Author: web1691

On a dry, calm, relatively mild but overcast day, five Wheelers met at PC for another of Harvey’s Saturday routes. This time it was to Watsons of Bacton, which has been under new ownership for a little over a year and is cycle friendly.
Our clockwise route took us through Hanworth and Harvey joined us on the road to Metton, then it was North and Southrepps, Trimingham, Mundesley, Edingthorpe to Bacton.
We arrived and ordered at the right time as Watsons kept getting busier as time went by, it certainly seems a popular place. The menu choice was wide and they had a good selection of cakes, all at reasonable prices. When we had finally emptied the generous teapots, it was time to head out for the longer leg home.

These and more photos can be found here:
https://nnwheelers.co.uk/club-runs/club-runs-photo-gallery/

We went through Worstead and Sloley to our southernmost point where we joined the Tunstead Road and turned northwest through Scottow to the Coltishall road, where Graham A turned off. Around Skeyton, Harvey also peeled off for home, leaving four to continue through Dunkirk, Ingworth and Itteringham.
At the Mannington turn, Neil Mc turned off and we continued north to Red Barn Lane where Ian A turned off, so two finished the ride at PC.
As we left PC to return into Sheringham, Mark M realised that his rear Gatorskin was flat, so he stopped to fix that while Chris S continued on. As he was pumping up the tyre, the pump failed, which required a quick strip down to get it to work long enough to get the tyre fairly hard before it failed again.
Will that be the end of the nearly 20 year old trusty frame pump? They don’t make them to last anymore!

PC to PC was 53.6 miles at an average speed of 14 mph
Another ride with the bikes returning home clean
Riders – Chris S, Ian A (photography), Neil Mc, Graham A, Mark M and Harvey.

Upcoming Rides –
Wednesday 8th Feb – Skeyton Goat
Saturday 11th Feb – Norton’s at Walsingham
Routes for rides on the website under Dates and Destinations: https://nnwheelers.co.uk/club-runs/

Three Wheelers met at PC on a dry, occasionally sunny morning, though with a strong westerly wind for the ride west to Great Walsingham.
The route either by luck or foresight managed to avoid the worst of the wind as it tacked across North Norfolk by way of High Kelling, Cley Newgate, Glandford (with a stop to view a long eared owl, though the owl wasn’t there), Saxlingham, Field Dalling to Binham. The Binham to Great Walsingham stretch was the hardest as the road is on high ground and very exposed.

As it was only 19 miles to the Barns or Obrennans as it is now called, we were in time to order breakfast. Chris decided that he didn’t need the calories and would have the healthy omelette option, he then promptly ordered hot chocolate fudge cake with cream as well. Maybe chocolate calories don’t count?

After lunch we crossed the ford to Little Walsingham and saw the burnt out shell of the village hall which was destroyed by fire on Monday. Then followed the river Stiffkey to East Barsham and now with the wind behind us, took on the undulating route via Great Snoring, Thursford Green, Gunthorpe, Hanworth to Edgefield. To drop Ian off we went through Hempstead, past Selbrigg lake (the swans were there), then to Red Barn Lane and PC.

These and more photos can be found here:
https://nnwheelers.co.uk/club-runs/club-runs-photo-gallery/

PC to PC 46.2 miles with an average speed of 13.5 mph and 1975ft/602m of climbing.
Riders – Chris S, Ian A (photography) and Mark M leading.

Upcoming Rides – Saturday 4th, Watson’s, Bacton
Wednesday 8th – Skeyton Goat
Routes for rides on the website under Dates and Destinations: https://nnwheelers.co.uk/club-runs/

On a day of ideal winter cycling conditions, cool, dry, with mud free roads, no wind and occasional sun, a total of six Wheelers met at PC for the ride to Binham Parlour.
A traditional route took us through Baconsthorpe, Edgefield and Briston to our most southerly point at Guestwick. As we headed to Wood Norton we met Harvey at Foulsham airfield and he joined us for a few miles until we turned for Swanton Novers. From there it was another 7 miles through Gunthorpe, Field Dalling to Binham Priory and The Parlour, for a pre-lunch total of 26 miles.

Fortunately as they were fairly busy, Harvey had booked a table for six, so we were able to get seated straight away and then warm up, have a good chat and eat plenty of good food and cakes.
Graham A had already decided that he would make his own way home from the lunch stop, so five set off on the hillier route home.
We first headed west to Nutwood Farm, then the rolling road north to Stiffkey, taking in the lowest point of the ride of 7 meters at the ford just across the Warham road. Then it was Langham, Field Dalling and Saxlingham, where Neil S was beginning to feel the lack of recent miles and he decided to continue on to Letheringsett and the main road home.
So, now four, we set off through Sharrington, Stody, enjoyed the climb from Hunworth to Edgefield, then on to Plumstead and Matlaske, where Brian P peeled off for home, leaving three to head north for Bessingham and Gresham, where Ian A turned off, leaving two to return to PC.

