I hadn’t been out on the bike with Ivan for a while, so it was a real pleasure to be out with him on his ride round Cheshire on Tuesday. Lots of familiar and dry roads with little traffic and some sunshine at last, with a new cafe (“Eleven”) in Whitchurch for lunch. This soon built up to a 70 mile round trip at 16mph. We were both riding on Thursday from Rose Farm so he offered up a couple of routes, and this one to "The George" in Sandbach was the result.
Leaving Chester at 0900 for the ride out to Utkinton, the weather was a mixture of a medium thick fog plus a fine drizzle which demanded a rain jacket to be donned and cycling glasses being cleared every few minutes. Nearing Utkinton, the fog and drizzle had lifted as I rolled in to Rose Farm with Alan. Steve Hu and Alan had caught me up on Ryecroft Lane outside Waverton, and then we caught up Trevor, with whom Steve Hu accompanied to the cafe.
Soon there were a dozen plus riders in the cafe with talk of "where are you going today". It was good to see Steve Ha making an appearance and making progress but not riding yet. Nick had messaged to say that he would meet us at Tilly's at 1100 which fitted in well.
So Ivan and I set off through Tarporley and out the back of town down Rabbit Burrow Lane where the first of a few "Road Closed" signs today momentarily checked our progress. "It’ll be alright” we thought even though we could seen lots of yellow flashing lights and earth-moving monsters on the horizon. Well it wasn’t alright, and we had to retrace our route going back over a very muddy surface and divert down to the A51 lights. We arrive at Tilly’s on time to see a very relaxed Nick supping his coffee inside. He comes out admitting that he’d been there for a while due to mix up over timing. Waiting outside, we met the lady owner (I presume) who was keen to "embrace" cyclists with a track pump and inner tubes added to the usual cafe menu.
The ride now is a familiar route in and out of Nantwich and Willaston. This becomes less familiar as we wriggle around Shavington and onto Basford sliding around Weston before arriving at Crewe Enterprise Centre environs. There are more less familiar roads now passing through Oakhanger thence passing by BAE Land Systems Munitions plant (and no doubt quite busy right now). We edge around Alsager and onto to Malkin's Bank via Hassall Green, and, after 29 miles into “The George" in Sandbach’s cobbled medieval market place.
The pub is pretty busy, but as ever, serves up good value food and drink in double quick time. We are good to go in little over 30 mins with a very familar and shorter route back to Tarporley. After Elworth, it’s on to Church Minshull and the long lane to Cholmondeston then arguably the second worst road in Cheshire running northwards to Wettenhall and beyond.
Arriving into Tarporley via Eaton, we three veer off towards Beeston where Nick heads for home as Ivan and I run back into Waverton. I thought I caught a glimpse of Steve Hu just about to leave the car park in Waverton as Ivan I complete a mid-70 miler in the sunshine. Given the range of weather and a mix of dry and very muddy roads today, we were pleased to be out enjoying the mid-November Cheshire countryside.
So a big thank you to Ivan for the route for today and Tuesday, and to Nick for his company on today's excursion.
See route map and/or gpx file download
CA
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