The Spring Fling 2025

After what feels like a long, cold winter recovering from a back injury and some miserable, cold weather it was great to finally ride an event again yesterday and test the back and enjoy some trails with fellow riders.

The Spring Fling is the first event of Gravelton Events’ 2025 Calendar and proved popular with a bumper turn out and a raft of newcomers giving the event a go too which was great to see.

I’d set my alarm for 7.15am which, in hindsight, was a bit early. I gave myself an hour to grab some breakfast and get ready but really I could have slept in another 30 mins. I left the house about 8.30am for the 45min drive to Hicks Lodge. At that time on a Saturday morning, traffic isn’t an issue on the M42 so it was a straight run there. I parked up and noticed a few riders milling about getting ready. It was still pretty early though. Parking for the day @ Hicks Lodge is £9, which may seem expensive but given the facilities we get for it (Trails, cafe, parking, toilets etc) I don’t mind paying it. It’s worth it for me.

I chatted to a couple of riders and wandered over to the cafe to grab a coffee and something to eat. The cream filled muffin was fabulous.

As we neared 10am, more riders turned up so it was time to say hi and roll out. Geoff our Youtuber for the day from Downhill Smooth Tarmac grabbed me for a brief piece to camera, I had a hi and hug off Chopsy (Mrs Downhill Smooth Tarmac) and then it was a brief intro to everyone, the obligatory group photo and the roll out.

We all set off steady crossing the road onto the trails to warm us up. I stopped and took some rider photos. I took a few but didn’t get everyone so I apologise if I missed you. The album is on the Facebook Page.

Trails and warm up done, we were off down Packington Nook Lane and crossing the A42. Then just after Packington we picked up Spring Lane where the group began to split as we hit the bridleway at the end of the lane and climbed up to the QE2 woods where we had to stop for a couple of horses. Through the gate and we were off around the nice, wide gravel trails and then back onto the rutted bridleway, which was a bit technical in places, to Ravenstone.

Out of Ravenstone and it was onto the Bosworth Trail briefly before the short, sharp ‘Snibby’ bike trails just to add a bit of spice to the ride. Even some sniffy ramblers who didn’t want to share the trails with us couldn’t stop us enjoying the berms and bumps here.

We picked our way through Coalville via the park and crossed the A511 via bridge onto a long, fast (dry!) trail which was great. It popped us out in a housing estate but it wasn’t long until we were back offroad thundering across more trails into Whitwick then out back on the Bosworth Trail again. I really enjoyed this sector and everyone in the group was commenting how the good the route was so far too.

Then I punctured! We’d dropped down a small incline and I knew my front tyre was probably a touch soft but I’d left it and paid the price with a pinch puncture. The others carried on while I quickly changed it and blew it up with a CO2 canister.

I was on my own now and on a mission to catch them up. I started too fast and began to blow and resigned myself to just riding round and then I saw a couple of riders ahead which spurned me on a bit so I upped my pace but kept it manageable.

After the climb through Farmtown which I think was the highest point of the ride, I was blowing out my arse but recovered enough to get my head down and TT along the A511 only to miss the opening in the fence to get me onto the trail that passed back under the main road. The big, deep gravel here was hard work and I misread my GPS too and went left rather than straight on down a really fast descent which didn’t help.

This sector was really long and you could hear the A42 in the distance until we popped out on a road and passed under it.

The next sector, for me, was the best of the lot. We rode through the estate of Staunton Harold Hall and then a long winding trail through Lount Wood. Here I caught a couple who told me a few had stopped at the cafe at the Hall and were really enjoying the route.

After so much trail riding to enjoy we had a decent tarmac section now where I could get my head down back towards Moira. I picked my way through Blackfordby despite my GPS complaining I was offroute and then after skirting a new housing estate it was another great trail which took me to Conkers where I finally caught up the guys that I was riding with when I’d punctured.

After the short but last climb out of Moira we picked up some Strada Bianche aka The Hicks Lodge trail for a final scoot around the lake and back to the cafe to finish an awesome day out and a well-earned coffee.

Loved it

I got round quicker than I expected probably due to the post-puncure effort I put in. The back held up well, no issues or problems so all in all a ride to remember.

Thanks Chris Farmer for the route. Chapeau!

Next up….The Peaky Finder on Sunday 6 April. Only 2 weeks away!

Adios