Click image to view full size.
More photos can be found here:
https://nnwheelers.co.uk/club-runs/club-runs-photo-gallery/

A rare winter ride that saw the bikes return home clean.
PC to PC was 51.6 miles with an average speed of 13.6 mph.
Riders were Chris S, Ian A (photography), Neil S, Graham A, Brian P, Mark M.

Upcoming Rides –
Wednesday 1st Feb – Walsingham Barns
Saturday 4th Feb – Watsons at Bacton
Routes for rides on the website under Dates and Destinations: https://nnwheelers.co.uk/club-runs/

With the ride delayed by a day due to ice, our original ride leader was not available, so it was decided that we would save his ride for another day and we would go to Heydon instead.
So, three Wheelers met at PC on a dry, frost free but mainly overcast morning, to head to Gresham to pick up Graham A. We then headed down to Thurgarton and took a long westerly leg to Edgefield, then around Briston, Hindolveston, Foulsham and Guestwick to Heydon.

The owner of the Heydon Tea Shop has been in the EDP recently, asking people to support local businesses in these troubled times. That’s why we decided to visit and it would seem that many others were heading the call too. The place was busy and we were very lucky to get table, with the understanding that the table was already booked and we had 45mins to eat and go. No problem for three Wheelers, teas, coffee, soup, paninis, cake and scone all devoured with time to spare. Alas, one Wheeler preferred to savour and chew his food and so was a little slower and was getting the hurry up from the staff, in the end he only left some rabbit food. So despite the shorter than usual lunch stop, we all agreed that the food was very good and there was plenty of it. We will be back, though will book a table first.

The return leg took us to Corpusty, where Neil Mc left us to try out his new bike washing facilities at his still being renovated house. We continued through Irmingland, Oulton to Blickling, where we started to notice the stiff northerly wind. On to Erpingham, Aldborough with time to look at the old motorbike collection, then Hanworth to Metton, where Graham left us and back to Gresham and PC.

PC to PC was 50 miles
Riders – Chris S, Neil Mc, Graham A and Mark M leading

Upcoming Rides – Saturday 28th, The Parlour, Binham
Wednesday 1st Feb – Walsingham Barns
Routes for rides on the website under Dates and Destinations: https://nnwheelers.co.uk/club-runs/

A dry and sunny morning with a strong south westerly, greeted four Wheelers at PC and then another at Gresham Church, for our first visit to Trunch Crown. A pub that we often pass at either end of a ride but has not been our destination until today. Our ride leader had spotted that they were offering a choice of pies and veg for £10 during January, so a route was planned.
To ensure that we ready for pies, the route to Trunch was 32 miles. It used a lot of back lanes, which after yesterday’s heavy rain were flooded in places and very muddy. In particular was the lane past Brian P’s which looked as if it had already been ploughed and then a branch, part attached to a tree was blocking the road. We were able to get past by taking to the verge and carrying bikes over the obstruction, but no vehicles would be able to get through.

Shortly after at Colby, Andrew B had a rear puncture (Marathon Plus), so three riders continued on the route while two spent 19 minutes removing a large thorn before continuing.

The route meandered through Felmingham, Swanton Abbott, Worstead, then a less used route across the North Walsham bypass and Sandy Hills to Meeting Hill, then Spa Common, Mill Road to Knapton and Trunch.
The two laggards, fearing all the pies would be eaten, had pressed on, straight-lining the route to Swanton Abbott and at Spa Common continuing through North Walsham, Swafield to Trunch, cutting 3miles off the route, arriving at the pub first!

For a Wednesday in January, the pub was busy with people having lunch and locals giving their dogs a rest. The food was very good and the pie portions large. I’m sure we will visit again.
With rain forecast for late afternoon, we reluctantly left and found the sun had gone and the wind had increased making the short return leg fairly tough.
We went via Gimingham, Hungry Hill, Northrepps, into Cromer dropping off Graham A, past the zoo, up to and through Felbrigg park and on to Gresham for the split, with two heading west and two heading north to PC.

