Shorter Ride to Foxton Locks
Report by David
The weather was cloudy with the occasional light breeze, so quite ideal for cycling. Participating in the shorter route to Foxton were Mick Gould (leader), Derek, David, Robert Stephens, Pat, John, Dave, Dom, Chris Gibson, Clyde and Steve, who is a friend of Clyde.
Our destination was the Foxton Locks Inn, where Derek had booked 2 tables in the conservatory.
Much of this ride was off-road, particularly through Leicester.
We made out way via Quorn and Mountsorrel to Rothley, where we turned onto the Syston Road. Opposite Platts Lane we entered Cossington Lakes and continued through to the Hope and Anchor. We crossed Wanlip Road and entered Watermead Park down the slope to the canal towpath and right through the gate to John Merrick’s Lake. We carried on South until Keys Lake, then West towards Birstall, but stayed in the park going SouthWest, taking the bridge near the White Horse to a track through meadow.
The track took us to parallel with Watermead Way (A563), then under that road and following the River Soar until the Swans Nest footbridge. We crossed this to join the west bank of the Grand Union canal, which we continued along past numerous obstacles following the tow path until just past King Richard Road, Leicester, where most of us mounted the slipway to Bede Island.
The tail of our group went a different way, continuing along the canal tow path past De Montfort University, probably ending up on same track as us; but the reassembly of riders took about half an hour. Many of us waited in Bede Park. As we waited a group of 3 lads set the tone for our stay with “we don’t want any trouble, don’t rob us” as they strutted through our ranks. Some of us stood a bit closer to our bikes after that.
The exit to Bede Park leads to a 3.3-mile dead straight track, much of it through the trees of Aylestone Meadows. The track was clearly once used by the Great Central Railway. Just before the Great Central Way there are remnants of a steel railway bridge over the canal, with its masses of supporting girders, then as the canal and elevated railway curve, there is an old building leaning against the elevation as though it was designed by the Harry Potter studio design team.
The Great Central Way goes south southwest, so inevitably crosses the occasional road. Maintenance work in the wooded section necessitated a diversion, which like most diversions doesn’t indicate how to get back on track. When we eventually found the track, we were confronted by a choice of directions and a multi-coloured sculpture with a hollow star on top, that that indicated distances to places.
At the end of the Great Central Way our path turned left into Needham Avenue, where we passed a possible coffee stop at Isabella’s café. We turned right onto Cork Lane, then crossed a bridge over the canal to enter New Bridge Road. Here we joined the Aylestone Road (A426) south to Blaby. At Blaby we turned left onto Hospital Road, then right onto the Leicester Road south. At Countesthorpe, just as he had done at Blaby, we went left, this time onto Foston Road. At the end of this road, we crossed the Welford Road (A5199) by going left then shortly right onto Spinney Road, that soon led us to Kilby.
The tail end of the group (probably a different tail to the previous occasion) turned right instead of left, so we had a 5-minute wait to reassemble. The task fell to Mick to ride back, while Derek got on the phone to one of the other riders. It must have seemed to Mick like herding cats to get us all to Foxton.
Kilby village was a bit congested with cars, but we got through more easily on bikes. At the end of Main Street, we headed up Fleckney Road. We passed through Fleckney on to Saddington. This being on a hill, we prepared for the descent down Mowsley Road and then off to the left to skirt Saddington Reservoir. This lane then climbs up to Holloway Spinney in a steep climb up to 1 in 7, where all except 2 of us got off the bikes to push. At the top, we were about to cross Gumley Road, when another cyclist took a cattle grid at speed causing us to wonder where the express train was coming from. We went through Gumley, then shortly afterwards took Foxton Road to arrive at the top of the flight of locks.
As we descended the path next to the flight of locks, a gentleman holding a windlass explained that there was no cycling, and it did say so on a sign. It appears that there is a sign at the top of the flight small enough to be missed by a bevy of starving, vision-impaired oldies.
We duly arrived at the Foxton Locks Inn. It was quite busy, so I don’t think they’d have missed us. But they handled late arrival, although inevitably there was some waiting time.
The 1st group of riders had been 20 minutes late, but considering they had scaled the Matterhorn and had time for morning coffee was not bad going. The 2nd group (this ride) was 1 hour late, but there was still food and drink and the 1st group were still there polishing off their dessert courses when we arrived.
When explaining our lateness to Vic, who led the first ride, he uttered the prophetic words “when you’re on a canal towpath there are only 2 ways to go, well there are 3, but let’s not go there.”
There was a Quiz from Jeff to tick off on cards items we had seen on the ride – some of us cheated by spilling water on our cards to make up for the lack of rain.
At about 3 pm, the 2nd ride set off on the return journey.
A more level route along the canal tow path was agreed. However, it was bumpy, and a short section of it was sloped ever more steeply towards the canal. Unfortunately, for Mick this left him nowhere else to go but into the canal. Two lads quickly dropped their bikes and hauled out his bike then went back for Mick, who was thankfully unharmed. We took the next available steps to a road after that. The group of puzzled cyclists looked at the road, and some looked at SatNav. Yes, many had independent navigational means at their fingertips, just in case they lost the main group. Here, wherever that was, we decided collectively which way to go, generally North or South. We went SouthWest, which seemed wrong from a directional perspective, and we had our biggest return hill to climb as a consequence. But this took us to Saddington and hence back onto the route of our arrival. From here to Syston Road, we retraced that route.
It was time for the schools to turn out as we coasted down to Fleckney, and a small hill on the Kilby Road was the last appreciable hill we’d see. The weather turned cloudier and the air cooler as we rode home.
