13th March 2025 : Whitegate (brisk)

A cool start to the day for a ride out to Whitegate accompanied by Clive, Ray, and Nick.

Leaving on time, we headed north out of Tattenhall crossing  the canal and railway bridges before weaving our way through Hargrave where we saw Chris cycling in the opposite direction.  Chris was hoping to join us but had  been delayed on the roadside by a faulty derailleur and had to resort to converting his bike into a “fixie” to enable him to return home.  Hope you made it home ok.

Continuing on and cycling into a headwind, we passed  through Oscroft prior to the hillier section of the  ride which took us up and down through Kelsall, Mouldsworth and Manley, before being able to enjoy the  long descent  through Kingsley and Crowton  into Weaverham.

 From here we headed straight  into Sandiway  along Weaverham Road and, after crossing the A556, we arrived at our lunch venue the “Station Cafe” at  Whitegate. This very cosy cafe is run by volunteers and was reasonably quiet so our food and drink orders were taken and delivered promptly by the very friendly efficient staff.

The return journey back to Tattenhall was only 13 miles via  direct a route  passing through the villages of Little Budworth, Eaton and  Tarporley.  We  arrived back in Tattenhall at 2pm having ridden a total of 40 miles and accumulated 2000 ft of ascent although all of us will have an individual daily ride total  of at least 65 miles. 

See route map and/or gpx file download

KP

6th March 2025: Bangor-on-Dee

The sun was shining, hardly a cloud in the sky, and with a forecast of temperatures in the mid-teens it was hardly surprising to find Meadow Lea teeming with cyclists. Mostly CER members but supplemented by a group from the local CTC. It was particularly good to see Ivan, back home safely after his recent Spanish 'adventure'.

I'd heard that Dave H wouldn't be there this week. As it happened he did turn up but clearly not dressed for cycling. As expected the others turned to me. Had I got a ride? Fortunately, I had come prepared with a ride to Bangor-on-Dee. The Royal Oak is right next to the old bridge and river and a lovely spot on a sunny day. The wind was also a factor with a strong southerly wind in our faces on the way down but behind us for the return.

Six riders (Andy B, George, Mike D, Jim, Ray and myself) set off towards Guilden Sutton and turned right into School Lane.  We crossed the A41 and over into Hoole Lane heading for Dee Lane and the river. We crossed the river by the 14^th century Old Dee Bridge, passed through Eccleston before turning left onto the Rossett road. This can be quite a busy and fast road so I avoided some of it by turning down the Straight Mile, rejoining it in Pulford. We turned left just before reaching Rossett then took the country lanes to take us up to Hoseley Lane.

At Borras Head we went straight on and down to the new roundabout near Wrexham Industrial Estate. We crossed this and found our way onto the little lane that skirts round the edge of the estate. At the far side we got onto another new and busy road but quickly found the old road which would take us up to the traffic lights at Cross Lanes.

Lunch was beckoning and from the lights it’s not far down the A525 to the Royal Oak at Bangor-on-Dee. Despite the pub being virtually empty service was quite slow but when it came, the food was good. After lunch I thought we should have a group photo (we hadn't had one for some time) and what better backdrop than the old Dee bridge. However, we crossed the road to find the banks of the river piled high with debris, presumably washed down after the winter storms. It spoiled the view of the bridge somewhat but I managed to hide most of it behind the wall.

I had been right about the wind. We had battled all the way down into a head wind. Now as we left Bangor-on- Dee we could feel the wind coming in from the side. After passing through Worthenbury we turned north and now the wind was behind us. Our pace increased and we were soon passing through Shocklach to reach Farndon. Andy B left us here and the rest carried on towards Aldford. We passed through Saighton and Waverton before crossing the A51 to return to Meadow Lea, having completed 42 miles.

