Leighton Buzzard Woodcraft Folk Learning CycleCraft 28/06/2011

It’s a muggy Monday evening - a boiling hot day followed by steamy showers of rain. I am sitting next to Clipstone Brook, on a grassy bank overlooking the play park near the Planets Estate. I can hear some excited chatter approaching swiftly and suddenly there is a long line of  youngsters on their bicycles, with a leader at front and back, enjoying the leafy lanes and routes around Leighton Buzzard. 

There are so many lovely cycle routes around Leighton Buzzard for leisure and practical rides.

This Woodcraft Folk group have been using their bikes for about a year now – they had Bike Club funding to have some cycle maintenance training & Trail Leader training for the leaders and some Mountain Bike training sessions for the group, and now they are practicing for an overnight Bivouac/hammock camp in 2 weeks time, by riding various routes in their own neighbourhood – mostly along traffic-free or quiet routes.

Nearly finished - crossing the road near the town centre using a Toucan.

The leaders are showing their new-found skills by doing thorough bike checks before setting off (and carrying tool kits for en-route maintenance), riding forward to oversee turnings and junctions on the road and by having regular stops and breaks to praise the good cycling so far and talk through what is coming up and ensure that everyone is rested and ready to ride again.

The whole group enjoyed their ride out and were very keen to be included in the overnight cycling/camping trip in a fortnight’s time.

The circlular cycle route round Leighton Buzzard, took in many parks, past several schools, the water meadows, canal, riverside and High Street - lots of landmarks to learn the way around town.

 http://www.woodcraft.org.uk/where