Girls on Cogs

I had good intentions of leaving work in plenty of time so I could head home, get changed, have a cuppa and a snack and swap the bikes over. I had had a meeting earlier in the day and worn my suit (including high heels) and therefore had cycled leisurely to work with the view that I would do the same on the way home.  Unfortunately (and predictably) the plan failed and I was running late to meet the gang, so instead I cycled home at high speed looking slightly ridiculous with my trousers hitched up with an elastic band round my ankle. Although I am slightly pleased at how well I can cycle in heels!

Anyway enough of my trivia!

Well it is the 3rd week of Tuesday night cycling and so far we have managed to keep the bad weather at bay and have a good turn out. This week the 6 of us headed out along the A47. Busy road but quick. We turned of to the village of Kirby Mallory and our destination of Mallory Park. Apparently they have cycling around the racing track on a Tuesday and Thursday night so we thought we would check it out. Mat and Stav arrived first and headed down the track and nearly got taken out by  50 speeding cyclists coming the other way!! We watched them for a couple of laps. It looked very serious. Mostly men but we spotted a couple of women.

On that note, we decided to head to a local pub for dinner. As well as feeling hungry, everyone was feeling the cold. It actually felt quite bitter and my shorts seemed a rather brave move!

A reasonably fast cycle home via Desford and Kirby Muxloe. Approx 20 miles

So first trip of the year, and we had 6 enthusiastic participants.  The sun was shining and so were several new bikes.  We headed out from Braunstone Leisure Centre, through Braunstone town towards Kirby Muxloe, Desford and onto Thornton reservoir.    We saw lots of other cyclists out on the road, all making the most of the good weather and it was nice not to be laden with panniers.  After 6 big pies and beers in the Steaming Billy hostelry, we made our way back home, completing a respectable 20 0dd miles.

The first tuesday cycle ride was announced and we should all have been very enthusiastic, but truthfully, Em, Claire, Caroline and myself had already committed to a night of shopping, dinner and wine….A very good evening!

Perhaps we should admit that we were a little under prepared for this trip…and after hiking up the Eiffel Tower on our first day of sightseeing, there was a unanimous decision…to go back to bed for not a little power nap but a big sleep before continuing our venture in ‘Gay Paris!   Note: Just because we cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats last year does not mean we are fit enough tojump on our bikes and cycle to Paris 8 months later!

On the last day we took the bikes out round Paris for a little 18 miler – but although Paris appears to be geared up with cycle lanes, hire bikes etc, it wasn’t that great with lots of weaving in and out of pedestrians in our cycle lane, and cobbles along the Seine which were not good for road tyres.  Lovely day though and we even had a beer by the Seine, since it was rubbish for cycling along.

The trip back was by Eurostar and the bikes were pre-booked as parcels (for £20) so we didn’t have to dismantle them or put them in a bag (yes we did this on a previous trip).   It was a very simple procedure, we all left our very expensive and in some cases very new bikes with a random french man in a back yard, who kindly hung them on a clothes rail and we all waved goodbye as they bashed together in the wind. …Rather surprised to see them intact (apart from one rear light) with us on the same train when we arrived back in London 2.5 hours later.

So despite a very difficult start, we made it to Paris in 5 days, had a few lovely days sightseeing (although most attractions seemed to be up at least 100 steps – like we needed more exercise) and back home in just 5 hours!  Highly recommended.