PC to PC was 50 miles
Riders – Andrew B, Ian A, Chris S, Graham A and Mark M

Upcoming Club Run – Saturday 14th, Purdy’s at Aylsham
Further Ride – Wednesday 18th – Old Reading Rooms at Kelling
Routes for club runs and rides on the website under Dates and Destinations: https://nnwheelers.co.uk/club-runs/

Three Wheelers met at PC on a mild and dry morning that was dominated by a strong southerly wind. Showers were forecast and we had a couple during the ride but they blew through very quickly. At the end of Red Barn Lane we met Harvey who joined us for a good 20 miles, including our stop at the mill.
We had an easy ride north west through Kelling, Wiveton to Blakeney quay, followed by a much harder leg uphill and into the wind to Langham, then Field Dalling, where Harvey slipped away on a shortcut. By the time we had reached Sharrington we decided to take our own shortcut direct to Letheringsett, in order to miss out the leg towards Glandford and back into the wind to Letheringsett. So Harvey was surprised to see us sat in the mill when he arrived!

The café served light lunches and between us we had soup, quiche, sausage roll and cakes plus tea and coffee, which was all very good. The café was also fairly busy and included a couple of other cyclists, so we weren’t the only ones out in the wind.

So after a leisurely lunch we headed uphill and south again, this time to Thornage, at the Stody turn Harvey headed for home leaving three to climb to Melton Constable and on to Hindolveston. Then it was a mainly easterly leg via Thurning to Heydon where we finally turned north and had the wind on our backs, through Heydon Park to Oulton and Itteringham. Here Chris had a front puncture (Marathon Plus) which was a good sized thorn. When that was fixed, he must have been trying to make up for lost time as he left us in his dust as we headed home via Thurgarton, Gresham, where Andrew turned off and back to PC.

PC to PC with our shortcut was 46.8 miles (instead of the planned 49.7) with an average speed of 13.3 mph.
Riders were Chris S, Andrew B, Mark M and Harvey.
It was agreed that it was a good ride out, mainly dry, testing into the wind but a great tailwind.

Next rides and club runs – Wednesday 11th to the Crown at Trunch and Saturday 14th Purdy’s at Aylsham
See: https://nnwheelers.co.uk/club-runs/

Ride Report by Andrew A
Two riders met at Pretty Corner on a blustery day for the first ride of the year to the newly opened cafe at Elsing. The planned route took us through East Beckham, Gresham, Bessingham, Matalaske and Itteringham, against a strong head wind.
As pre-arranged we met up with Graham A, just before Itteringham. However, after just a mile Andrew had a puncture which was quickly fixed but failed again within a few hundred yards (on a second attempt at a repair a piece of flint was found embedded in the Marathon Plus tyre).
The remaining route took us through Oulton Street, Cawston, Brandiston, Swanninton, Attlebridge and Weston Longville.
The cafe was busy and welcoming (see photos) and we enjoyed a good lunch. The picturesque route back took us through Mill Street, Sparham, Reepham, Salle, Corputsy and Little Barningham, with rapid progress being made as the wind was on our backs and the sun shining. Graham left us for home at this point and the remaining two carried onto PC via Plumstead and Baconsthorpe. A good ride despite the strong wind with an excellent route provided by Mark.

These and more photos can be found here:
https://nnwheelers.co.uk/club-runs/club-runs-photo-gallery/

PC to PC 46 miles
Average speed 12.9 mph
Total Elevation 2000ft

Riders – Ian A (photography), Graham A and Andrew B leading

With the regular Wednesday Wheelers busy with family or recovering from injuries and with the forecast set to rain all day, it was no surprise that only the ride leader waited in the rain at PC.

As a shorter winter ride, it was a fairly direct clockwise route via Hanworth, Thorpe Market, North Walsham to Briggate. From here the strong south westerly wind became more noticeable as the route turned into it, through Worstead, past Tunstead Church and on to Coltishall.
After a brief stop outside the Rising Sun to check no other Wheelers had arrived and deciding that I’d skip the lunch stop as I had eaten plenty over Christmas, I headed for home, with the bonus of the wind on my back.

Again the route was direct and familiar, St James, Lamas, Brampton, Aylsham, Ingworth, Wickmere, Gresham to PC.
The ride was uneventful, though the forecast was correct, it rained the whole ride and there was a lot of standing water and leaf mulch on the roads, though the day was surprisingly mild.

PC to PC was 45.1 miles with an average speed of 14.3mph.
Rider – Mark M

Upcoming Rides – Saturday 31st to the Lighthouse, Walcott
Wednesday 4th January to a new venue, the Lemon & Rosemary Yard, Elsing (formerly the Mermaid pub)
Routes for rides on the website under Dates and Destinations: https://nnwheelers.co.uk/club-runs/

After some pre-ride discussions about the quantity of precipitation and the subsequent reassurances from the ride leader and chief meteorologist that very soon the clouds would give way to uninterrupted sunshine, four Wheelers met at PC in light rain, which then continued for the rest of the morning. In fact the sun remained elusive until somewhere around Southrepps on the return leg, but we did see the sun, so I will count that as a win.

