Wednesday 4th October 2023

A cool overcast morning produced a good turnout at Holt Drive with four groups setting out.

Leigh & Derek on Brand Lane

Short Ride

Report by John

Terry offered a very popular ride to Cossington, so to limit the size of the group, John, Clyde, Leigh and Derek decided to head for Bawdon Lodge.

The riders set out through the University and on up to Sheshed where they wended their way to Tickow Lane and then onto Charley Road, arriving at Bawdon Lodge c.10.40.

Clyde, Derek and Leigh at Bawdon Lodge

On departure Leigh discovered that he had a puncture. However, fortunately he has slime injected into his inner tubes that sealed the leak sufficiently, once reinflated, to get him home without further pumping.

The group returned via Joe Moores Lane, Roecliffe (where Clyde left the ride), Swithland and Woodhouse, with the final leg being past Mucklin Wood to arrive back at noon.

Long Ride

Report by Graham

I'd offered a medium or a long ride, and JC asked me to deliver the latter, so Laurence, Bryan, Brian, Rob Smith, Mick, DaveC and Robert dutifully followed me through town and out along Meadow Lane. We threaded our way northwards over Fox Hill, Sutton Bonington etc, but rather than the usual Long Lane route, we went under the A453 at Ratcliffe, then along it into a stiff headwind before heading north again through Sawley, and Church Wilne to our coffee and cake stop at Canal Cottage Cafe, just north of Draycott.

I hadn't visited before but it was very pleasant, cycle friendly (if you call wheel-bender bike racks friendly!), and the usual combinations of porcine fare were consumed. Conversation was a little esoteric, from aircraft control surfaces which led on to Keil Kraft balsa models and then reed based radio control systems.

Mike, Robert, Bryan, Laurence, Rob (partially hidden), Brian and David at Canal Cottage Cafe, just north of Draycott.

On leaving we took the towpath then the road to Borrowash, then went left past Elvaston Castle, through Ambaston to Sawley, back on to Warren Lane for a bit, then through Kegworth to Long Whatton, the hilliest bit of the ride.

We were back in Loughborough just after 13:00, having ridden a shade under 40 miles.

Apologies to Rob Smith for not getting him in the photo, or maybe he was deliberately hiding...

Short Ride 2

Report by Andrew

The Riders:-

Terry (Leader)
Myles
John
Paul
Eric
Andrew (Reporter and back marker)
Chris

The conversations:-

Nice cups of coffee with oat milk
Various jobs in the garden
The Ryder Cup
Park runs (no one seemed keen!!)
80s music (a favourite of mine!!)
The Rugby World Cup
Asthma attacks 
Road signs in Ireland (why was this on the agenda??)
There was something else but it was far too highbrow for me to remember 

The coffee shop:-

East Goscote nurseries.

Paul, John, Andrew, Myles, Eric & Chris

Excellent offerings:- the options we elite athletes gleefully enjoyed with our hot drinks were:-

Savory scones with pickle,
Flapjack, 

Coffee and walnut cake - glorious (see photo),

Sausage rolls - fabulous (see photo).

(Who needs Jamie Oliver??).

One of our elite athletes (no names no pack drill) was severely and strongly tempted to have both a cake and also a sausage roll!!  But just about resisted!!


The route:-

Along Epinal Way
Up the Coe Path to Shepshed
Along Tickow Lane and over the A512
Past Bawden Lodge (no coffee stop honest!!)
Past Lingdale Golf Club
Left turn just after Bradgate Park
Past Rothley Train Station (still no coffee stop - grrr!!)
Through Rothley
Arrive at East Goscote Nurseries (finally a coffee stop - hurray!!) after approximately 17 miles
Through Cossington
Left turn at Sileby
Through M'Sorrel
Through Quorn
Back to LB at approx 1245.


Approx 25 miles @ 11mph.