So todays ride, yet again I just couldn’t be bothered to check the weather. Otherwise, like so many, I wouldn’t have set out from the house, but put ‘Loose Women’ on instead of recording it for later . The hardy souls that did turn out in a moderate breeze and awaiting the rain were myself, electric Dave, Dave H, Toby and a 'new lad' called Chris otherwise known as ‘last minute.com’ to the mod+ lads. I said new, due to the fact half his body has disappeared now that he’s all hair and a lean mean cycling machine . So we set off against the wind - yes it wasn’t a breeze - heading for a circular route to Comberbach via Norley , Acton Bridge (downhill) , around Little Leigh , Higher Whitley and Antrobus .
It was around here we stopped for a mothers meeting. Toby and Chris, who usually are out with Neil’s or any of the slightly faster groups were unsure of what to expect, but were given a vote on where to go. Not that it meant anything to me or Dave H, as we just said it’s going to be a few extra miles the way we were heading and that the weather was going to be against us on the return. So we headed for the Spinner and Bergamot (ok, it’s a named after a spinning loom between Pickmere and Wincham owned by the Smith family who had a jockey who’s best horse was called Bergamot). Here, we left Toby who was cycling with last minute Chris back to Chester, so they didn’t dine with me and his lordship. Their mileage was done via new money i.e. kilometres, so they probably achieved in excess of 80/90 kilometres in old money, around 50/60 miles according to Google.
Me and club royalty got a decent seat as the pub was empty and under new ownership, so it wasn’t difficult. We then ordered our grub which took ages. It was one of those moments where we had got warm and comfortable, so let’s order an Uber. But being stupid, we went back out to dark skies and head winds .
So our route back to Delamere was as follows; Little Leigh but this time through the village then back to the river at the Acton swing bridge where we had the climb up the hill we had descended earlier. But hats off to us both - even against the wind we didn’t get off. Then the weather gods thought ‘oh that’s it now, I’m putting heavy rain into the mix for the rest of the journey’. This was via Acton Bridge station to Crowton, then up another hill we had descended earlier which was pot holed, missing tarmac, mud- covered and now wet and puddled - oh, that’s us two, sorry. Anyway, you get the idea. The rain and wind made my mind wander to the last time I rode up this hill. I had shorts and sleeveless cycling jersey on, getting sweat in my eyes, not cold wet rain. Anyway, at the top yet again neither of us had dismounted, so we headed on the short run to Hatchmere lake where Dave had parked. I’d ridden out, but with being the nominated carer, I accepted a lift back to the ‘village by the river’. So my mileage today was 46 miles and Dave around 32 all told. With the wind and rain later, it wasn’t a bad effort by us all .
One final note I forgot. Steve H had arrived at Delamere knowing that none of the mod+ hierarchy were attending, but he came anyway to see what idiots where stupid enough to venture out. His mode of transportation was a very nice Vespa (mods & rockers age).
Footnote: I know it’s not clever not looking at the weather forecast, but as we all live in the UK, we expect variations in the weather. Mostly, this year so far, the weather gods have taken a great pleasure in making me use all my winter cycling attire, but I can say it was another top cycling day. So cheers to the guests from the mod+ mob who learned things today from the really moderate duo .
KB
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