23rd November 2023: Caerwys (mod)

There were three groups in the Pursuit cafe at Hawarden on this a windy but surprisingly dry Thursday in Nov. Dave H, Jim and Trevor had ridden in from Mickle Trafford. Briskers, Ken, Richard & John M were looking at a route back to Chester with Ken wanting to maybe divert through Llay. Lastly and the subjects of this blog were the daft group of mod plus riders who fancied the hills: Shane, Steve T, Alan and Steve Hu. What did Brian Wade say? “We go to Wales for the hills” , well we certainly cycled them today all 3800ft of them. 

This was a hybrid route of Steve Hu out and Alan’s return. The group set off through Hawarden then climbing towards Drury and Buckley. It was at this point the wind started to make its presence felt. A quick plunge through Alltami and we were on the quiet lanes through Soughton. As we left Soughton the quality of the roads deteriorated. A local farmer was digging out a ditch which prior to seeing him we had been riding up what felt like a stream. At the junction of Green Lane and Cefn Eurgain Lane, Steve Hu made a leadership decision to tackle the Col du Green lane in favour of its clean tarmac. This was met with a mix of incredulity and resignation from Alan and Steve T. Shane was blissfully unaware of the calf burning section to come. 

The downhill into Wen y Gaer was memorable as Steve T commented “how often do you have to pedal just to go downhill” such was the wind! As we crested the hill at Moel Y Crio we knew we would have been better ditching the bikes and flying a kite. 

Using Alan’s local knowledge we navigated tractors cutting hedges and were soon safely ensconced at On The Corner Cafe at Caerwys. The service was as usual excellent, marred only by Steve Hu & Shane trying to send the table mats back thinking they were menus, as Neil would say LOL. 

Speaking of Neil Tanner, Neil had promised a route for today, the trouble was his route went from Meadow Lea, where he patiently sat wondering where the CER contingent were. Neil has form for going to the wrong venue, so we shouldn’t be surprised. It was agreed a laminated list of 2024 dates and starting venues zip tied to his handlebars may help. 

Alan's return route was as always well planned and with a tailwind over in a short time. A pernicious thorn in Shanes front tyre and Steve T’s rear mudguard making a bid for freedom were the distractions from an otherwise wind assisted ride. Alan peeled off at Northop leaving the three musketeers to roll into Hawarden. Thanks to Alan for the route a very challenging 43 miles with plenty of climbing thrown in. 

Photo by Steve Hu

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Steve Hu  

5th October 2023: Caerwys (mod)

A rainy morning in Hawarden resulted in eight hardy CER rider ready to tackle the Welsh Hills. Matt, Dave H, Steve T, Dave M, Alan , Electric Ray Andy B and Steve Hu all met in the bustling Pursuit cafe. If you have visited please do so the staff are really friendly and clearly want the new venture to be a success. Alan had a number of options, the consensus was Caerwys. The weather gods initially smiled on us as we plunged down Gladstone Hill towards Queensferry. At the blue bridge Dave M bade us farewell as he returned home via Saltney. 

Alan used his local skills to navigate use around Flint and Bagillt. Popping in a new section of cycleway he took us to the start of the climb up to Holywell past the aptly named Holy Well. However this time instead of tackling the busy road climb of Greenfield Rd, Alan took us up a cycleway to the left of the river. This is a super route and pops you out by Tesco in Holywell. 

By now it was raining with a passion and the long road slog to Whitford Road seemed longer than usual. In Whitford Al decided against a muddy (Clive preferred) lane and stayed on Whitford road. Soon we were passing over the A55 and rolling into Caerwys with 26 miles under our belts. 

The Corner Cafe excelled in providing excellent fare at keen prices. Andy B remarked he could safely scald his mouth on any item from his “Jumbo” breakfast, such was the freshness of the food. 

Armed with full stomachs and only slightly distracted by Steve Hu losing his flow yellow glow in the dark lock bag, which had made a bid for freedom. The rain continued to pound us as we rode through Babell and then rose up on Halkyn mountain. A brief shelter in a bus stop did nothing to abate the cold wind on the tops, however the solution was soon forthcoming as we swooped ever downward to Northop. 