TC 

See route map and/or gpx file download

6th March 2025: Kelsall

Where do I start today? I’ve got so much ammunition from this ride that it might take me a week to write this up- “what’s new” you say- Lol. Let’s start at the beginning of time, well maybe a bit later and at Meadow Lea cafe, where at least 20 of us came together. It was a lovely blue sky day that would provide plenty of opportunity for me to poke fun at a few of our members-Lol. 

 

Amongst the 20+ were a few not riding, namely DH+ the pooch, Steve T and Ivan who were all in their civvies. Clearly they had been kicked out of the house-  “what do you mean you're not cycling today. You're not staying here, get out”. - Lol.

It was especially nice to see Ivan back from his holiday ordeal, which I dare say we all hope is well behind him now. He even got his bike back, after the local police tracked it down to another police station, so it hadn’t been stolen as he first thought.

And a special note for Mr.& Mrs. Pipe, who turned up on time, can you believe- Lol.

 

DH also introduced a new member  (Paul, who subsequently joined my group of 6), who I shall call ‘The  Pantomime Crew’, for reasons that shall become apparent as you read on. And to be fair I have to include myself in said pantomime- surely not- Lol.

 

So it was that Alan, back from his hols, Shane, Chris, Paul, Clive (who joined us for a nice easy day) and of course  Steve, ‘I’m a bit shy and short of words’, Hughes, all became ‘The Pantomime Crew’- Lol. As usual I had planned my route around the expected wind for the day, which was a stiff southerly, right in our faces from the off, but only for a mile, as we head out left to the A51.  I shouted “left, on to the cycle path” of the A51, in order to safely get to the traffic lights and swing left up to Great Barrow. 

My target being Helsby and my promise of a few short hills, on the Sandstone Ridge, all the way to our lunch destination of the Farmers Arms, at the top of Kelsall. This enabled us to cheat the wind.

 

Now moving well with a cross tailwind, we are soon beyond Manley Mere and tackling the ‘devils elbow’ as I call it, which I remarked to the group, is the nearest any of us are likely to ever get to climbing Alpe d Huez, although I have driven up it and that was enough to make me feel sick- Lol.

 

It was only a mile or so later that we pulled over for Alan to take off his top, Well! for some reason everybody seemed to take it in turns to undress, after watching each other. This seemed to take an age, so long in fact that I then made it worse by needing a nature break. Paul was almost naked ,at one point, still astride his bike, with kit all over the place / ground (why didn’t he get off his bike?-Lol) 

I’ve never seen such a pantomime, not since Steve Hu stripped on the Greenway, a year or so back- Lol.

There were that many costume changes, I half expected Widow Twanky to ride past me, as we finally got going again. At least the view over the Cheshire flats was nice. 

We were immediately into a very fast downhill and only a mile from Helsby. Once we turned left we rode through on  Old Chester Road, negotiating the worlds longest running bit of road works, which as Clive remarked, “it must be at least 3 years now, but at least we get a skills test out of it” as we weaved through the red and white bollards. Now past the obstacle course, we descend to our next right turn and swing around the back of Helsby, where I point out ‘Hill Lane’ to Chris, which we pass on our right. One of the nastiest dead end climbs that I know of (ridden it many times and it never gets any easier)

 

Moving on, we head down hill toward Frodsham, only to turn right after a half mile, on to one of my favourite uphill lanes  This was the start of a nice steady climb (1.5 miles on the ‘Ridgeway’,  to the top at Birch Hill). This obviously lead to a nice descent and a bit of a chase, in order to pass a mountain biker we were closing on, before the very short & steep Brines Brow Lane. Ears back and nostrils flared, I set off after said mountain biker and as I pass them, with a good bit speed, I thought, Chris flashes pass me. Suffice it to say, I was slightly surprised - Lol.

