Another Rowing Club Supporter's Ride - with added faerie
A much closer destination this time: Leicester. Out AND back - no train for me today. I plotted a route using B and C roads from Worthington - the end of the S*str*ns converted-railway-line. While it was a pretty straight line in two dimensions, I neglected to consider the Z axis. A major grimp (for the Midlands) of 200m in the space of 11km through Thringstone, Whitwick and Abbot's Oak, was closely followed by a stunning darkside descent down Polly Botts Lane to Newtown Linford, where I stopped for refuelling on chocolate and a bacon sandwich. While eating, I studied the village noticeboard - one notice (I can't remember what for) required one to contact Gill Bates. No matter how many times I read that name, my mind couldn't help spoonerizing it to the Microsoft boss.
Further descending to Groby, then a climb past Leicester County Hall. What does LOROS stand for? There were many signs to it. The A50 shared-use pavement has some not-quite-drop-enough drop-kerbs - I was dreading a snakebite pun
After two hours of watching my club's crews come second (out of two) in their races, it was time to return home. Rather than retrace my steps, I chose the A6 via Loughborough. Much flatter, following the valley of the River Soar. S*str*ns route 6, with signs to Derby, was easy to follow; bits on shared-use path, bits on cycle lanes on those bits of the "old" A6 which had been by-passed by new build. However, it was just toying with me, lulling me into a false sense of security. Suddenly, about a mile after Loughborough University campus, I was dumped. Signs showed Leicester, Garendon Park, and Thorpe Acre, but nothing for Hathern, Kegworth or the A6.
A bit of GPS-fu suggested a path alongside a stream that led to the A6. Back on track; the shared-use path was now on the right of the road. Suddenly a bang and hissing noise that we're all far too familiar with. Stop, wheel out, tube out (I had a multi-tool, tyre levers, a VAR and a pump to hand); there was a slit in the outer, but no sign of any foreign body. The inner had signs of friction around the hole - simply wear and tear. So then a search in my bum-bag for my Park patches. Aaarggh - they weren't there. I'd had a clearout in advance of my trip to Cornwall (whither I didn't take a bike), so the patches were still on my kitchen table.
After some fruitless phoning to find a local taxi firm, a couple on bikes stopped to ask if there was anything they could do. Result! - they told me that Halfords was only about 3/4 of a mile away. So a 15-min walk found me in a retail park. Tubes for a Grasshopper - no chance. But they had various self-adhesive patches. I must've pinched the tube on removing it the second time, as there was now a clean snip in the tube at another location. I just slapped another patch on, and used a bit of Halfords Wiper Blade Box cardboard to make a simple boot where the original hole had been caused. Then Disaster #2 - the pump lever snapped. So back into the shop to buy another pump. Faffage ensued as it needed re-configuring for Presta valves.
At last back on the road; the GPS confirms that the entire faerie incident cost me 1h30. Some nice steady miles under the wheels through Kegworth and Shardlow, and into Derby along the riverside path. At last some scalps of BSOs - the first bikes I'd overtaken all day (but then, no-one overtook me!) I wanted to get some food, but needed to wash my filthy hands before eating - so I adjourned to the Rowing Club, where there was both a soap-stocked sink and a fridge-full of leftovers from last night's party. Nom Nom. The benefits of having a full set of club keys...
Then a last little grimp home, and the GPS shows 70.2 miles (of which 1 mile or so was a pied. Max speed 32.9 mph, 10.7 mph moving average, total time moving 6h34.