From Northop it is only a short jaunt to Tinkersdale Car Park, however our intrepid band of five were thwarted by a road closure and two fire engines attending an incident. This led to another four “extra” miles being accumulated by Steve T & Dave H as they wove a weary way around Hawarden and back to their car. Our reporter on the ground Steve T advised it was a fire at the local pub, information the Daily Post did not have on their website some 60 mins later.

Photo by Alan O

A tough ride for this time of year with nearly 3000 ft of climbing and just over 40 miles. Thanks to Alan for planning the ride and most importantly the members who turned up on such a wet day

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Steve Hu

16th February 2023 : Caerwys (brisk)

The recent spell of dry warm weather provided an ideal opportunity to enjoy riding some of the lanes in North Wales.  As I hadn’t been able to have a long ride this week, I suggested  a ride out to Caerwys to the brisk group. Thursday morning was dry and warm and 6 riders, John’s M & W, Ivan,Richard & Nick met me at Rossett for our foray into North Wales.

The first 16kms was on quiet roads which meandered through Hope and skirted  around the cement factory at Buckley and on towards Mold. We stayed above and to the west of Mold town rather than taking the more direct busy traffic route through its centre. On entering Mold, we turned onto  the first climb heading up  towards Nercwys when one comedian piped up that according to his Garmin “this is the first of nine climbs today and this one is 2 miles long”. I quickly  enlightened  him that there were  more than 9 hills  on my route profile.

Turning off the main road below Nercwys, we traversed above Mold through Gwernamynned to Gwernaffield where the snowdrops at Fron Hall were putting on a super display in the morning sunshine. Unfortunately around this point, John W dropped behind because he was struggling with back pain and decided to abort the ride and head for home. Ivan chose to accompany John and they rode off via Shotton back to Chester.

Our now depleted group carried on into Cilcain arriving via the steep climb up from the River Alyn which according to Richard’s Garmin was rated at a 22%. It was all downhill from here to  the valley bottom where a short section of main road had to be endured before we could turn off  onto the quieter lanes towards Nannerch. John M excused himself from this section because his bike was too highly geared for climbing the hills through the village so he opted to stay on the main road and meet us in the cafe for lunch. The stiff climb through Nannerch village soon gave way to a descent back to the valley road and the start of the long climb up to Caerwys and lunch.

The Corner Cafe turned out to be a very popular meeting place but fortunately I had heeded Clive’s advice and booked our table. Once seated our orders were taken, the food arrived promptly and was as good as I remembered from my previous visit. During lunch Nick showed us pictures of the damage that had been inflicted on his sister’s house (in New Zealand) by recent storms. The house is uninhabitable as they have no water or power and it will several weeks before the utilities are restored. 

Lunch over it was back on the bikes and it felt quite springlike in the sunshine as we climbed over the Halkyns with views opening up towards the Dee estuary and the Wirral peninsula beyond. We then climbed the undulating  but good quality road surface through villages of Pentre Halkyn, Halkyn to descend into Rhosesmor. 

Turning left by the church in Rhosesmor, we entered a narrow steeply descending lane towards Northop. This road surface had a generous coating  of mud and debris so both caution and concentration were required. Unfortunately, Richard’s front wheel slipped away from underneath him and he ended on the floor. Fortunately he escaped serious injury and soon recovered to sort  his bike out . 

We set we off again paying even more attention to road surface we all safely  arrived down at the valley bottom. Our route now took us on familiar roads past the Horticultural College and onwards through Northop and into Hawarden. Here Nick and I turned off towards home, and John and Richard carried on towards Chester via the riverside cycleway from Saltney Ferry.

Today's ride was ridden in near perfect conditions, warm with light winds, and sunshine. The  ride totalled 75 kms with nearly 1200 metres of ascent but everyone completed over 100kms of riding when going back to Chester. 

