Author: vannicholas09

Alternative options were offered to try to avoid the worst of the approaching weather, but, in the event, the four Wheelers who met at Pretty Corner opted for the original plan to ride to Jane’s at East Rudham. So Brian, Mark, Jim and Harvey set out in overcast conditions and a rising south easterly by way of Salthouse Heath, Wiveton, Letheringsett, Thornage, Sharrington, Bale, Hindringham, Great Snoring, Thorpland Hall, Fakenham Town, Dunton and Broomsthorpe to the pleasantly located cafe on the village green at Rudham. The forecast rain started at 12.55 while we were in the cafe. The direction of travel of both the weather front and the riders dictated that persistent precipitation pursued the bunch all the way home. The return route took in the Raynhams, Colkirk, Ryburgh, Stibbard, Fulmodeston, Hindolveston (where Jim turned for home in Melton), Craymere, Briston and the frequently ridden roads back towards Bodham Hill and West Beckham.

Distances: 65 miles to 76 miles.

On a more general (and optimistic?) note, perhaps circulated route files ARE the answer to the club run problem of trying to accommodate different levels of fitness, an ageing group and newer, Strava-driven members, who can maintain the longer-term vitality of this element of NNW activity. Obviously this would require more people making a bit of an effort to utilise this facility, which doesn’t necessarily require loading to Garmin. It has already been shown this year that these route files do give more freedom to club run participants.

Generally the cafe at Lyng Stores is too small to cater for a weekend club run as well as the locals out for their Saturday treat, so hitherto we have used it only on wet winter Saturdays when only 1,2 or 3 riders were out. However, with at least seven of the regular bunch committed elsewhere, an elite trio of Wheelers took the opportunity to enjoy good food and drink at what certain North Norfolk Wheelers like to refer to as “reasonable prices”. It is also worth noting that Lyng Stores has recently installed several more outside tables and chairs.

Today’s route was a little shorter than normal, travelling directly to Cawston, then Haveringland church, Swannington, Attlebridge, the marl pit climb, the long scenic descent to Ringland, Weston Green, Collin Green and the steep descent of Cadder’s Hill to the cafe. After the break it was follow the Wensum by way of Fustyweed and Bylaugh before climbing over the ridge to Billingford and home via Foulsham, Odessa, Wood Dalling, detouring round the back of Briston past Rookery Farm and Growle Abbey to a conventional last few miles through Baconsthorpe to Bodham Hill and Red Barn Lane.

Mark, Graham J and Harvey enjoyed good autumnal weather for a brisk run out.

Distances: 59 miles to 75 miles.

Andrew B, Ben, Geoff, Harvey, Mark and Neil rode the run to Walsingham on a lovely late summer’s day with warm sun and a fresh south easterly. It was pretty much straight out west parallel to the coast as far as North Creake in the morning, before climbing back over to Walsingham for the refreshment break in the courtyard of the Norton. There were some testing little climbs on the way back too, including the lumpy bits through the Barshams and over to the Snorings, then over the airfield to Thursford, through the hole in the hedge (HitH) to Barney, into the wind down to Stibbard, finally working back round to pick up a lot of tailwind by way of Nethergate, Craymere, Briston, the Pond Hills undulations, Hempstead and Baconsthorpe.

Geoff managed to survive an unprovoked attack by a chicken on the light railway bridge at Wighton.

Distances: 63 miles to 80 miles.

Observation (over a period of time): – as things stand, and being realistic, the regular bunch is becoming less and less capable of completing Saturday’s 60 odd milers at a decent pace and still being back in Sheringham at a reasonable time. One of the objectives of advertised club runs has always been to attract new members to NNW. Inevitably some of the old stalwarts pass on for various reasons and some are replaced by new people. However, much more significant numbers of people make enquiries, turn up for a couple of weeks and then vanish without trace. Why? Obviously because they don’t like what is on offer. It might be sensible to re-badge what is currently on offer. This could be along the lines of fit and very fit veterans group (VC Vetus Velox), but all ages welcome and downloadable route files available for those who want to push on a bit. A veterans group would also be less tied to Saturdays and the evidently increasing problems with cafes at weekends. Friday might prove to be a better option, although a couple of the younger members (Ben and Scott?) might justifiably protest. Given the size of the Strava group on the NNW website, it always seems surprising that there is no demand for a younger, more dynamic Strava–driven group, more suitable to 21st century cycling boomers.

