22nd December 2016: Gobowen (brisk)

This week’s blog is like a Christmas cracker - full of surprises! First off, it starts from the Old Dee Bridge and via Alyn and Gobowen, ends up back at the bridge. Ray and I had surmised that it would probably be just us two at Alyn cafe as we set off via Dodleston and Marford Hill for the 14 mile ride. I reckoned that Steve H would have either ridden over from Kelsall, or car-assisted to Alyn. Arriving into the park by the back door, we see Steve just about to saddle up. He warns us of an icy path report from a local. Testing the path rather gingerly, I quickly end up inspecting it rather too closely; so we three decide to walk the path to the cafe. The next surprise is that Andy B, Macca and Paul R are already there. Macca unfortunately had come off on the same icy path, and decided he would just ride homewards bound - nothing broken, but now nursing a sore elbow and thigh.

The next surprise really isn’t a surprise as no-one has a route planned. Steve decides he will drive elsewhere to find  non-iced up lanes, while I ponder a route out through Wrexham and then "Somewhere". So we four (Ray, Andy B, Paul R and myself) set off into Wrexham bound for "Somewhere". Inspiration comes as we skirt the hospital, then take the Foxwood Drive transfer to end up on the lane to Erdigg. The lanes are filthy and Ray is beginning to rue the choice of “mudguard-less” Titanium model today. We stop after Erdigg and I offer a choice of venues - mistake really - just do a "Harry Watson" and get them to follow you. So I announce we are off to Derwen College at Gobowen for lunch. 

The route is straightforward now through Ruabon, down and up the Dee Valley passing Cefn Mawr, and then the back way into Chirk via the marina, golf course and Chirk Castle. I elect to take the aqueduct, but the boys prefer the road, so with clear instructions to ride to Weston Rhyn, I find I am alone on the road! The boys took the canal path, so after a phone call, they enjoy the reverse route back to me. We are out now down my favourite, if very muddy, lane towards Gobowen. The next surprise has been that it’s been raining on and off since we left Wrexham, very much contrary to Carol Kirkwood’s sunny forecast using the new £99 million Met Office computer - no wonder the Met Office has lost the BBC Weather contract!

Another surprise is that neither Andy or Paul have been to Derwen College restaurant before. This time we are in early after just 20 muddy miles, so we get a table easily. The food comes to the table in five minutes flat after ordering, and we are all thankful for some hot fare. So 30 mins later, we are back on our bikes and in sunshine at last. I plot a narrow lane route back to Chester so we take NCN455 towards Threapwood since none of us needs to get back to Alyn. The tiny lane is absolutely filthy as we pass Hindford by. I decided a route upgrade is needed, and suggest we take the main roads back to Overton and thence to Bangor-on-Dee. “Yes, Please!” is the response, so exiting the lanes at Dudleston Heath, and on “clean” roads,  and we sail passed Gadlas Hall turning left towards Overton. Andy’s bike is making strange noises so he elects to carry on to Wrexham and home to Mold. 

We three take the Bangor road passing the race course at some speed, which has a meet on. Here, I recall that the road to Holt via Shocklach is very, very dirty due to farm vehicles, so suggest we go around Wrexham Industrial Estate and take the Borras road. Paul decides he wants to return via Holt, so he peels off, and Ray and I return much the way we came out down via Borras, Marford Hill and Dodleston. We arrive back with 65 very muddy miles ridden. 

The final surprise is that neither Ray nor I intended to ride so far today - it was just meant to be a ride out and back. So for my final ride of the year I managed 74 miles with nearly 1000m of climbs, and then spent 15 mins cleaning my bike when I got home - it must have been at least 500gm lighter after the wash! 

So Happy Christmas to all CER riders and I hope Father Christmas brings you all those presents that you have been hinting at all year. See you in January 2017!

CA

7th July 2016: Holt to Gobowen (Moderate)

Would it be a dry ride - well almost! I fancied a Moderate ride today so, as we saddled up outside Cleopatra’s, there were the Three Graces (aka Liz P, Kate and Jane) and the Dis-Gracefuls (aka Steve H, Keith B, Charlie, Petar, Dave H, Dave P, and myself). The route I’d pre-planned was to take a circuit around to Gobowen. Jane had asked if we could go to Whittington since she was leading a ride out that way soon and wanted to recce the area. So this was factored in and a few steep hills removed.

Off and out around the Industrial Estate bypass. We end up all together in Bangor on Dee taking the Overton Road out and up. At the top of the first “hill” just past the racecourse, I’m told the tandem is “going to Malpas”. We wander through lovely Overton and out on the Oswestry Road. Here we take the eponymously named Pant Lane as we climb up the valley. A right down and left up, finds us wandering past the lone Dudleston church and the awaiting mourners of today’s funeral. We entered Gaia Lane. Apparently Gaia was one of the four primeval Greek Deities. It surely would have been happy down this mud-strewn lane — thankfully all dry today. One to miss after a period of rain! We take Church Lane around the back of St Martins and on down across the A483 and into Weston Rhyn. Taking one of my favourite lanes south, we trundle down parallel to the A483 and into Gobowen.

