22nd January 2026 : Pickmere (mod)

Well let’s start, on cycling the 10 miles to Delamere, the weather decided "No soft lad it’s not going to be fine" as it started to rain heavily filling the massive pot holes with water, which helped me seeing them . Arriving at the cafe meet and being met by my cycling buddy for the day, aka Dave H, had surprised me as we know Dave is an another name for being Lastminute.com . 

Then the other motley crew arrived, our 2 Welsh lads aka Alan and (obviously he’s not allowed out without his side kick) Steve. Also appearing was Clive who was given the task of being the "nearly fast not quite group" carer for the day, and finally at the Lastminute Chris and Toby. Dave M also arrived but was doing his own stuff. So Dave and I had a typical "Keith and Dave plan" which had a destination named, but getting there was another thing, so the destination was Knutsford . 

The route out was via Crowton then Acton Bridge and heading towards Arley Hall then the usual discussion concerning "let’s just go this way and down this lane", mainly because we can as there’s only us two and it's like discovering various other routes. Anyway we ended up in Pickmere at the Red Lion which was warm which was a much needed respite from the rain wind and chill. 

Earlier at the meet we  where chatting about the cost of our lunch venues now compared to last year and now being a retiree, and the rest mostly pensioners except Chris and Toby mind, was how pub grub and cafe meals are so expensive for what you’re getting. Anyway me and soft lad bit the bullet and ordered off the main menu. This is where I know my eyesight is bad because seeing my pie dinner arriving I thought "Oh that’s a new one on me chipotle sausages "oops, no they were carrots cooked in a oil looking "un-orange" . 

So after the 20 miles to said pub, we left and headed back covering another 19 miles through Great Budworth, Comberbach and back up the hills through Acton bridge and Crowton etc so we actually achieved some climbing kudos. Dave remember has only recently had a new body part, so what he achieved needs a well done, and if it was in school it would have merited a gold star . We arrived back at Delemere after a fantastic day of cycling in the damp cold and wet a lot of the time conditions. The motto of our mod group is "not quite plus" but definitely not "slow group" and, if in doubt just try it as it leads to somewhere we might recognise plus we’re out cycling.

KB