Six North Norfolk Wheelers met at Pretty Corner for this week’s run to the Rose and Crown at Frettenham, which is a leading contender for the most comfortable refreshment break venue. Today was a good opportunity to combine a lot of familiar and less familiar lanes in unfamiliar fashion. It was fairly conventional to Briston and Craymere, but then deviating to Burnthouse and Thurning, clipping through the edge of Reepham before turning east through Booton, along Allison Street to Brampton and Buxton, then south to Little Hautbois and south west over medieval Mayton bridge and the narrow lanes into Frettenham. The fare was any combination of sausage roll with Bakewell Tart, chocolate cake or fruit scone, although, to be fair, the sausage rolls came in four different varieties. After a fairly short, but comfortable break, it was a more easterly route back to the north coast, by way of Heggatt Hall, Coltishall, Belaugh Green, Tunstead church, Sloley, the Norfolk dual carriageway, Swanton Hill, Skeyton Corner, Felmingham, Colby, Thwaite Common, Alby Hill, Bessingham and a split at Gresham. The group managed to avoid various stormy looking cloud formations, which deposited a lot of water in the Thwaite and Aldborough area, while enjoying the bonus of quite a lot of unexpected sunshine in the final miles.

Group: Ben; Graham A; Graham J; Geoff; Harvey; Neil.

Distances: 66 miles to 79 miles.

One chute – Graham J (unavoidable emergency change of direction on gritty Church Lane, Frettenham – bruised left forearm).

With Brian unfortunately stricken with CFS, Graham riding audax in South Norfolk and Suffolk and various others either working or injured, it was assumed that today’s bunch would be a small one for the run down to Tabnabs. In the event however, eight riders met at Pretty Corner, including Andrew B, who had decided that today was as good a day as any to sample a weekend club run. The situation was complicated further when it transpired that Ben, Matty and Neil had to be back early, so eventually it was a bunch of five who made it to the refreshment stop. The biggest shock of the day was caused by the golden orb in the sky putting in several appearances. For a number of reasons, the group of eight and then five became split even more than usual today. The south bound route took in Corpusty, Themelthorpe, Foxley, Elsing, Dereham Town FC, Clint Green and Brakefield Green. The food at Tabnabs is still the best, but has become much more difficult to acquire than in former days. The return leg was more direct, travelling by way of North Tuddenham, Peaseland Green, Primrose Green, Collin Green, Attlebridge, Swannington Upgate and points north to Cawston, Itteringham, Bodham Hill and West Beckham, although with a few small detours thrown in for variety.

Bunch: Mark; Harvey; Graham J; Geoff; Andrew B to the cafe. Neil; Matty; Ben on a shorter day out.

Distances: 62 miles to 75 miles.

One puncture: – rear Michelin Pro 4 (tiny sliver of flint).

Five departed from Pretty Corner on a persistently showery morning with a strong north easterly wind, in keeping with summer 2021. However, Geoff suffered his second puncture in the rain after only seven miles, so decided to give it best. Four Wheelers followed a fairly conventional route via Swanton Abbott and Worstead to East Ruston before picking up the lanes over Brumstead Common and Calthorpe Fen to Sea Palling and the busy cafe, where Malcolm was awaiting us after his ride up from St Olave’s via Yarmouth harbour. After bidding farewell to the newly-domiciled Broadlander, the bunch headed home on what was now a bright and breezy afternoon through Hickling and into a series of narrow lanes to Sutton mill, Lessingham Star, Happisburgh Common, Hill 60, Crostwight Heath, Dead Man’s Grave, Trunch, Southrepps, Northrepps and Metton to a three way split at Gresham church.

At Felbrigg Woods, Big Ben’s van was spotted parked mysteriously in a layby. The mystery was solved however when the missing Sheringham mile-eater was caught at Bodham Hill into the last ten miles of his post-rain 100 miler.

Neil, Mark, Harvey and Brian completed the club run. Geoff, Malcolm, Ben and Mike P were encountered at various stages during the day.

Distances: 67 miles to 77 miles.

Two punctures.

One jack snipe (Calthorpe Fen).

PS – Geoff put in 59 miles via Reepham station cafe.

