Wednesday 18th September 2024

In a week with established high pressure over the country, this was always going to be a fine day. As the four rides set out, it was cloudy, but at least warmer than the previous day, and thus pretty warm for September.

Intermediate Ride

Report by David

David led a ride to Swarkestone, the destination being the Garden Restaurant. He was accompanied by Paul, Rob Smith, Tricia, Margaret and Keith, who was on the Shackerstone ride in July.

We left Holt Drive, turning left onto Forest Road, then continued until Benscliffe Drive. At the end of Benscliffe Drive we took Holywell Drive, then Coniston Crescent to enter the University campus near Burleigh Court. Our route through the university took University Road down to Holywell Way, then Oakwood Drive past the Advance Technology Innovation Centre and the track leading to Ashby Road. The traffic lights were in our favour until an aggressive Mecedes driver blasted their horn at Margaret. We followed Ashby Road on the cycle track until Iveshead Road, Shepshed, then crossed to climb that road. This was one of the hillier parts of the ride, as we came over the brow of the hill and dived into the valley past Charley Road, then up again on Abbey Road. Further along we turned into Oaks Road, past Mount St Bernard Abbey. Discussions speculated about how that establishment and others like it recruited young staff these days. Perhaps the beer helps. Also, Margaret was consulted on routes through Whitwick.

We cycled through “City of Three Waters”, which is a grand name for a street in the centre of Whitwick. At the top, it was a challenge to pull out to cross Talbot Road on the crossroads, both from the traffic and the steep slope. Carrying on, we went along Brooks Lane and turned right into Church Lane, through New Swannington, up the hill then down again, meeting Main Street Swannington at a ‘T’ junction. There were more hills as we came through Peggs Green and Griffydam, and we waited at the crossroads with the B5324 for everyone to catch up.

After crossing this road, we were on Top Brand, having now seen the back of all significant hills. We took a left down Bull Hill, just after a large lorry. But, near the top of the hill, the lorry driver stopped for directions. We managed to squeeze carefully through one side of the lorry and rode through Worthington, and up the other side looking for a sign to the Cloud Trail. On the Breedon Road, we turned off through the trail car park and joined the trail. It was peaceful cycling. There was an interruption as we had to come off the trail temporarily to cross the A42 and rejoin it the other side. Then we continued past the Melbourne turning and to a point where two other cyclists were deciding whether to take the bridge or the lower track signposted to Derby. We all took the latter and it led to a canal towpath. The towpath took us all the way to the A514. This was a busy road, which we followed using the footpath, but eventually had to break into the traffic in order to turn right on the bend near the Crewe and Harpur pub. After this, it was only a few hundred yards to the nursery.

We walked our bikes through the main store, and were given instructions how to get to the restaurant, while parking our bikes outside (as LWC had done before earlier this year). On that occasion those cyclists had enjoyed bacon butties: on this occasion, we were but 4 minutes too late for that offering. Still, the scones and Florentines were big enough for us provided there were no more big hills. From the photo, it can be seen that we were generally happy with the establishment.

Margaret, Rob, Tricia, Keith and Paul at Swarkestone.

Our route home took us back along the A5132, then the A514, over the Trent and Mersey Canal, then immediately right onto Swarkestone Road. This took us to Weston on Trent, which fortunately for the inhabitants, is not actually on the Trent. Neither is Aston on Trent, which we went through subsequently. In Aston, we took a right turn onto Shardlow Road. This crossed the A50 before reaching Shardlow. In Shardlow, we turned right onto London Road, crossed the canal and the River Trent on the Cavendish Bridge. At the Sawley Junction, the cycle paths took us under the B6540 to run parallel to the A50 towards the M1. More convoluted paths took us under the A50, twice, then crossing the M1 and turning left onto Warren Lane. We then went right on one of the two parallel empty roads, that run parallel with an A453 slip road, and for that matter also the M1. It was the left of these parallel roads that led us under the bridge for the A453, then round to join the A6 into Kegworth.

The route home was then to follow the A6 through Kegworth and Hathern. As we cycled along here, the clouds parted enough for it to begin to get sunny.

For the narrow bridge on the path that goes under the A6 by the Black Brook at Dishley, somebody had kindly replaced the missing plank. However, no sooner than we were safely through, we discovered that Paul had a puncture. Fortunately, it was a slow one. Keith lent him a pump, and with 2 replenishments of air Paul was able to get back to his car in Holt Drive by putting on bursts of speed.

We will have been home by 2:10, having covered 36.8 miles at an average moving speed of 10.7 mph. We would need a different route to make it to the restaurant in time for breakfast, but the route we took provided 1814 feet of climbing to help us digest the cakes.

Short Ride

Report by John

John, Chris, Dom, Myles, Rob, Dave, Clyde, Andrew and Dennis decided to head for Millie's Cafe on the Salt Way. Leaving Loughborough via Meadow Lane every set of traffic lights on the way out seemed to turn red as they approached.

At Stanford on Soar they turned south east for Cotes and then climbed on a fairly quiet A60 to Hoton where they turned east for Wymeswold. The riders then continued along Narrow Lane to Six Hills where they turned west along Paudy Lane before taking a left down Berrycott Lane to Seagrave.

Clyde, Andrew and Chris on Berrycott Lane

The group then climbed Big Lane up to the Salt Way and turned west again to get to Millie's Cafe.

Myles, Rob, Dave, Clyde, Andrew and Dennis

Clyde, Dom and Dave

After refreshment the ride resumed back across the Soar at Barrow with riders arriving back in Loughborough around noon.

Medium Short Ride

Report by Tim

Nine of us set off on a roundabout route for Rothley on a grey September morning led by Howard. 

We wove through Shelthorpe estate onto Allendale Road using a cut-through from Manor Road that was new to me! Onward to the Farley Way lights in Quorn where we took the Woodhouse road, Brand Lane to Swithland, across the reservoir (on the bridge; we can't all ride on water) then doubled back on ourselves to pick up Halstead Way as far as Walton Way, which arcs round the edge of Mountsorrel. 

Apart from Woodhouse village all were fairly quiet roads. A right turn onto Mountsorrel Lane at the edge of the village took us almost to the green in Rothley and the recent addition to the Bom Bom Cafe family. 

Keith, Tim, Howard, Jeff♀, Andy, ?, John, ? and Brian

After being suitably refreshed with drinks and cookie etc. we carried on through the village by the back roads and on to the crossroads; our only hold up. We just missed the green on four-way temporary lights so had a long wait for 'our turn'. We took the Syston road and turned off onto quieter roads through Cossington village and on to Sileby and Barrow. 

Here we took another pleasant detour I was unaware of. We turned down Mill Lane and picked up the canal towpath as far ar Barrow Bridge (it looks a bit rough going any further along the towpath). From here we took The Slabs to Quorn, avoiding the narrow Quorn road. From Quorn we took the cycle route along the main road and then next to Terry Yardley Way back into Loughborough. I made that 19 miles in around 1 hour 45 minutes; a gentle Wednesday morning with good company and only short climbs.