Femme Pédale’s Spring Fling - here's the plan

We start off with a few miles along the Rea Valley/No. 5 Sustrans route enjoying the lovely Cannon Hill and Hazelwell Parks. At Lifford Lane we get off the No. 5 and take a nice little shortcut that brings us out in Kings Norton, avoiding the busy bits of Cotteridge.

We keeping going through Kings Norton along Primrose Hill and approximately 5 miles after leaving MAC we’re in the countryside. We keep heading south along Icknield Street until we get to the excellent Coach and Horses pub. They’ve got a lovely garden and seem very bike friendly (eight bikes there this Sunday, not including ours!), so, seems like a nice place to stop for a drink and a munch.

Having refreshed ourselves it’s left along Weatheroak Hill and Hill Lane, then up Chapel Lane and Middle Lane heading north towards the city. Once we get back to Kings Norton we cut back to Lifford Lane and then we’re on the No. 5 again back to MAC (the slightly rubbish map shows the countryside section of the ride).

The route is around 15 miles and we’ll be setting a nice gentle pace. There are a couple of ups and steep downs, not recommended if this is the first time you’ve got on a bike in a few years, but otherwise fine. We’ll be checking your bikes, especially your brakes, before we set off, so you’ll know that everything is in good working order.

How does this sound? Any comments from our gracious readers are very much appreciated. If you don’t feel so confident about things like junctions and roundabouts please let us know (on the day is fine), we will support you in whatever way you like, from buddying up to get across, to completely stopping traffic. There’s nothing big or scary on this route, but one thing I’ve learnt recently that’s worth remembering is that you always feel a lot more confident cycling in a big group. And it’s more fun!

So remember…

May 7^th – 1pm – Midlands Arts Centre