7th May 2026; Dobson's Bridge (Mod+)

With the Senedd elections throughout Wales , the elections for the Scottish Parliament and Council elections in England there was only one subject on everyone’s mind when arriving at Maggie's for coffee. 

Yes that’s correct, how cold it was! six degrees in my case, thus I and many others were significantly underdressed ! 

We had a good turnout with Dave P and Last minute.Chris reinforcing their reputation by arriving at 10:25. Our erstwhile regular leader from Maggies, the Wind Whisperer was recovering from a minor op and second lieutenants Clive and Steve T were also absent. So as schooled by Clive, I spent 10 minutes researching our old rides to find a Brisk route of Ivan’s going back to August 2023. 

So warmed up and refreshed, our energetic group of Elwyn, Fiona, Nick, Ray, Chris, Alan and myself set off on a 49 mile sub brisk route. We followed Ken out from Holt through Fardon where he found another gear riding up Worthenbury Road and reminded us what a brisk pace really means! 

Soon the lanes of Shocklach and Higher Wych hummed under our wheels. The group of seven seemed to be on form with everyone keeping up a spirited pace , possibly to fend off hyperthermia. The wind appeared to be on our nose all of the way south and certainly made the short climbs even harder. 

As we crossed the border into Welsh Wales, the busy polling stations were evidence of todays big vote. Soon the signs for Whixhall started to appear which seemed to placate Alan and Ray who’s stomachs were advising that food was needed. Whixhall Marina never fails to meet our high standards and whilst it was so busy we could not all sit together, our food came promptly and was nutritious. So much so that Nick and Ray disappeared off for what in the past might have been a crafty smoke , in today's case they seemed to be inhaling energy bars. LOL 

On turning right from the Marina on Rack Line I was disappointed to see we still had the wind in our faces, how can this be? However at Coton the switch to a northern return was rewarded with a nice tailwind. The B road to Steel Heath and Tilstock maybe a bit busy but the tarmac surface was smooth and our average speed of 14.1 mph took a turn for the better as we powered into Whitchurch with Fiona on the front completing what would be a stellar ride for her today. 

The roads became quieter as we ventured through Marbury and Bickley Brook . A school boy error of not listening to Nick and Ray resulted in us following the route right through the centre of Malpas. Unleashed Ray and Nick led us homeward only stopping by the Carden Arms for a group photo (thank you Elwyn). The plunge down Wetreins lane brought us all safely back into Holt. 

Despite the cold start, an excellent day of camaraderie with 49 miles covered at an average speed of 14.8 mph. Thanks to Ivan for the route and Clive for posting the blog. 

See route map and/or gpx file download

Steve H.