Wednesday Wander 06-12-2023
A Wednesday Wander to Woodthorpe 6th December 2023:
After snowfall resulted in a cancellation of the ride on Sunday, it was good to have woken up to brilliant blue skies. A very cold day however and after a pre-ride check on the road conditions through Stewton and Furze (widespread ice) a decision was made for a main road route out to Woody’s Bar and Restaurant at Woodthorpe. Always a good standby on an icy day.
Meeting up at Louth’s Magna Vitae Meridian Leisure Centre in Louth were today’s Ride Leader Tim Newbery and long time club follower, Sven Livesey. This would be Sven’s first ride out with the club, hopefully with many more to follow. Paul Linder and Steve Croton had arranged to meet up with us at Woodthorpe.
Departing with the mercury registering just one Degree Celsius, Tim and Sven would follow the salted and gritted A157 through Legbourne and North and South Reston. Traffic was manageable and a pleasant discourse would entertain us discussing past cycling tours and exploits. Sven it would seem is no stranger to cycle camping so might be interested in next year’s trips that we are currently planning.
With the sun beaming down (and at times almost directly in our eyes) we’d cross the Great Eau and continue to Withern, where the B1373 would take us directly to Woodthorpe. Meeting up with Paul a few miles from the café, we arrived at Woody’s a few minutes ahead of schedule. By 11 am Steve had also joined us and we all enjoyed reviving hot drinks. Steve would turn down a sandwich but bacon or egg buns were devoured by other members.
Departing about midday, we’d now take the back roads to Aby as at long last the ice had melted. Steve and Sven discussed the comfort of their classic Brooks saddles (Tim still laments selling his old bike complete with a long time worn in B17) and we were soon to reach the junction with Greenfield Lane. From here, Paul and Steve would head back to Alford passing the remains of the Cistercian Priory, whilst Tim and Sven would continue Louth-bound.
Great views from Meagram Top all the way across the middle and out marshes to the coast. Shipping near the entrance to the Humber Estuary could just about be made out beyond Saltfleet.
Arrived home at about 1.30 pm having covered 40 km (25 miles), temperatures having finally risen to the predicted 5 degrees.
Many thanks to all and especially to Sven for joining us today.
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