 

Fun over, we settle into a pace that allowed a regroup and a steady pace to our lunch stop at the Farmers Arms, after passing through Kelsall via the main drag up. We pull into the pub, which is also called the Crows Nest cafe and find the place empty. Within 5 minutes and just getting our orders in, there were 30+ cyclists in there. Apparently ‘Carols Crew’ had dropped in. Feeling chuffed that we had beaten a rush, we settled into some interesting conversation and banter, thinking our lunch may take a while, but not for some, as next thing I knew, Chris was tucking into sandwiches of his own. Now I know why he always has that little ruck sack on his back, which explains why he never tries to beat Steve Hu to the front of the order queue, which normally starts from about a half mile out- Lol.

All the food came promptly, so we didn’t have the expected delays, that came later on, thanks to Alan- Lol.

Photo NT

No sooner had we descended Quarry Lane, I realise I had cocked up the route (yes! I Am fallible- Lol )

This meant we weren’t going to pass very close to Rose Farm, as originally planned. However, in the ensuing discussion on a re-route, I offered up a change, but then Alan piped up and wasn’t shy in showing his disappointment for missing Rose Farm cafe. Little did we know that he had planned on us stopping there, because he wanted to visit Kelsall Bike Repair, which as most know is now behind Rose Farm, in their swanky new unit. So, after a fairly one way discussion, we were forced to climb back up the ridge, but not to restore the integrity of the route, no,no, no, but for Alan to buy a pair of sunglasses can you believe???? “What! Unbelievable”, I hear you all say- precisely - Lol, Lol. 

I felt sorry for Clive who didn’t pick up on the discussion and simply followed my wheel, as we set off again. However, he was gobsmacked when we pulled into Rose Farm. I think he shouted “what are we doing”, as we pulled in behind the units and stopped at the bike shop. He stood across his bike, with his hands in the air. It was left to me to fill him in with some sign language that I can’t repeat. Suffice it say, I was pointing in the direction of Allan- Lol. Clive’s chuckle, suddenly made everything feel good again.

Mind you, while we were there, I learned that Tom Pidcock comes from the area and in fact his parents still live at the bottom of Yeld Lane, where the Kelsal Bike Repair used to be. Anyway, and after a 15 minute delay, we set off again with the ‘Rayban Mugger’ in tow at the rear. We were quickly backtracking along John Street and hurtling down the hill, that we had recently ridden up- Lol. We turned left heading for Duddon and Walk Mill beyond, which is where I leave the ‘Pantomime Crew’, saying good riddance - Lol. In actual fact I was sad to be leaving them, because I was worried they might not find their way home- Lol.

 

Everybody had a different homeward plan from Waverton, so I can’t enlighten those of you who might still be reading this diatribe - Lol. Except that is, that Chris was talking of following Clive home, so he could attempt to beat him up a particular hill. I’m guessing Clive dropped him on a previous occasion, who knows- Lol.

 

What a great day out, with a new lunch venue and a good bunch of cyclists, except Alan of course - Lol and despite my occasional dismay and verbal abuse of my fellow companions, I thoroughly enjoyed it. We had a few good laughs all round.

I got home with 45 miles on the clock and 700 mtrs of ascent (Thanks Alan- Lol)

 

Sorry this took so long to post, but you guys simply gave me too much to write about and I left a lot out- Lol, Lol

 

Till next time,

The Wind Whisperer

 

PS.

I later learned that both Steve Hu and Shane went on to complete 100 miles, after we were all showered and finished. This was in fact Steve’s second 100, as he did the same after last weeks CER. How does he manage to ride 100 miles, with at least 40 of them without anybody to talk to?-Lol.

Shane also deserves a special mention for his 100 on the day. I believe he not only finished in the rain but also in the dark- what!! Is he mad?? Each to his own, I suppose. However, well done to you both, especially in that stiff wind.

