5th May 2022 : Alsager (brisk)

John W was sitting outside my house at 09:00 champing at the bit ready for a ride to Delamere Café.We set of some 15 minutes later on what will be a lovely sunny day. My ride today was a 72-mile circular ride from and to Delamere station café. Its 11 miles out to the café from Chester and the same on return so a minimum of 94-mile ride for us both. John had already covered 12 miles when arriving at my house this morning, so much for lighter early sun rising!! As expected, a good turnout for riders to welcome us, we passed Andy and Keith on our way and they to arrived shortly after us. 

Ready for the off at Delamere Cafe

We set off out towards Fishpool crossing the A54 stopping for a photo shoot of the canal at Tilstone.Through Bunbury and on towards Ravensmoor, we have the benefit of some tailwind. The roads around Cotebrook and Oulton Park were advertising the Club car championship this weekend so if out riding keep away from this location. Between Ravensmoor and Sound I got a big thorn in my rear tyre and it quickly went down. A new tube in and within 10 minutes we were rolling again. The benefit of using gas instead of a pump is an improvement to roadside emergency action.

Before entering Audlem, we take Swanbach Mill Lane leading us to the meandering lanes to Hankelow and Wybunbury. From the village we head out to Wrinehill along main road until we take a left for a new climb Heighley Hill. It got our attention at 17% but there was a splendid display of bluebells but too much effort in getting up the hill to stop for a photo.

Audlem's staircase of locks

A tranquil scene

We have ridden some lovely lanes and continuing to Barthomley was no exception. The White Lion was our choice today as they boast home made pies which are truly tasty. However, I plump for sausage and mash although John enjoyed the steak and Guinness pie. Pouring Guinness is a slow process and making the pie was as well as we ended up waiting a while for our meal.

From Barthomley we head to Radway Green and passing through Alsager and to Breton Green.Through Holmes Chapel riding on the main road, we turn left at Spinney motorhome corner for Shakeley Mere, Lach Dennis and Davenham. We cheekily ride on the pavement but as the school day had finished, we should have gone via the correct one-way road. At Hartford we ride through the town busy with school run mums and dads in their Chelsea tractors, but John shows them our rears as he passes the queues.

We are now heading to Norley and Hatchmere where anyone who rides our route would turn left towards Delamere but we’re going straight over onto Ashton Road through Delamere and Mouldsworth. We choose to go via Ashton instead of up hill passing the Goshawk Inn then Manley Lane and back to Mickle Trafford and Chester.

Again, we enjoyed a good route with lots of pleasant lanes mostly dry although plenty of rough and potholed surfaces. I covered 95 miles and John his second 125 miles of the week!.

Another good day out on the bike.

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ID

Photos ID

28th February 2019 : Barthomley (brisk)

The forecast was for a showery day and the first droplets of rain were falling as four brisk riders set off for the White Lion at Barthomley. As it happens all four of us, Clive, Nick, John W and myself, had chosen Gore Shake Dry rain jackets as our protection from the elements. It proved to be a good decision as the rain was persistently heavy rather than showery. 

The route took us east via Wettenhall and Church Minshull before swinging south to cross the A53east of Crewe. After a further wet 5 miles we were happy to arrive at the 17th century White Lion.

Our jackets had proved their worth keeping our torsos dry without the usual boil in the bag effect. Unfortunately, gloves and overshoes had not proved as effective and were laid out to dry in front of the welcoming log fire. There was a cheery atmosphere in the pub and the food lived up to previous reports. Sausage and Mash, Steak and Guinness Pie and Steak Baguettes were enjoyed with beer and coffee as we lingered hoping the rain would ease. 

No such luck and eventually we forced ourselves out with the promise of coffee and cake at Tillys in Bunbury “only” 22 miles away. Despite the weather we remained in good humour and with good speed and plenty of chat we headed towards Nantwich via Hough and Wybunbury. I think it was at the A534 that Nick left us to head directly for Tilston and home. 

It was only a few more miles until the remaining three arrived at Tillys in Bunbury where we took another short break from the rain. We didn’t need to return to Rose Farm so our final leg back to Chester was along familiar lanes via Beeston, Hargrave and Waverton.

Including our ride to the start we completed over 70 miles and can now thoroughly recommend our rain jackets! We have not been paid for this commercial!

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JM

21st June 2018 : Barthomley (brisk)

A fine dry day was forecast but with an northerly wind. The ride out from Chester to Delamere for the café start was testament to the predictions. I met John at the Meadow Lea end of the Greenway. Although a reasonable turnout at the cafe, most other riders were opting for a moderate ride to Goostrey so John and I set of for a ride to the White Lion Inn at Barthomley.

Leaving the café, we turn right to head out along station lane towards Nantwich. Wind on our backs we cross over the main roads A556 and A54 then A49 at Cotebrook. Up to Eaton and turn left at the sigh post and we are Wettenhall bound. Rounding the corner at Reaseheath College it isn’t 11:30 yet so very good time made over 18 miles.

