Seven riders met our guest leader, Paul Bacon in North Wheatley, all in plenty of time for a 9am departure. With the forecast being 60% chance of no rain around 1-ish we headed out towards Fledborough where we joined the Dukeries Trail, cycle route 647, in the direction of Lincoln.
The trail is a multi-user route, so not surprising that we met lots of other users: cyclists, runners and dogwalkers, all enjoying the scenic trails & sunshine.
Our route met the Fossdyke Navigation which we followed into Lincoln before heading up to Lincoln Castle.
For anyone who's never experienced a steampunk event, you're in for a spectacle. This is where Victoriana meets sci-fi and crosses with modern values. Intriguing & fascinating!
After our lunch stop and wander back through the festival-goers, we wound our way downhill to the riverside and re-traced our way back to route 647.
Remember the optimistic forecast? Well, around 1pm the heavens opened & hailstones pelted down on us for the rest of the gravel section. We reached Fledborough and the rain seemed to ease into sunshine... or was that wishful thinking.
Although we arrived back at North Wheatley in a soggy state, the weather hadn't dampened our spirits or spoiled a great ride and our fun time at the festival. Thanks everyone for another fabulous ride.