See route map and/or gpx file download

27th February 2025: Mickle Trafford (mod+)

Maggies was the venue of choice today and more than 2 months since I joined everybody- Oops!  (weather and injuries preventing my attendance). I counted 17 of us when assembling outside for departure, having taken over the cafe, which was fortunately empty, when I arrived. I had an unusual route prepared for anybody interested. Firstly because it was pan flat and secondly because of some new trails, that I figured most of the club members have never been on. So, as is traditional with me, we head into the wind, in order to ensure a nice cross tail wind for the second half of the ride back to base.

 

My group of four were Fiona, Elwyn, Steve ( I’m not really a chatter box Hughes- Lol) and our new member (to me at least) Chris (who can turn a mean pedal, when he wants). We set off for Holt bridge, heading for Chester. We settled into a steady pace, once I stopped chasing after the fast boys, who passed us, just before Churton. I suddenly realised I was in danger of dropping my group- Lol.

 

It wasn’t long before we were crossing the A55 and heading into Huntington, however, my little surprise was to turn right, at Spice.com ( Indian take away, with a difference- you can get a curry with Quorn in it) on to the cycle path of Caldy nature park. This would avail us of a different way through Chester without riding any of the major A roads. This delivered us into Churton Road and ultimately the canal bank. This was when we discovered that Fiona happened to live in said road, in a former life ( who knew, it’s a small world - Lol). A few hundred mtrs on the canal path saw us turning right to cross the canal of course and head up through the suburb of Hoole in order to pick up the Greenway at Newtown.

 

The Greenway allowed us to head westerly and cheat the headwind ( I had a plan- Lol).

We came off the Greenway at Blacon, where upon we discover this is where Chris lives, literally a couple of hundred mtrs away ( that’s a few hundred yards, for the older readers / DH, think his maps are still Imperial - Lol). 

 

After a short consultation with my Garmin, which was directing us straight on into a hedgerow, I decide to zig zag right and follow the main drag through Blacon on towards Saughall. This was the tough bit of our journey, due to the full on headwind, but thankfully Chris stepped up and relieved me at the front, thus pulling us nicely to our next right turn through the housing estate of Saughall, which is a much quieter traffic route, cutting across the corner toward Parkgate Road, which we chink left and right on and finally get onto the more enjoyable half of the route and more importantly, with the wind.

 

We were now destined to weave our way around some lovely lanes, via Backford and Rake Lane, skirting Cheshire Oaks by hopping on the one foot wide pathway for 100 mtrs, dropping us into Little Stanney Lane. No sooner in the lane and beginning to wind up the pace, along side Chris, I realise I can’t hear the usual dulcet tones of Steve Hu, which as I pointed out to Chris, is a sure sign that we were dropping the group - Lol.

 

We sit up and wait for a regroup before passing the landfill site on our left that is, dare I say it, starting to look good under it’s basic landscaping. We were now only a few miles or so from our lunch destination of Meadow Lea cafe when Chris prompted a short sprint, as we dip down and up past the Bunbury Arms, just before the tiny hamlet of Picton. He must have read my mind, because I always hit the pedals through that little stretch.

We regroup again and reassure Elwyn that we only had 2 miles to the cafe, as he can’t go more than twenty miles without eating- Lol.  For once it wasn’t Steve Hu, asking “ how far to lunch”- Lol.

We arrive at the cafe and it was packed, which to be honest, has been the case on my last few visits.

This meant that the group split to a table inside and a table out. Steve and Chris opted for outside as apparently they're hard men.

I don’t know why Meadow Lea is suddenly so popular, but Fiona did notice a lot of mothers and push chairs. Anyway, service was still good, so Fiona and I were soon tucking into beans on toast, while Elwyn ate the rest of the menu- Lol.

After a quick discussion about who was going back to Holt or not, I mentioned to Chris that he had the option of the Greenway for a direct short route, virtually to his door, as I knew he had a night shift to go to- ouch! However, he chose to stay with the group.

 

We set off south for Waverton and the crossing of the A51, which is where I discovered a slow puncture. I decided to gas up the tyre and crack on( fingers crossed). However it wasn’t long before Fiona was dropping back and, after regrouping, decided to continue at their pace.

