Straight out the gate, let me say this was a big surprise and one of the best routes I’ve ridden this year. Partly because it was all new to me but it appears Leicestershire is blessed with a plethora of linkable tracks, trails and bridleways making any gravel ride a lot of fun. I highly recommend this one so let’s see if I can remember where I was and talk about it a bit more.
First up. What is the National Forest? A long time ago I had a job that required regular travel around the UK and I regularly drove up and down the M42 and A42 to get to the M1 and the North and I’d see signs by the side of the carriageway telling me I was in The National Forest and then I’d look around and I’d see trees were a bit thin on the ground. Not much of a forest in it’s true sense. Therefore, I’ve assumed for the past 25 years or so trees have been planted to build a new forest that was de-forested over generations due to industry. A quick look on the website and that’s part of it. It’s an ongoing project not just planting trees but creating accessible green spaces, in a sustainable way, for us all to enjoy so we can be a bit closer to nature. It get’s my thumbs up anyway, a lovely part of the world after I had a glimpse yesterday. I will be back!
I woke to mist and light rain. It just looked miserable which mirrored how I felt to be honest. I woke to a message from work. It was the most trivial thing but it was the way it was done. It poked something inside me. I was raging but after feeling a bit indifferent about going, I was more determined than ever now. I had to clear my head.
I’d got nothing ready like I normally do, so I quickly scooted about getting the route on the Garmin, kit, bottle, spares etc. Breakfast done I got changed and left the house about 10am about an hour later than I planned and got on the road. The sat nav told me the journey was 49 mins.
In the 50mph roadworks I had the radio off and just sat there staring ahead, thinking and pieced a few things that had happened recently at work. Just small things but together, for me, pretty toxic and I was winding myself up to the point I think if I wasn’t on the motorway I may have just turned around and gone home but I told myself to just keep going and switch off. Then it started to rain, just to test my resolve lol
Hicks Lodge Cycle Centre was the start venue and I was surprised how close off the A42 it was. Only 5 mins and really easy to find. Parking was easy, it wasn’t too busy. £7 all day. I don’t mind paying what some would consider expensive as the money helps fund the project I’m able to enjoy. I think of it as a donation to charity which, in a roundabout way, it is.
I started just before 11am and rolled out of the centre, left and upto a main road then right and left down a lane to a gate and the first offroad section that crossed and skirted a couple of fields. A nice opener. It took me back to my cross racing days squirming across muddy fields. At the end I decided I was too hot and removed my waterproof jacket.
Then it was up a lane for a few metres and I was back offroad again along a nice, wide open bridleway which kind of set the tone of the route early on. At the end I missed the path opposite and went left until the Garmin complained. Another theme of the ride. I was now on the Conkers cycle circuit. A traffic-free path and part of the NCN. It skirted a nice, what looked man-made pool before popping out past a couple of houses then back on the trail.
Here I met and passed a couple. I briefly left them as I charged ahead but the Garmin didn’t update quick enough at one junction and I went the wrong way again down a very muddy path which I had to climb back up. I got back on the route and caught them and decided to gatecrash their ride and tagged on. Sorry 🙂
I think Mike and Steph thought they were a bit slow for me but to be honest my legs were wrecked from a cardio step class on Friday morning and a bit of company was what I needed. So I was very grateful.
Back on the Conkers circuit for a bit. We had missed the parkrun (phew!) then popped out at an inviting canalside café which was the start of some the towpath accessed via some steps.
Off the canal we crossed a road and joined what felt like an old railway line. Long and straight which got us into Measham and some welcome tarmac before we skirted the outer perimeter of what looked like a brick works. This was a nice narrow path in places peppered with some slippy 90 degree bends. Loved it.
I haven’t really mentioned the mud yet but it was very, very muddy which made it a bit more challenging in places and looking at the fresh tyre tracks it was nice to see others were out on the course too.
More tarmac now to Snarestone which took us on the last minute diversion off the canal due to some excavation work making the towpath a bit sketchy. This was the longest bit of open road yet in the lanes. It looked a really nice place to ride, in fact, Mike and Steph had recently moved to Measham for that reason. Awesome.
At Shackerstone we jumped back on the canal for an all too short section and then more leafy lanes up through Barton in the Beans (great name!) to a very dicey junction on the A447 we had to cross. A bit blind, we took care and got across safely and rode up through the pretty village of Nailstone.
Just past the village we picked up the next section which took us through some newly planted trees and part of the expanding forest I guess. It reminded me of a graveyard.
In the trees above us was an enormous fence. It was so big and secure I wondered if it was a prison or something but driving home I think I saw it, a massive JLR warehouse you can see I picked up in the photo above.
At Ibstock we quickly got across the village and into Sence Valley Country Park where the mud counter began to go off the scale due to forestry work churning up the ground but it did finish with a nice wide gravel track peppered with potholes.
A drop down a road then after 200m right onto a very wet singletrack path with a hole under a puddle that nearly had me off. This took us to Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Wood which was wet until we came upon what I can only describe as a wide, shallow river we had no choice but to pedal through. It looked deep and I was a bit nervous as I ploughed through it. At it’s deepest it came upto my bottom bracket and over my boots but they are waterproof so my feet stayed nice and dry but poor Mike and Steph copped wet feet.
In Packington, my ride buddies left me to go home back to Measham and I carried on down more great, wide bridleways crossing over the A42 and then after a few hours of disorientation I suddenly realised where I was. On the road I drove in on. The route cut down the side of a field and entered the back of the Hicks Lodge trail centre where I got to enjoy the purpose built trails. For the last few km I was alone, in the woods blasting around trees, sprinting out of bermed corners and catching a couple of front wheel slips. Loved it.
Across the road and back to the trail centre I finished the ride off with a scoot around the lake and I was done. 62km in the bag, covered in shit, wet, muddy but with a big smile on my face.
Thanks to Chris for putting the route together. Thanks to Mike and Steph for the company. I hope whoever rode enjoyed it as much as me.
See you all on the next one!