It starts to rain, so we opt for Derwen College for lunch. It’s busy as per usual, but they find room to accommodate us. My phone rings - it’s Tandem Dave who is now at the Olde Boot in Whittington - so much for Malpas then! We ride the back way to the pub, where the group promptly disintegrates into Dave H (who is going to stay with the tandem) and Jane and Charlie who will make their own way back. 

We Happy Five now take the well-loved cycleway 455 for a while and then split off bound for Elson. On the way to Penley, I remember Sandy Lane, so we dive off down here bound for Worthenbury, thence to Shocklach and the cafe. Just as we get to Farndon it rains just hard enough to decide to don wet weather gear. All safely back after 50 miles, we find two-thirds of the Brisk Group (Steve T and Ken) inside.  After cake and coffee it is back to Chester hoping it won’t rain for a third time, and it doesn’t!

CA

9th July 2015: Shrewsbury (brisk)

Jeremy Clarkson’s car blog in the Sunday Times is invariably a rant about a current personal issue padded out with a car review. Well this blog is similar except it’s not a rant, but a celebration and a ride description. There is a misconception that all brisk rides are long, hilly, fast and furious. Well some are, and some are not. Our unofficial Tuesday rides are invariable long, fast, and hilly and furious (well relatively so for 60+ers). As Ivan had planned the Tuesday ride to the new Wetherspoons in Sandbach, I said I would plan today’s ride from Chirk. So often from Chirk we attack the hills but I wanted something different today. As I was feeling a bit sore from my unfortunate dismount in the rain on Tuesday, I planned a flat ride to The Shrewsbury Hotel (aka Wetherspoons) in Shrewsbury. The aforementioned celebration is that of the beautiful Shropshire countryside between Chirk and the county seat. Out through Western Rhyn, there is a tiny arrow-straight lane that gives you marvellous views of the land around culminating in the foreboding Old Oswestry Iron Age hill fort. Sliding out around the town, we are soon away from Oswestry and riding through Queens Head. The road down through Ruyton XI-Towns passes by many old country estates. The views are of the Wrekin and Caer Caradoc beyond. At Fitz, we now go east then south through suburbia to access the superb Severn river embankment in Shrewsbury itself. Following it clockwise as far as we can go, we arrive at the pub after 30 miles. 

Wetherspoons is fine except they forget to bring out my lunch, so I ask for my money back and in doing so get a free pint. A few of Ivan’s chips will have to suffice today supplemented by a Snickers bar. Back along the river, we exit via the cycleways to Montford Bridge. Over the Seven and the A5, the ride back is largely along highway 81. Moving North Eastwards, we pass by the Army training camp at Wilcott and the radio telescope at Knockin. The sun has warmed the air, the roads are good, and the countryside is quintessentially English in these former Marcher bad lands (as evidenced by quite a few former Motte and Baileys). Across Maesbury Marsh, we complete the figure-of-eight routing by crossing the A5 towards Gobowen. My lack of lunch necessitates tea and cake at Derwen College as it is obvious that we three (Ivan, John and myself) will not make it back in time for the 15:50 Chester train. A leisurely return is completed via the Rhyn valley with its steep climb out. Sixty miles in just over 4 hours. Acres and acres of wonderful countryside so rarely seen and appreciated by motorists. A Magnum ice cream rounds off a superb day's cycling!

CA

30th April 2015: Gobowen (brisk)

I’d set out about 15 minutes earlier than planned on my way to Hildegard’s and it was soon obvious that I should have waited at home in the dry for those 15 minutes. By the time I reached the café, I had been well and truly soaked! Hildegard was mopping the floor as I arrived, as cheerful as ever. We chatted about her impending up-sticks back to Germany (in early June perhaps). I reminded her that, after years of looking after other people, it was meet and right that she should now be looking after herself. John arrives next and gradually a load more arrive. 

Where's John - gone for a swim?

Photograph by Clive Albany

I’d fancied a ride to Whittington, as I hadn’t been there since 2011. There were no takers except John, so we set off bound for Wrexham. I’d planned a wiggle through the centre of Wrexham and then up in the hills around Johnstown, thence to Whittington. We did our Wrexham wiggle, finding cut-throughs to the lane to Erdigg. The weather was rainy, windy and cold and so, with John’s approval, I cut out the hills and re-routed on the hoof as we headed for the Llangollen canal aqueduct cycle path then Chirk, and a bit of canal again towards Weston Rhyn. Here there is a wonderful, nearly straight lane going through Hengoed to the Gobowen Hospital. Derwen College café was busy and we were lucky to get a window table. As ever it is a pleasure to be here, with prompt and efficient service matched with home-cooked food. 

The sun is well out now and it is a real pleasure to be out in the Shropshire countryside. The route back was via the quiet lanes of Hindford and Dudleston Heath. Somewhere here I pick up a rear wheel slow, and with an audience of inquisitive bullocks, effect a repair. Through Lightwood Green and Cloy, we then take the main road back to Cross Lanes, through the industrial estate to the top of Borras Road (which looks like its at last going to be resurfaced) and then the 3 mile run down to Holt again. A mere 48 miles, with 70+ from Chester.

CA