Clearly my worries about my tyre possibly deflating had me subconsciously pushing the pace on.

I also then decided to take a different route to the plan of Saighton, Aldford and Holt, by taking the canal road to Tattenhall and home. Steve and Chris decided to crack on with me, as it seems both wanted more miles out of their days efforts.

We managed to, at times, really crack on a fare pace all the way to Tattenhall, where I said Farewell to them both, having put them on the lane past what used to be Old Ma’s cafe, in order for them to get to Platt’s Lane and Bruera. After that was anybody’s guess- Lol.

After a flying goodbye, I dropped my head for a last dash of 3 miles home, but the direct headwind in Frog Lane hit me hard, despite not being that strong (my legs were clearly done) 

I got home after 45 miles and an AS of 14.9 mph ( Frog Lane robbed me- Lol.) And my front tyre was still perfect- what!

 

Anyway, a very enjoyable day was had. I’m only sorry I had to push on the pace because of my slow puncture, which split the group. However, that probably meant Fiona and Elwyn got another cafe stop- Lol. I’ m glad I wasn’t doing the extra miles Steve & Chris were doing, let alone the night shift, as my fitness is sadly a long way off.

 

Cheers everybody, til next time,

The Wind Whisperer - Lol Lol.

 

P.S.

A few hours later my tyre did go down, I found a very small pin hole in my tube, which needed a bucket of water to find. 

See route map and/or gpx file download

27th February 2025 : Aston (mod)

There was a decent turnout at Maggie’s, and it was nice to catch up with some that I hadn’t chatted with for a while. Inevitably, unless you are riding with a particular group on the day, catching up is limited over morning coffee. Steve Hughes kindly came over to ask me about my recent eye treatment, and it turns out that he is something of an amateur ophthalmologist. Seriously, Steve is obviously, and helpfully, well-informed, due to his experience with an elderly family member. Nevertheless, I won’t be asking him to inject my eyeball to save me attending future Thursday clinics. For what it’s worth, my visual acuity is 6/6 in both eyes, and my treatment is successful.

I had a route to The Bhurty at Aston that was “oven ready” as Boris would say, i.e. wasn’t fully thought- through and may not turn out well. Trevor, George, Keith, Dave Matthews, Andy Barber and John Mills were prepared to risk it. It was great to have John on board, and for various reasons, Dave, George and Andy have hardly ridden with us at all for weeks. It was heartening to have their company once more. The route out was via Tilston, Duckington and Bickerton. The lovely little lane up the side of the Larkton and Bickerton hills escarpment was a bit of an ask for Dave who must keep an eye on his heart rate, but he was fine. We then turned south-east past Cholmondeley Castle before crossing the A49. I took a mileage check with Keith and Andy, but their answers differed and both underestimated the actual mileage we had covered. Nevertheless, I thought we could do with a longer loop on little, quiet lanes before lunch, so it was that we cruised around Marbury before reaching Aston via Pinsley Green. We were fortunate that workmen allowed us through a flooded section after passing a “Road Closed” sign at The Swan. Keith recalled a cold day having lunch outside The Swan in Covid times, and how that was, very sadly, the last time we spent with Erik Borg.

