7th June 2012: Welshpool 107 ride (long)

Let’s start with the weather - rain all day forecasted - not correct in fact. True that it rained all the way to Hildegard’s where we were to pick up Dave M. Instead we lost Martin as he took a “rain-check” and also Dave M who decided the warmth of the café was preferable. So we five (Paul, Ivan, Ray, Mike G and I) struck out straight for Ellesmere. The rain soon stopped.  By 10:00, we were eating a late and welcome breakfast at the Corner Café in Ellesmere town centre, which is worth noting for future rides. It was “dry” as we ventured down new lanes towards Baschurch and crossed the A5 to pick up NCN81 towards Welshpool. We lost the route a bit due to malfunctioning software thus adding in about 7 miles, but thankfully Mike G’s hardware guided us through the maze of lanes in the hills west and parallel to A483. Here it was “not dry”, so the Raven Arms at the top of Welshpool high street was a welcome sight at just after 13:00. 

Using the pub’s wifi, I reinstalled the software and the route mapping was working OK again.  With over 60 miles on the clock, we struck out east and north in the rain to circle Breidden Hill for a route crossover at Four Crosses. In Llanymynerch, we turn east and then northeast to bypass the A483 northwards towards Maesbury. The rain has stopped and occasionally is in “on and off” mode for the rest of the day. In Oswestry by 17:00, we take coffee and cakes in Costa and reluctantly decide to miss out on Dave H’s kind offer of refreshments later in Wrexham. Refuelled, we leave Oswestry powering our way homeward via St Martins, Overton and circling Wrexham exiting down Marford Hill for a speedy 18 mph dash back to Chester by the most direct route. 

Tired, wet, but above all happy with our achievement of 116 miles at 14.7 mph average speed – no mean feat given the on-and-off rain and increasingly windy conditions. My thanks go to the riders who stuck it out all day. We had the pleasure of 60 miles of new lanes, only two punctures, some good food, and the companionship of evenly matched riders with a combined age of about 300 years!  As I cycled home at about 20:00, I added in a little loop to round off the day at 125 miles – the longest distance so far for me.

CA

22nd November 2011: Welshpool (Tues)

The weather was ideal and the scenery well worth the 4,000ft of climb.  Ray, Ivan and I set off from Chester at 07:30 for Welshpool and, by 08:45 we were having a pre-ride drink in the Coco café in the High Street.  Dave M was down with the lurgy so regrettably missed what was a very rewarding if not extremely hilly ride.  The hills started immediately out of the town and with cold legs we ground up and out bound for Four Crosses via minute lanes up and down dale.  At Four Crosses, we rode across the flat Severn River valley floor.  Espying a monument on the top of Breidden Hill (1,056ft) Ivan was keen to ride up to “Rodney’s Pillar” named after Admiral Rodney of Cape St Vincent Battle fame in 1779.  This was not to be as we were bound round the back of it for Long Mountain and 1,265ft.  From the ridge road there are extensive views of the Long Mynd, Stiperstones and Clee Hills to the East and the mountains around Lake Vyrnwy to the West.  Soon we were running fast downhill towards Montgomery.  This delightful but small county town is on a hill and overlooked by a Parliamentarian ruined castle.
Photograph by Ray Stigter

The main hotel was expensive and the other pub did not offer food so, asking a local, the Ivy House Tea Room was suggested.  This quaint tea-room cum deli was ranked 1st in Wales and 17th in Britain.  The lunch was wholesome and good value, although the sweets were a bit of a let down according to the “sweet pair”.  After this early lunch, the sun came out as we ground up the hill out of the back of the town bound for Abermule.  A short diversion was planned to try to find Dolforwyn Castle but all we found were more steep hills!  Turning for home we now followed the 81 through Bettws Cedewain and Aberrriw.  As I stopped to replace the Motorola battery, Ivan spotted the local and nipped in for a swift half and Ray decided upon a precautionary change of the rear tube in the churchyard.  Continuing with the 81, we were up and down dale finally passing the gates of NT Powis Castle.  A short burst up the main rode and over a wee canal bridge found us back to the Old Station car park.  Here in exchange for free parking, we honoured our promise of being a customer at the café as the sun started to set.  Bike Route Toaster stats gave the cumulative height gain as 4,000ft – my legs agreed – interestingly it was 1,800ft hillier than last Thursday’s Llangollen ride!  A wonderful 55 mile ride enjoyed by so few.

CA