Q. When is a ride, not a ride?
A. When the leader explains that he just wants to go home! Read on for more information.
After a convivial chat with Steve Hu in the car park on the merits of the
Yeti (the car no the mythical creature from the Himalayas) I opened the door of
"Maggies" to the expectant buzz of the the club at coffee.
After placing my order with the always efficient and friendly staff I
noticed Jim and Trevor sitting quietly on the edge of the group. I had
enjoyed a long walk on the Clwydian Hills the day before and did not want much
more than a leg stretcher today. We were joined by Andy B who as usual
had cycled in from another country. I know I have said it before but the
man is a legend.
Jim and Trevor had cycled in together from Guilden Sutton. Because of the forecast for wet and windy weather after lunch, neither had planned to actually ride today. Jim was cycling down to the Malpas area to his daughter's, where his wife was waiting with the car and Trevor was planning to cycle home. Trevor kindly offered to lead us on a more circuitous route north as far as Waverton. Andy and I were happy with this and so we set off. As we crossed the river and climbed up that little pull into Farndon we were overtaken at pace by Neil and his group. A reminder if I needed one how much I have slowed down in recent years. Turning south we followed the oft ridden route through Crewe-by-Farndon and turning south east for Tilston. Here Jim left us to continue on to his daughter's. The remaining three turned east for Duckington, Bickerton and hence to climb Hart Hill. Rewarded by the long free wheeling decent into Tattenhall. Here we turned north again through Hargrave and Greenlooms and to Waverton. We said our farewells to Trevor who left us here to continue his ride home.
After a convivial light lunch at the Walk Mill, Andy and I got back on our
bikes just as the rain started. The most direct route back to Holt suited
us both. With Andy leading, to shelter me from the increasing strength of
the wind, we kept up a good pace on the recently re-surfaced roads through
Saighton and Churton. We had left the rain behind us as we travelled
south and thus it was a dry end to my ride into Holt. Andy still had
another sixteen miles to go. My thanks to Trevor for readjusting his
plans to accommodate us and to Andy for his reassuring presence on a rather
strange day in the saddle. We had clocked up about 28 miles on a day
which threatened wind and rain but did not spoil our enjoyment.
GW.