Lunch was a “cut above” at the refurbished Bhurtpore, and the staff were lovely. We cycled back the way we had come for a couple of miles, before heading for Wrenbury. At the lift bridge over the Llangollen Canal, Dave and Trevor chose a more easterly track home, as the rest of us went west to Gauntons Bank and then turned up to Bickley and Heatherson Green. I had to apologise for my micro navigating in this area and up to Tilston, as we stitched together a mostly narrow laned course via |Hampton Post and Edge Hall. The hard bit was climbing up from Egerton Hall to pass Michael Owen’s Manor House spread. George said that it had been a while since he had ridden this stretch, and the fact that it is an unrelented uphill slog is probably the reason we don’t often choose it. John Mills was extolling the merits of electric bikes to me; I knew that he had hired one in Tuscany and enjoyed his holiday despite his adverse health diagnosis at the time. John was on his own snazzy electric bike today, which enabled him to ride despite his treatment the day before. John’s treatment has been effective, but obviously his strength and speed have been reduced. Fortunately, I remember from a Ribble Valley special ride that John could still appreciate a slow, scenic ride even when his natural pace was much higher, and he has told me that he enjoyed today’s ride as well, which is very gratifying. For myself, I think I have got the electric bike recommendation loud and clear from a few of you over the past eighteen months, but I need to factor in if and when my right hip joint is replaced. 

The last leg of our ride was from entering Tilston at Lowcross Hill to returning to Maggie’s by way of Wetreins, Crewe-by-Farndon and Farndon itself, where I thought we could see if Lewis’ was still open, or continue to Maggies. As it turned out, Andy was already ahead in Holt, so we just had a last coffee and cake there. For the record, Maggie’s is open until 9p.m. and Lewis’s only to 4p.m. We assumed that John had headed home, but I learnt later that he would have joined us if he had known. The assumption was no doubt partly due to my belief that any rider from the Fast Lads stable didn’t like to waste time eating and drinking on a Thursday. We must eradicate these last-minute misunderstandings, as it’s all grist to the mill for that sad satirist and would-be ophthalmologist from Hawarden.

DH 

27th February 2025 : Tarvin (brisk)

A pretty full and noisy Maggies saw myself, Ken and Ray set off in a northeasterly direction towards Kelsall, thinking we might not get the full effects of persistent  NW headwind. A lovely sunny day with perhaps the first properly dry roads of the year. A keen and chilly wind remained though. We briefly followed the mod+ group through Farndon before Ray made attacked and formed a breakaway. We charge on through Churton and then familiar roads to Aldford, Bruera and a short stretch of A41 to Tattenhall.

Going over the bridge at Newton, we were held up by an escorted heavy loader transporting a canal boat to the adjacent marina. On the other side of the bridge, we nearly came off our bikes as we had to break quickly as a large group of cyclists (even older than us), were for some reason, stood all over the road.

Through Huxley and along Cork Screw Lane to Willington Lane, we had yet more hold-ups, first cars trying to pass each other, we clear that to more cars held up by a reversing tanker. We were planning lunch in Kelsall, but after deciding it was a bit early, we cut back southwards to Oscroft then across to Tarvin.

 Lunch was in a café by the post office on the High Street, perhaps not often used by CER, called, according to Ken, ‘50’. A small cafe, but good value. Pot of tea and bacon bap costing just over £6. The lunchtime special, broccoli mask and a local pie was tempting, but not if you want to cycle afterwards.

Back out the way we came, with a brief stop as I lost pressure in my rear tyre. A quick injection of air sorted it, and if the sealant did work in preventing further loss, I don’t know as  I never saw any escaping, but never look a gift horse I the mouth! Across the A51 towards Waverton, where Ken and Ray turned left towards Christleton, I went left towards Tattenhall and home.

I would have missed this if it wasn’t for the very helpful arrow!

Mileage around 40 miles form my home and fairly flat as you would expect at an average of 15.9mph, and a pleasant ride around our local lanes, not withstanding the pot holes. 

Caption for image: I would have missed this if it wasn’t for the very helpful arrow! 

See route map and/or gpx file download

NH

20th February 2025 : Davenham (Mod+)

I had a very early hospital appointment, so decided to drive out to Waverton and ride on from there. On the way, I espied Ray S cycling in the outskirts of Guilden Sutton on his way via Waverton to Utkinton.  I set off and few miles on from Waverton I only caught up with him as he had stopped to adjust his clothing as it had started to rain (the first of many times today!). I donned my rainwear and we made our way up the ever deteriorating roadways to Rose Farm to find John M already there.