Prior commitments (inc Tour de Broads), injuries and, possibly, poor weather forecasts kept the numbers down for the re-arranged ride out to Jane’s on the village green at East Rudham. Three Wheelers were joined by Beach Runners’ marathon man Jim H on a route that went by way of Baconsthorpe, Briston, Craymere, Hindolveston, Stibbard, Ryburgh, Colkirk, the Raynhams and Rudham Grange to a fairly quiet cafe, where the service was once again first class. The objective on the homeward leg was to keep ahead of an advancing band of rain, which produced only light showers anyway. This was a more northerly route, threading through the quiet lanes via Broomsthorpe, two of the Wensum watermills, two of the Barshams, both Walsinghams, Hindringham, Bale and the familiar villages to Briston, Edgefield, Bodham Hill and the parting of the ways at the south end of Red Barn Lane. This was not the end of the day’s action however. On the final lone miles back to base, one rider was accosted aggressively at Selbrigg by a cocaine-fuelled loon, who was in the middle of the road trying to spark up his rollup. He looked as though he was still on the way back from a trip to Wembley on 11th July.

Bunch: Brian; Mark; Jim H; Harvey.

Distances: 60 miles to 77 miles.

Narrative by run leader Ben M.

Four travellers left PC at 10 a.m. sharp, with the wind on the bows for most of the trip to Pensthorpe. It was great to have Brian back so soon following his close inspection of the road and the clairvoyant’s bonnet. The route was impromptu due to misgivings about culinary limitations at Coltishall cafe and a claim that East Rudham would be swamped with tourists. The way out to Pensthorpe passed through Baconsthorpe, Brinton, Hindringham and the Snorings. Despite ploughing through some of Norfolk’s finest gravel traps, there were no punctures or mechanicals.

Lunch turned into a largely sandwich affair if you wanted serving promptly. The return trip was a little longer, but the long awaited tailwind finally kicked in after crossing the Wensum at Sculthorpe mill. The homeward leg was Ryburgh, Pudding Norton, Sculthorpe, the Barshams and then the more familiar roads by way of Walsingham, Langham (where Brian and Mark furthered their education with a quick visit to the Dome). Then it was back over the undulations via Wiveton, High Kelling and West Beckham.

Distances – from 64 miles to 70+.

Riders – Ben, Brian, Mark, Geoff.

As many people know, Brian suffered a nasty crash on the A148 during Tuesday’s ’10’. This was a consequence of a car pulling out in front of him at the staggered crossroads between Station Road and Hempstead Road, Holt, somersaulting rider and bike onto the tarmac. Another driver called the ambulance service, who whizzed Brian off to the N&N, where he was checked for neck and internal injuries, as well as a possible broken knee. Thankfully nothing was broken or seriously damaged. The multiple abrasions, including facial, look very sore, an elbow and knee are very swollen and a finger still looks possibly fractured. Longer term, it might prove to be the damaged knee that will take some time to heal.

Brian would like to thank everyone for the good wishes.

Variable forecasts during this unsettled summer, all blown up by news media hype, restricted today’s bunch to three Wheelers. The scheduled East Rudham run was pushed forward a week and replaced by an impromptu trip to the ever-growing and increasingly popular cafe at Whitwell station. This turned out to be a rather unusual anti-clockwise loop, heading west by way of West Beckham, Bodham and Salthouse Heath as far as Wiveton, before turning south and south east to Letheringsett, Thornage, Burgh Stubbs, Hindolveston, Guestwick Green, Themelthorpe and Whitwell Common to the cafe, where the conversation turned once again to the thorny questions of the nature of cycling club runs and the appropriate format for North Norfolk Wheelers club runs?

Conditions: – Following sustained breakfast time rain and warnings of more to come, the morning weather proved to be fair and breezy with sunny spells developing. These pleasant conditions were rudely interrupted at about 1.50 by a stormy cloudburst in the vicinity of Blackwater Equestrian Centre and Great Witchingham. However, despite towering anvil clouds to the south and south east, the bunch were able to remove their rain jackets by Brandiston. The bad weather continued to move towards Norwich and the Broads.

The return route travelled south for a bit before looping east to the Witchinghams, Brandiston, Buxton, Brampton, then heading for home through Tuttington, Banningham, Ingworth, Dark Lane, Wickmere, Thurgarton, Sustead church, Lower Gresham and a three way split at Gresham church, where the Wheelers talked for a while to a former Clarence Wheeler and Herne Hill trackman who used to ride a Flying Scot from Rattrays of Glasgow.

Both the grizzled ultra-veteran Brian and the former Birmingham cyclo-cross man Neil, who is approaching retirement age but still working fifty hours a week as a joiner and handyman, were going like trains today.

Bunch: Brian; Neil; Harvey.

Distances: 60 to 71 miles.