-9 upon rising today & had thought about going to take pics at a Cyclo Cross event over at Cannock but the urge to ride overcame the urge to shoot pics.
Looking to avoid a copy of yesterdays route I remembered some other local areas that I haven't ridden.
After a short section of road I started with Oakthorpe Colliery which I have walked round, a long time ago, this proved to be a worthwhile venture. Following the border first clockwise from the main entrance & then retracing the same trail anticlockwise. This area is 'Off Road' & fairly technical in places including a couple of cross bars to duck under, no getting off tho'.
After this it was across the road 'Ashby Road' & into Hicks Lodge, a new area of the National Forest. I've not been into this area before & was surprised at the wide open vistas, it's very well laid out & has a very good track although I'm not sure of the surface as today it was snow covered but it was nice & easy & I'm sure it would make a great loop to push hard around. It's basically a fast loop around a big lake. I did notice tho' that there are building works going on which are signed to be a Cycle Centre, I hope they put a cafe in but I reckon it'll be a hire centre.
Skip across 'Willesley Lane' by the Cycle Centre into another area that is under construction, here I must have spent an hour or so disoriented & searching for my way back out, I'll give it a miss in future until it's finished.... Back thro' Hicks Lodge to Ashby Road & back home.
A quick pit stop at home for coffee & bike adjustment & I was away again for similar loops to that of yesterday, Sarah's Wood followed by Rawdon East which I only discovered yesterday. Back to the Furnace where I spotted a Green Woodpecker then along to Spring Cottage with a couple of loops along the way. Over Spring Cottage Road & a big loop in this zone then along to cross Park Road & into Swainspark Wood where there was a buzzard flitting from tree to tree above & in front of me, how do they manoeuvre with suck a big wingspan! Through here & back over Occupation Road for just one lap of Albert Village Lake.
Pretty much a retrace back from here with the odd loop here & there to keep the miles up & the climbing.
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