But there was one thing Mick was to show us just off the Great Central Way. It was JT’s café. It was tucked away on an industrial site and about the size of a garden shed, so was take-away only. There was supposed to be bikes parked outside, but they were gone. We headed off.
Since Pat was going home via Barrow upon Soar, our homeward route went via Cossington, Sileby and Barrow. Various people turned off at different stages, and the scribe was the only one to go back to Holt Drive.
Here the ride length was 63.1 miles, with an elevation gain 2192 ft, arriving home at about 6:30. The average moving speed was 9.8 mph.
Thanks are due to Derek for the overall organization and the Mick for the challenging task of getting 11 of us to Foxton and back.
Long Ride
Report by Vic
The annual day out ride had finally arrived and the weather was hopefully going to be almost perfect, sunny intervals and a moderate westerly wind with a small chance of a light shower. I was tasked with leading so as we were starting at an early time of 8.45am I left home at just after 8.00am to rendezvous at the clubhouse for 8.30amish.
The traffic was noticeably busier than normal at this earlier time but on my arrival there were already several riders gathered. Over the next few minutes the rest of the group assembled and Jeff distributed her Ride Bingo cards to the assembled bunch.
As the departure time came, the eleven disciples posed for a photo taken by Andrew who had come down early to capture the historic event.
We rolled out towards Quorn along the A6 cycle path heading towards Cossington with the wind giving us some gentle assistance.
Our first hill was Back Lane and then to Burrough Court cafe via Rearsby, Gadesby and Twyford the final mile being up the steady climb of Burrough Hill.
The cafe took a while to serve us but eventually we all had our chosen beverages and refreshments and there was some mirth and merriment filling in Jeff's Bingo cards.
At about 10.50am we remounted and headed uphill for a few hundred yards where we turned left onto Marefield Lane. I gathered the troops here to inform them that the next 17 miles would be mainly on single track roads with some steepish descents and corners both with potential gravel hazards so I advised precautionary braking to avoid locking up the wheels. Immediately the road descended down to a gravelly section at the base which we all negotiated safely.
The route now took us through some of Leicestershire's loveliest countryside and highest hills. We picked our way along through several gated sections to Skeffington crossing the A47 here and on to Rolleston past Nosely Hall and then the short but sharp climb up to Goadby. Here I informed the team that there was only one more hill before Foxton but then immediately had to apologise as I had forgotten the steep exit from Goadby! Once crested the road drops for a couple of miles to Glooston. We then headed towards Tur Langton, a mile before we turned off to Church Langton, here Dave left us as he needed to be home by 3pm. Church Langton sits on top of a hill so we wearily climbed the hill knowing it was the last one before lunch. Passing through East Langton and along a short section of the Market Harborough road we crossed the A6 and after another mile made the short climb up to the canal which passes through the centre of the village here, we joined the towpath traversing the swing bridge to our destination. After parking the bikes we went in and found the tables Derek had reserved.
We had arrived at 12.45pm about 15 minutes behind schedule.
Again there was bit of a wait but the pub were very efficient and we soon all had our chosen refreshments.
By the time the Short ride arrived most of us were finishing and Jeff was onto her second pint!
We had another picture as we set off back at 2.05pm. It was an uphill start through the car parks and up onto the Gumley Road where we headed towards Gumley the road rolled with some uphill and downhill sections passing through Gumley onto Smeeton Westerby and then Kibworth Beachamp where we passed along the Main Street over the railway and A6 to Kibworth Harcourt. We climbed towards Carlton Curlieu where we had a stop for refreshments, the hills were beginning to take their toll now and there was a noticeable decline in the amount of mirth and merriment. We set off again to find the road to Burton Overy was closed but we chanced that we could get through, which proved to be the case.
We lost four of the group here as the front section turned right in the centre but the back group hadn't seen this and carried straight on, fortunately there was a runner who when asked had seen the route taken so they were quickly able to get back on the correct route and met us at the top of the hill where we had waited.
We then worked our way through Little Stratton and eventually To Houghton-on-the-Hill here we crossed the A47 and descended towards Ingarsby and then onto Keyham, Beeby and Barkby.
Unfortunately, we arrived in Barkby at 4.00pm and our stop closed at 4.00pm so I led them to Syston where I knew the Costa opened until 5pm. The refreshments were most welcome as most were now feeling the miles in their legs. Ged left us here and headed home to Bistall the rest of us joined the canal to Cossington where we had a final picture, taken by a very obliging runner.I left the group here to find their own way back home.
I had covered just under 70 miles but also 3910ft of ascending . The weather had stayed fine, hopefully after a good rest, shower and meal all will have enjoyed the ride, I know I did.
Vic
Short Ride
Report by John
A rather chilly and generally overcast morning greeted the riders assembling in Holt Drive at 09.30. It was reported that eleven riders had departed at 08.45 on the longer route to Foxton Locks and another ten had gathered to follow Mike on the shorter route.
Once the Foxton Locks' riders had departed just Margaret, John, Fiona, Andrew, Dennis plus new riders David and Ian remained. As the school holidays are approaching, resulting in pedestrian congestion in Bradgate Park, it was decided to take the last opportunity to traverse the Park until September.
The riders head south past Mucklin Wood and onto to Swithland where they took a right turn onto Leicester Road and pedalled on to the north entrance of Bradgate Park.
The park was not particularly busy and the sun was now shining, making it a very pleasant ride up to Newtown Linford.
After sampling the excellent fare at the Jade Cafe the riders returned taking Reservoir Road to Cropston then past Rothley Station and onto the Ridgeway, before rejoining the outward route at Swithland. The group carried on to Quorn arriving back in Loughborough shortly after noon.
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