Through Nantwich and direction Wybunbry, we go through the village and turn left onto Wrinehill Road. This is a good lane to ride along and turning left at Wrinehill village we head towards Betley. It is now a little climb to get up to Balterley but no problems as we still have the tail wind. Arriving at the lunch stop at 12:20 we are soon enjoying the famous steak and ale pie.

When we were riding towards Nantwich and on Fishermans Lane, we swopped bikes to allow me to test the suspension on John's bike; so at lunch time we have the best buy guide on suspension bikes, (look out Marilyn and watch the account!!)

Our route home is via Crewe and on arrival at Crewe Green out of 5 exits on the roundabout only two open to traffic. We navigate the footpath and eventually find our booked route Sydney lane to take us to Maw Green and Bradfield Green. We have experienced only a few occasions of head wind but with J on the front! No problem. At Church Minshull, we head towards Darnhill and up the 10% with a head wind in front and big bus behind, makes you get up quicker! We keep to the outer roads to pass Winsford and keep to the B5074 and on to Foxwist Green and Sandiway. Its then undulating roads passing Cuddington and Norley and at Hatchmere taking a R/H to return to the café at Delamere for a chunk of the delicious looking cake spotted at Breakfast.

I assume we return before the mods as its only 14:40 and enjoy our desert sitting outside in the sunshine. From the café we return through the woods and it is a reasonable route and a good short cut as we came out not far from the railway bridge. It is only a matter now of getting up Goshawk bank but up and over it is now the bumpy road along Manley lane before the main A56 into Chester.

As John and I had been out Tuesday with train assist to Shrewsbury then cycle to Welshpool and back to Chester todays ride was not as taxing but we still had a ride of 76 miles round trip. 

A very good day out on fantastic lanes and no incidents. Thank you, John, for bearing the brunt of the headwind but it still feels hard behind you.

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ID

19th April 2018 : Barthomley (brisk)

Today’s meet was the ICF and on the first of this year’s sunny day’s I rode out with Clive from Chester. Great to be out with him again and see he is enjoying being back on the bike. There were plenty of Mod riders at the ICF but only Nick and I were out as the Brisk group.I had a route to the White Lion at Barthomley and an 83-mile round trip to and from Chester. Nick and I set off and encountered the first of many road works at the end of Newton Lane just one of many road’s blocked during today’s ride. Road pot hole filling was the jinx of the day rather than flooded roads of last week’s ride.

We rounded Beeston and on through Bunbury. Tilly’s café was packed with morning strollers but the front car park was filled with cars rather than bikes. We take the lanes leading to Ravensmoor and encounter the only muddy patch of the whole day. On arriving at the cross roads at Ravensmoor, I stop and find Nick is not behind me. A couple of minutes later he rounds the bend. So as not to muddy his pristine cycle which has seen a lot of devoted cleaning recently, he went at crawling pace so as to reduce the slurry marking his new carbon wheels and frame.

It is a lovely experience cycling in shorts and shirt only after what seems like a long winter period. From Sound, we head on to Audlem and pass through the town on the A529 then out to Hankelow. After about 1.5 miles we turn left onto Bridgemere Lane. I have ridden this before and it is a good lane passing over the A51 at Bridgemere. Following this route, we pass Checkley and into the pretty village of Betley. Taking a right turn we go along Knowlbank Road with the intention of continuing along the B5500 but a big fence tells us the road is blocked. They are doing bridge work over the M6 so if passing on the M6 after junction 16 if the look for the trio of bridge works we were intending to cross the middle bridge. After consultation with the Garmin, we retrace our route back to the previous road works and have to detour taking a right, right and right turn which brought us back on route to take us to the White Lion at Barthomley.

We were not the only cyclists using this hostelry today but fortunately they were enjoying the sunshine outside. We ordered our lunch, Steak and Guinness ale pie and mash with veg: fantastic lunch with lashings of gravy was just what was needed for the remainder 40 miles back home!!! Our return journey took us south of Crewe passing the largest rail yard on the West Coast, Basford Hall Junction thence passing through Shavington, Blakelow and into Nantwich.

Nick and I had already decided where the afternoon stop would be and we were stopping at the Cotton Arms at Wrenbury. I have used this before with Clive and Dave Heath as they offer ice cream but when we arrive I couldn’t resist a cool pint of golden ale.

Too soon we were back in the saddle bound for Cholmondeley but half way along the estate road we turn left towards Larkton to ride via Tilston (Nicks abode). I leave Nick at the Carden Arms crossroads and continue lonesome back to Chester via Barton, Coddington and Alford. Exiting at Churton it is the B5130 I ride to Huntington and home. I’ll leave cleaning the bike for today as the slurry has already dried hard as XXXX so nothing spoiling.

As booked, both Nick and I have enjoyed 84 miles of lovely riding on very pleasant lanes now they’ve dried out and the flowers and fields are in bloom with plenty of chorus from birds happy to sing in the bushes and trees as the sun shines; it was a pleasure today. The circular route to ICF would have been 67 miles.

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ID