Very soon Alan and Steve Hu arrived, along with Dave M, Trevor, Nick and finally Keith. The weather forecast was not encouraging as we looked out across the Cheshire Plain but six of us decided to take on my ride to Davenham. The route was out via Kelsall in a clockwise direction taking in some roads we haven't been down for a while. The route was very familiar out via Delamere Forest and down to Acton Bridge. There was the odd stop to take off outer layers as the air temperature rose to double figures (at last!). However, this didn’t last as the rain became more persistent as we waited for the Weaver bridge to be re-closed after swinging open for river traffic.

Before Comberbatch, Alan decided to return as he had to get back home for an unplanned appointment so Steve decided to accompany him back to Rose Farm and their cars. We four cycled on in the light rain to Marbury Country Park. We take the old lane through the park towards Northwich diverting off across the salt marsh via Neumann’s Flash to Wincham where we pass through the industrial estate bound for Wincham village proper.

The lunch stop was planned to be either at Riverside Organic cafe or to visit for the first time Oakwood Marina cafe nearby. As John said he had been there before and it was ok, Oakwood it was then. To get there we have to negotiate the A556 at Smoker's Brook traffic lights and then meander through pleasant Plumley and onwards to Lach Dennis. It's a short run then to the marina at 28 miles ridden.

Although quite small, the cafe was welcoming with all facilities to hand. The food was very good and reasonably priced. As we sat there enjoying lunch, the rain came through at 45 degrees as the wind had picked up and thus would be an unwelcome feature of the 12 mile ride back to Rose Farm. We set off as the rain had temporarily abated but not for long. In and out of Davenham I planned to get to Whitegate via the canal path and the golf course. 

The old roadway just after the blue bridge, was in a very poor condition and frankly, if I knew what was also in store a little further on, I would have re-planned the route. We carry on finding a tank training ground section of gravel and deep muddy pools followed by a very muddy section before hitting old tarmac again. We all got through unscathed and smooth tarmac welcomed us into the Vale Royal golf club grounds.

The run now is straightforward up Whitegate hill and through Little Budworth and Cotebrook and the final rise up and over to Utkinton with 40 wet miles ridden. Nick and John had driven over so they just had to climb up to the cafe whereas we continued on to Waverton. Here, I loaded a very dirty bike into the car's boot, and Ray cycled on back home with mid-60 miles ridden compared to my mid-50 miles.

I noticed now that the sun was out and the air temp was 15C! Despite the rain and the headwind and the poor roads and that Weaver-side track to the golf club, we all had enjoyed being out and about in wet Cheshire today with some sun and heady double figure temperatures for a change. 

So thanks to all for supporting the ride and apologies for the Weaver mountain bike section!

See route map and/or gpx file download

CA

13th February 2025 : Knutsford (mod)

There were many walkers gathered at Delamere Station, and no vacant parking spaces apparent. Having popped my head into the café to ensure we had some candidates for a club ride, I managed to squeeze the Berlingo in between the line of cars and the far fence by the forest entrance gate. It was good to chat to Steve Hughes, Clive, Alan, Dave Matthews and Pocket Rocket Ray, but Dave was in civvies and there were no “moderate” riders around. George and Andy Barber have been rarely sighted recently, and Large Ray and Keith were somewhere (separately, thankfully) in the Caribbean. Then Trevor arrived having ridden from Guilden Sutton, so I no longer had to contemplate a solo ride. Three possible destinations were briefly considered, but as I would find it easy to fashion a route to and from Knutsford and write it up, Trevor went along with my preference.

This was my first ride on my Marin with last week’s snapped rear wheel spoke replaced, so fingers crossed! When we reached Crowton my steering felt so odd that I thought that I had a puncture, but it turned out to be the headset had been tweaked up a little too tight. From experience I know that extra lubrication will not provide the solution, so that’s an adjustment task for the week ahead. It is surprising how unnerving a tight headset can be at low speed; we make so many constant steering movements in order to balance that any variable resistance is hard to manage. 