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KP

26th August 2021 : Caerwys (brisk)

It’s trendy these days to have an algorithm  - mine is Hills vs Distance vs Speed: = I can do two out three, but not all of them so I try to perm just two out of the three.

So today’s route was going to be hills and speed (for the Brisk Group) but not distance. I think the last time I was at Hawarden was about year ago, so my ride over the Halkyn’s today would allow me to revisit some of the old lanes.

Ken, John W and Matt agreed to look after me today as we set off out of Hawarden up the curiously named Level Road towards Burntwood Hill. We rush through Buckley, then down the hillside to Llong and along the hillsides to Nercwys Road. The short sharp double chevron on Fford Pentre Bach catches the two younger members of the group out though. At Gwernymynydd, a left and right takes onwards and upwards towards Cilcain.

We then enjoyed the very sharp downhill  run to cross the Alun river, but the chevroned climb out catches my chain out as it comes off otherwise I would have burnt up this hill in seconds. In reality it was a struggle when I set off again after the trio now resting at the top. Exiting Cilcain northwards, there is a largely downhill run to the A541 (Mold to Bodfari) road. 

We motor along it until turning into Nannerch, then finding more chevroned lanes to climb down and out of before rejoining the A541 just before the Caerwys turn. There is a 1 km drag up into Caerwys which is the lunchtime venue. We decide on "On the Corner"  cafe which John tells me is very much a cyclists' cafe. We sit outside with our filled babs and coffee allowing our legs to recover from all of the hills.

After lunch, I had decided that I had enough of tiny gravel-strewn lanes so re-route on the fly to Gorsedd to rejoin the planned route at Pantasaph. It’s too early to stop for a coffee at the friary alas, so we motor on ever upwards to ride through Holywell Golf Course. I also decide against turning down to the Pet Cemetery cafe at Brynford as it is still too early to stop, so onwards and upwards to Halkyn Mountain topping out at 900ft.

The usual way back from here is down the deep lanes from The Bluebell to Northop. John and Matt need to motor on, so Ken and I take the more relaxed route back via Brookside. The route round is a modest 38 miles but with 2900 ft of climbs featuring several chevronned hills. Ken heads for home as I do which I reach at 1500. 

A satisfying day all round having re-visited those Welsh hillsides after a Covid-forced exile. The trio of support riders did a great job in dragging me round though.

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CA

22nd November 2018: Caerwys (mod)

This was a cold day with a frosty start and an easterly wind (‘blowing in from Siberia’ in the favourite phrase of the forecasters). Six moderates turned up at Hawarden: Dave H out only to collect Xmas lunch monies; Trevor who had ridden out to test his new rear mech and was then riding back; and the day’s riders: Bob, Andy, George and myself.  There were no brisk riders – maybe they were put off by the cold weather, but more likely they were either recovering from an epic ride earlier in the week, or had separately planned a longer even hillier route from another start point.

I’d suggested a ride out to the Piccadilly Inn at Caerwys, though someone mentioned a café in the same town so we chose to head there instead. Starting by climbing up to Buckley to warm everyone up, we then headed to Sychdyn and the steepest climb of the day to Rhosesmor. It had turned into a fine day, cold by bright with good views and some sun. The east wind was slight which would be good news for our return.  We travelled on over Halkyn Mountain and through Babell to approach Caerwys from the north. The café in on the corner of the main road as you travel south through the town, and it’s called “On the corner”!  It is a small busy place with a typical menu of good value food and large mugs of tea: two of us chose from the ‘all day breakfast’ options.

Returning we said goodbye to Bob at the café as he was heading directly home.  The rest of us made for the A55, with a small detour to avoid fresh hedge clippings.  We wheeled our bikes across the busy road and headed to Chwitffordd and then back south to Pantasaph and Windmill.  Here the weather took a change for the worse with murky cloud descending and the temperature dropping. Andy left us to head home before we dropped down towards Northop, which left George and I to make our way back to Harwarden at the height of the school traffic rush hour. It had been a good day’s ride in reasonable conditions which covered 40 miles.

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SH