East Midlands Loop

It's been three weeks since my return from the Alps, and no real opportunity to get out for a ride until this weekend.  Rotten weather and a clean bike meant I had to wait until now. Myself and Mark decided on a days ride somewhere, so we  settled for a modified Ride magazine route around Leicestershire, taking in parts of Warwickshire and Northamptonshire. 

Meet in Feckenham

I modified the route to join up with the loop meeting Mark in Feckenham and squeezing between Warwick and Coventry with a very short Motorway stretch to get us near and onto the Fosse Way up to Brinklow West of Rugby and then via the outskirts of Hinckley to Market Bosworth and a brekky stop at a Garden centre somewhere near Ibstock. 

Good to catch up over a fry up and tea, and to warm up a bit too while we waited for the rain to pass. 12 degrees today, really feeling the cold today despite the liners back in my gear.

We passed through some real mining country and saw a colliery head in Coalville. After breakfast, we found a few good roads out here but mostly small one-time industrial towns to get through.  Just as we were getting frustrated with traffic lights and built up areas near Castle Donnington the roads opened up as we neared Burton on the Wolds out to Melton Mowbray with some great sweeping bends in very flat countryside. Great fast roads at last.  

Rutland Water Cafe stop

After superb ride down through to Oakham from Melton we stopped for a coffee and cake stop at Rutland Water. We avoided to pay for ticket access to the car park since Mark pressed the button and the guy lifted the barrier advising us we must pay for access somewhere else if we come in. On the way out I rode the footpath again around the barrier and Mark cheekily tailgated a car as the barrier lifted. On the whole a nice stop, yet again it was cold  (as was the last time I came a few years ago), but a nice slice of Victoria Sponge nonetheless !

Later, we took the B672 from Stamford down to Harringworth and under the impressive Welland Valley Viaduct. Quite a few bikes on this road. Glad to be back over here despite the cold - time to turn the heated grips on.

Welland Valley Viaduct (Drone Video)

Later, after riding through some very flat countryside we came across some of the Civil War Battle of Bosworth sites and stopped at Rupert's Viewpoint. Not much to see really, just a big expanse of fields but you could imagine how the two sides could easily view each other and engage for battle. Mark decided to tuck into his Cheese Puffs at this point - his impressive under the seat energy store. I was really quite jealous the GS doesn't have much room for treats these days.

  

 

The route took us back west along some good roads out to Wolvey in Warwickshire and Wythybrook before rejoining part of the Fosse way down toward Stratford and Henley in Arden. Here we cut the route a bit and bombed back via Redditch/Bromsgrove to get back home and warm up a bit just as it started to rain. All good fun, and good to go East for a change, definitely recommend the roads between Melton and Market Harborough around the Welland Valley - must do that bit again one day. 👍

Back from the Alps with Motorrad Tours ..

Read all about it here.

Riding up the Stelvio.

On the Penserjoch