26th October 2023: Bangor on Dee (mod)

Last time I led a ride from Meadow Lea no less than 18 members turned up. Today there was the same number there and the place was buzzing. I had thought of leading a ride and had started to plan one before leaving but the outward route was coming out in excess of 26 miles. Thinking that would be a bit much, I abandoned the idea and hoped that someone else would have a route. They didn't. I could see Dave studying his map but eventually he gave up and came over to ask me if I had any ideas. It occurred to me that there were possibilities for shortening the route so I volunteered and as a result here I am writing up the report. To be fair Dave did say that he would help to write it up but after his eventful day (you'll have to read on now) I said I would do it all.

Eight riders (Andy B, Andy W, Dave H, David M, George, Jim, Ray and myself) set off towards Guilden Sutton although we knew that Andy W would be leaving us early. In the village we turned right and as we cycled along School Lane Ken passed us on his way home and soon disappeared in the distance. We carried on across the A41 and over into Hoole Lane crossing over the railway and then the canal before reaching the traffic lights at Boughton. As the lights turned green Ken turned up from the left. He had obviously taken the 'scenic route' but he joined us for a short time as we turned down Dee Lane and headed for the river.

As we cycled along the river it was noticeably swollen following the previous week's Storm Babet although the path at the edge was now visible. It hadn't been when I passed there on Tuesday. We crossed the river by the Old Dee Bridge, built in the 14th century to replace the old Roman bridge and still carrying traffic today. We turned left to pass the college at which point Ken cycled off into the distance and Andy W left us too. Seven of us continued at a more leisurely pace passing through Eccleston and turning left onto the Rossett road. This can be quite a busy and fast road so I avoided some of it by turning down the Straight Mile, rejoining it in Pulford. I had intended to turn right when we reached Lavister but a local dog walker told is that the road was flooded. After a bit of quick thinking we took the next left instead. George thought it might be closed but it turned out not to be. We turned right onto the country lanes to take us up to Hoseley Lane, having avoided the long drag up Gresford Hill.

We were now back on my original route and at Borras Head we went straight on and down to the new roundabout near Wrexham Industrial Estate. We crossed this and found our way onto the little lane that skirts round the edge of the estate. At the far side we got onto another new and busy road but quickly found the old road which would take us up to the traffic lights at Cross Lanes.

Lunch was beckoning and from the lights its not far down the A525 to the Royal Oak at Bangor-on-Dee but as we arrived there were only five of us. Jim and Dave were missing. Apparently they had got stuck when the lights changed to red but they knew where we were going and they knew the way. We quickly got sat down, ordered our drinks and got chatting and it wasn't until our drinks arrived that we realised that Jim and Dave still hadn't turned up. Bangor-on-Dee isn't the best place to get a phone signal and it took some time before Andy managed to get hold of Dave. Just as he did so Jim arrived on his own and the story came out. As Dave had braked whilst coming down the hill he had suffered rim failure. His bike wasn't going anywhere and as a consequence neither was Dave. So we had to leave Dave to try to find some way of getting back to Chester while we got on with our lunch. While we ate Andy explained the mechanism of rim failure (something most of us weren't aware of) and before we finished we got the news that Dave had befriended a builder working at a nearby house who had offered to take him and his bike back to Meadow Lea. He just had to wait a few hours until the job was finished!

Photo by Andy B

So just six of us now setting off for the ride back. This was along familiar lanes through Worthenbury and Shocklach to Farndon. We lost David here. As I turned towards Farndon he preferred to carry on up the B road, a stretch of road that I don't like. From Farndon it was up to Aldford and then Bruera. As we approached the hill up to Saighton I heard a van come up behind us. I waved it past but instead of passing it pulled alongside me I heard a familiar voice urging me to pedal harder. It was Dave with his new-found builder friend. It didn't seem right that he would now be getting back before us but it was good to know that he was OK.

It was a short run from Saighton to Waverton and just a few miles more to cross the A51 and head back to Meadow Lea. An eventful ride but everyone home in one piece having done 42 miles, either by bike or bike/van.

See route map and/or gpx file download

TC