshed towards Hall Gates, turning right out of Hall Gates towards Swithland, I had made good progress towards Swithland though on turning around to check the back marker it turned out I was it!!!!! NO ONE was behind me. It turned out a corner back Lee,s GPS gadget had made a bid for freedom, fortunately Margaret had seen this and stopped along with the rest of the group and several cars.

Swithland, Rothley and part of Mountsorrel were negotiated without further ado. At a car showroom in Mountsorrel Keith said there was a display of soap boxes. Daz OMO Persil?? No Red Bull soap box derby “vehicles” I used call them trolleys but maybe these were slightly more sophisticated than a plank of wood and 4 pram wheels. Margaret said she didn’t need a new car and headed of to Loughborough ahead of the pack.

Having taken in the delights of the display the rest of us headed for Loughborough also, at Meeting Street in Quorn Anne and I turned left to Mucklin Wood and the others continued straight on home. On getting to Mucklin Wood we discovered why no one wanted to go that way, the surface always not good had deteriorated somewhat and had been “patched” with loose gravel.

I did a total of 29 miles the others about 27. Total ascent 455m.

Long ride

Report by Graham

In Alan’s absence I’d offered to lead the long ride today, and was headed for Lake View fisheries, recommended to me by a non-LWC cycling pal. I thought it was a new venue for the group, but there is no such thing when Mick is in tow...

Despite the grey drizzly morning, plenty of riders had turned out, and I soon had a pod of 8. So before it could get any bigger, I led Howard, Vic, Tricia, Dave, Rob, Brian and Mick out through town via the Beehive, out past Cotes Mill before taking the quiet roads towards Walton. We wended our way through Burton, Wymsewold and Willoughby, dropping gingerly along the damp roads through Old Dalby to Nether Broughton and onwards to Long Clawson. What went down had to go back up so we made the stiff climb up Clawson Hill before regrouping at the top for the short final leg to our coffee stop.

Several had in fact visited before: one of Howard’s past rides in the area had found their planned stop closed and Mick and Margaret had brought them here instead. It is now much improved with excellent food, value and service, Mick was delighted that a cup of tea was still only a quid! Rob went for the bacon and egg cob which would have been enough for all 8 of us, perhaps that explains why he punctured on the way back. As well as cyclists, it’s a mecca for anglers (the name gives it away a bit), and motorcyclists; there were 2 immaculate Yamaha RD400s outside, which had Howard reminiscing about his misspent youth, when he had the 250 equivalent.

Fed and watered, Vic, who seems to know every lane and track in the county, led us on lovely quiet lanes via Holwell and Welby to Asfordby, from where we followed route 48 back via Hoby and Thrussington. As mentioned, Rob burst a tube on this stretch, so Brian and Tricia continued on to meet their afternoon commitments, while the rest of us joined forces to get Rob back on the road.

The final stretch was Ratcliffe, then Humble Lane to Cossington where Vic peeled off, then Sileby and Mountsorrel, where I did the same, leaving the remaining 4 to continue to Loughborough.

My total distance was 46 miles, with almost 2000’ of climbing, and we almost stayed dry.