As it was the shortest day of the year, our route was fairly direct, heading south east through Hunworth, Suffield, Felmingham to Swanton Abbott where we were pleased to be joined by John S, braving the weather to have lunch with us.
We continued through Worstead, then north via Honing, and Pollard Street looking forward to warmth and sustenance at our planned destination Watsons of Bacton, alas the Christmas holidays had come early and they were shut.

We quickly decided to go to Café Carmel (Brian P’s favourite café), it is very small and they were full, so we moved on again into driving rain to the Kingfisher café at Walcott, now closed for the season. With dissent in the ranks growing, we headed to the ever reliable Lighthouse Inn at Walcott, which was open, mutiny averted.

While everyone else ordered warming soup, the ride leader decided that the steak and ale pie was too good to miss and when it arrived it looked as if it was a portion for two. Every last morsel was delicious! We then decided that mince pies would round off the meal nicely, so we tested the kitchen by ordering them with a choice of cream, brandy butter, ice cream or custard. With one Wheeler choosing both brandy butter and ice cream (Chris). See Ian’s photo evidence in the Club Run Gallery: https://nnwheelers.co.uk/club-runs/club-runs-photo-gallery/

As we reluctantly left, we were pleased to see that the rain had stopped and the wind was in our favour, though it remained cold. John S headed back south as we made our way to Bacton and picked up the original route home.

Around the back of the gas terminal to Paston and then through a very deserted Mundesley, onto Gimmingham, along the recently reopened Wellspring Road (closed for years due to Badgers- it’s true), Northrepps, Metton to the split at Gresham.
Did I mention the sun had come out.

PC to PC with our lunch detour was 47.6 miles at a 14.1mph average.
Riders – Andrew A, Chris S, Ian A (photography), John S and Mark M leading.

Upcoming Rides – Saturday 24th to Letheringsett
Wednesday 28th, the Rising Sun, Coltishall – I have checked it is open and serving food!
Routes for both rides on the website under Dates and Destinations: https://nnwheelers.co.uk/club-runs/

With the Saturday ride postponed to Monday due to the recent freezing and icy conditions, plus it being Christmas week, it was not too surprising that only three Wheelers met at PC, and one of those wishing he hadn’t but more on that later.

The overnight rise in temperature was dramatic, with the ice melting and leaving a lot of standing water and messy roads. A warm, strong southerly wind made us feel overdressed as we worked fairly hard on our way south down to Itteringham.
We took some respite from the wind as we turned south east along the Itteringham Common road and all was going well until we reached Blickling Mill. Here the road often floods and we were expecting that, but on this occasion the water was only on the sides of the road and the centre was dry and appeared to be covered in the usual mud, leaves and gravel.

As the leading rider, I noticed a slip from my front wheel as I went over it but assumed it was due to loose gravel, unfortunately it was frozen, icy crud and Graham A lost his front wheel as he went over it and down he went. To add insult to injury, he then ended up in the puddle at the side of the road that he had been trying to avoid.
So we picked him up and dusted him down, checking for any obvious injuries and let him recover from the shock of hitting the tarmac. Once he had gathered himself, he decided it was best to cut the ride short and head back to Cromer via Ingworth and Erpingham, before the inevitable bruising took hold.

So, the remaining duo continued via Blickling, Cawston, Swannington and the Witchinghams to Reepham Station, where we found Harvey, who had already had his lunch, though he joined us for a chat and then for the wind assisted ride back home.
The ride home was a shorter and more direct route, heading out towards Kerdiston then to Wood Dalling, Corpusty, Edgefield and Plumstead, where we all split for our respective homes.

A post ride report from Graham A, said he had got home ok and later went for check-up at Cromer’s minor injury clinic, where an X-Ray found an aggravation to an old injury plus a broken rib. He now has an appointment at the fracture clinic at the Norfolk and Norwich on Friday. Let’s hope he makes a speedy recovery.

PC to PC was 44 miles at an average speed of 12.6 mph.
Riders were Brian P, Graham A, Mark M and Harvey for the return leg.

Next Saturday 24th is Christmas Eve and so the ride has been brought forward to Friday 23rd, 10am start at PC, going to Back to the Garden at Letheringsett. The next Saturday ride will be on January 7th.
There is a post Christmas ride on Wednesday 28th to Coltishall, if you feel the need to burn off a few mince pies.