Andrew's Advent Calendar

 2023 Wednesday cyclists advent calender. 

1 number of walks I went on with the group due to the roads being too icey and dangerous type ride on.   From the Moat Road car park up to the Outwoods and back again.   In case there's any doubt, even though it wasn't a ride, we still managed a good stop in Olivia's Coffee Shop to sample their offerings!!!  These things have to be done!!!

1 number of chains that snapped on my ride!!  Not good news as my fellow riders tried to save the situation taking out a link and putting in a pin.  The most fiddly job I've ever known.  In the end got a new chain and cassette fitted, so it was an expensive day!!   

2 number of tea bags in the pot at Birstall Community Centre, I like strong tea but was as high as a kite following the caffeine infusion.  

2 The number of chickens who "attacked" our group at Stonehurst Farm in the hunt for scraps… no chance!!  They should know us better than us giving away our delightful refreshments!!! 

3.141592 etc - some of the pies on offer at various locations looked magnificent, I wish I could manage such delightful looking treats!

3.25 - miles on the road from Beacon Hill past Beaumanor Hall to the A6 / Quorn, steep downhill, often wind behind, toward the end of the ride and heading for home, fabulous section of road! (No pothole problems).

6.50 - the price in pounds of a pot of tea and a small (ish) piece of flapjack at Granite Works.  (Ouch!).

14 miles, my shortest ride of the year, back on March 8th.  It was to Millie's and was really cold but we got back before the snow / sleet began to fall and also settle.  

14 - I managed 14 different coffee shops this year, (see below with number of appearances) these stops are the highlight of my ride with the usually amazing refreshments and the usually, not so amazing, eloquence on offer.

In order of appearance.

Bawden Lodge x 5

Stonehurst Farm (Mountsorrel) x  2

Jade's (Newton Linford)* x 7 

Olivia's (The Outwoods car park)* x 1

Millie's (Barrow) x 4

Birstall Community Centre x 1

Granite Works*  x 1

Normanton Community Centre x 1 

St Joseph's x 1

Rothley Station x 2

Gallery 119* (Sutton Bonnington) x 1

East Goscote Nurseries x 2

The Beacon Inn x 2  ®

Beardsley's (Rearsby)  x 1 

® Due to Ride being rained off.

* First time ever for me on a ride with the group 

20 - apparently there a 20 neck muscles in the human head, however, I think our Leaders have extras as they seem to be able to swivel round to see what's happening behind!!  How do they do this??

25 seconds… the approximate time they take to serve folks at Jade's in Newtown Linford - tremendous – they have fabulous apricot and date crumble - amazing!!

36.5 miles per hour, the maximum speed I accrued this year passing down Beacon Road with Beacon Hill on the left hand side, the strong wind behind helped!!

40 minutes, the estimated average time spent in the coffee shops, my favourite part of the rides with great refreshments and even greater (if sometimes eccentric) debate and banter.

99 percent, the amount of time I spend cycling into the breeze on a windy day, it never seems to be wind behind!!!  Why??

150mm - the approximate radius of the Wagon Wheels at Bawden Lodge, incredible!!  While they are delicious, massive respect to anyone who managed to consume one of these in one sitting!!  I can just about manage half of a Wagon Wheel on a good day!!

275 the distance in yards I managed on a ride on the 1st February before getting a puncture outside The Forest Gate.   I assume this is a group record, unless anyone can beat this excellence.

682 - I managed 31 rides this year @ an estimated average of 22 miles per ride is 682 miles.  (Call it kilometres and it's over 1,000 so sounds more fulfilling).

2024 - Looking forward to many more great rides in 2024 and beyond.

4,000 pot holes - an estimate of the number of pot holes I've  seen on rides this year this year.  Totally and unashamedly pilfered from The Beatles "Life in a day" they referred to 4,000 holes in Blackburn Lancashire an apparent reference to pot holes.  (Although others thought it a reference to needles / drug taking!!!)

1,000,000 thanks to our leaders who do such a great job, how they know the routes, coffee shops and timings to arrive there at break time is amazing. 

1,000,000 (to 1) - the odds against anyone with any sanity still awake and reading this insane nonsense.