Vale of Belvoir 200 & Charnwood Forest 120. 29 Mar 2015. Organised by Roy Bishop

[Blackhound]

I nearly backed out but decided to ride as it would be character building.  Think that bit was successful!

I rode the event last year and even allowing for the wind it felt more hilly on the way back via Loughborough (instead of Kegworth in 2014),  Checking Garmin stats for the two rides there was an extra 150 metres of climb which must all have been on the way back.  My pedalling time was an hour longer this year and really felt it over last 25km.

[SR Steve]

I nearly backed out but decided to ride as it would be character building.  Think that bit was successful!

I rode the event last year and even allowing for the wind it felt more hilly on the way back via Loughborough (instead of Kegworth in 2014),  Checking Garmin stats for the two rides there was an extra 150 metres of climb which must all have been on the way back.  My pedalling time was an hour longer this year and really felt it over last 25km.

The route back from Loughborough gratuitously went up Nanpantan Hill and across Charnwood Forest, so I am surprised that it only had 150m more climbing than last year. This was nicer and quieter than the shorter and flatter alternative of simply following the A512 from Loughborough to near Farm Town. Even that would probably have been hillier than last year's route via the Kegworth control.

If I hadn't been posting the ride on Strava, I might have been tempted to take a few short cuts and miss some hills out, especially on such a foul day. The prescribed route in that weather was certainly character building!

[TrevA]

I finally got around to riding this event ( The VOB 200)  this year. Excellent route, which I think has changed over the years as the far end control is now at Colsterworth and the return leg takes a more southerly track that it used to, so much so that it doesn't actually through the Vale of Belvoir any more, it goes along the Belvoir ridge on the way back. Some really nice lanes as it avoids main roads for the most part. It's a bit main roads out of Loughborough coming back but I guess there aren't that many roads crossing Charnwood. A great event with a good HQ.

[Jethro]

I was the original organiser of this event in 2013 and 2014.  Roy Bishop took the event over in 2015 and made a few changes to it.  The main reason was to cut out the nasty section on the A52 after the turn.  However, it is quite possible to retrace and climb a little past Belvoir Castle and then turn right at the top to rejoin the route after a couple of k's.  This has worked quite well for any DIY Perm rides.