There was an early morning frost on the ground and roofs, but the air temperature seemed warmer as more than 20 riders gathered at Holt Drive for 10am. Medium Ride to Ulverscroft Report by David Terry led a ride over the hills south-west of Loughborough, accompanied by Trisha, Rob Smith, Mick, David and Anne. We followed the Epinal Way to Garendon Road, then crossed Alan Moss Road to Kenilworth Avenue to emerge onto the Garendon estate at the end of Coe Avenue. There was some mud and tractor tyre channels to negotiate on the track, such that we could not wave at a bevy of passing walkers with both hands needed firmly on the handlebars. Through Shepshed via Countrymans Way and Lansdowne Road we arrived onto Oakley Road. Wind was beginning to pick up as we negotiated pot holes that extended right across the carriageway. Coming up Tickow Lane, what used to be remote cottages now have the overbearing of houses under construction behind a thin line of trees. We crossed the A51...

A very blustery day saw a reduced turnout. Medium ride to Sawley Marina Report by David There was some doubt whether the winds would subside enough for safe riding. Although there was still some wind from the WSW, the medium ride went okay. Otherwise, the temperature was warm for January and there was no hint of rain. Graham had planned a route to allow for crosswinds, and was accompanied by Vic, Jedd, Brian, Marcus, David and Dennis. Dennis dropped out as we proceeded out of Loughborough on the A6 towards Hathern. By Hathern Nurseries, we turned left onto Whatton Road, then right through Long Whatton. Opposite The Falcon, we were helped up the hilly Kegworth Road by the wind. However, the Kegworth bypass was a bit of a struggle, being exposed to crosswinds. We skirted round Amazon warehouses and came down Bainbrigge Road and Church Street to Lockington. Near the end of Main Street, we turned left onto the cycle track, parallel to the A50. We passed underneath and on a ...

   Andrew,  Sue and Marcus have produced this article that has been published in the Loughborough Echo (without our group photo). Loughborough Wednesday cycling group recently held their annual Christmas Lunch at Rothley Court, with 36 diners enjoying an excellent three course meal. The cycling group is a thriving and active group who cater for cyclists of varying abilities who enjoy weekly Wednesday rides along with the all-important coffee stop for refreshments and conversation. After the dining, Sue and Marcus Wilde, who are regular cyclists with the group, ran a raffle to raise much needed funds for water filtration equipment in Tanzania.  They had some great donations for the prizes, including a very generous donation from Rothley Court, and were delighted to raise £173 to help this fabulous cause. Sue and Marcus first visited Tanzania in 2008 and were invited to stay in Kibaya, a small town in the  Manyara Region; they were the guest of Bishop John Haydon ...

Shortest Ride to Gotham Report by David Hark! The hour of 10 is sounding; hearts with anxious fears are pounding…about the prospect of ice. So, we rode carefully for the first hour. David was joined by Keith, Rob Stephens and Laurence for the ride to Gotham and back, stopping at Gallery 119 in Sutton Bonington. It was a cold start, with some white footpaths, although not slippery. The weather remained dry, and not as cold as the path surfaces would indicate. Coming through Loughborough, there were lots of learner drivers, including a big lorry. We crossed on one of the usual routes to Meadow Lane. At the lowest point on the marshes for about 20 yards, there was still about 3 inches of water in the middle of the lane. There was no ice here, but a puddle frozen over at the side of the lane. Stanford on Soar had some hefty deposits of silt to negotiate on the road just after the first bend – so much for the recent tyre washing. We negotiated Leake Lane with its ever-deepeni...

A cool morning with the possibility of showers saw a somewhat reduced turnout for the start of the year with two groups setting out. Shortest Ride to Rothley Station Report by John John had proposed a short ride to Ellis's Tea Room at Rothley Station and was joined by Andrew, Myles, Marcus, Dennis, John N. and Ian. The riders headed south with the intention going through Quorn and then climbing out of the Soar Valley past the Quarry. However, just outside Rawlins they were flagged down by Neil Parr who advised them that the road in the centre of the village was under two feet or water. The riders reversed course and headed west through Woodhouse and then along Brand Lane before taking the climb up to Roecliffe. John N. leads Ian, Dennis, Myles and Andrew up Brand Lane From there it was largely a swift descent to Cropston Reservoir where the riders stopped to look at the reservoir overflow that was in full spate. Andrew, Marcus, Dennis and Myles with Cropston Reservoir Overf...