While I’m on about mechanical issues, I have only twenty spokes in my back wheel. It is remarkable how it has survived for about two years with all spokes intact until last week. In particular, the wheel has had to cope with my Chris Hoy-like power and fifteen stone five pounds fully dressed weight. Trevor’s bike was built by the reputable Spa Cycles, and I could see at a glance that it had a zillion spokes in the rear wheel, and when I returned home I counted thirty- two on my spare road bike. So here I am, risking my neck on wheels for waifs. Marco Pantani on his 1998 Bianchi Mega Pro had sixteen Alpina spokes at the rear, which was considered “crazy!” but these were in some of the very first deep-section wheels, and Pantani was a sparrow(nine stone wet through). Even Pantani used twenty-four spoke Campagnolo Electron wheels for the Tour de France’s mountain stages.

Anyway, back to the ride description: from Acton Bridge we headed past Cogshall Hall and climbed up to Frandley, past the Quaker House. At Antrobus we turned down the quiet Keeper’s Lane passing Firtree Farm where family members once walked Alpacas with my son for a treat (he was nearly forty at the time!). We finished up in the grounds of Arley Hall, and I was able to point out to Trevor where I had crashed because I had stared too long at four birds in a field. I had been cleaned up in the equestrian centre at Arley Moss Farm where they were used to sending for ambulances after riding accidents, and I was eventually transported to Warrington Hospital where they spent hours trying to find someone qualified to stitch me up. This was no surprise as Warrington Hospital’s reputation has always been at Gregg Wallace level. 

The sign at Moss End showed only six miles to Knutsford. You can make good time on this stretch to the A556 Roman road, so we resorted to alternating the lead to help the pace and provide some shelter from the cold easterly headwind. We entered Knutsford from Tabley Hill, and locked our bikes to the railings at the rear entrance of Costa. Costa was friendly, clean, cheapish and saved time. The food? Just what you would expect, but I can’t see Jay Rayner making a visit anytime soon. Amongst other matters we discussed holidays, and it turns out that Trevor is shortly holidaying in Sri Lanka. Trevor so often has an imaginative destination or experience lined up, whilst some of settle for Tui, the Canaries, and finding someone to take the dog for a winter week away. 

Our return route was via Pickmere which once had a fairground on the banks of the mere, and you could take a ride on a large boat that plied the waters. There were dodgems, a ghost train, helter-skelter, and a café in the large house at the start of the lane down. We cycled through Great Budworth, passing the George and Dragon which has gone upmarket since Clive and I enjoyed liver and onions there on what I think was his first ride with the club. 

We took the Little Leigh route back to the A49 adjacent to The Leigh Arms. The climb up to Acton Bridge never gets any easier, but at least we had been wind assisted on our return and made good time before the inevitable slogs from the Weaver Valley up to Delamere. A slight misunderstanding climbing up to Norley meant we split up before Hatchmere, but mobile contact established that there were no problems, so Trevor carried straight on home and I returned to the Berlingo at Delamere Station.

 
A very pleasant, relaxed day with Trevor clocking up something like fifty-nine miles, and approximately thirty-nine miles for me.

DH

13th February 2025 : Bunbury (mod+)

Well a hardy seven Easy Riders were easily outnumbered three-to-one by walkers at the cafe today. All parking spaces were taken and most of the indoor seating as well. However a table came free allowing Dave H, Dave M, Trevor, Ray, Clive, Alan and Steve Hu an opportunity to warm up. 

Dave M was in civvies as the required temperature of plus two degrees Celsius had not been achieved, plus he had been out on Wednesday. Trevor took the opportunity to discharge some of his community service hours and accompany Dave H as a small mod duo. Clive had a ride but it was a tad long so we went with a ride developed by Neil (fair weather rider) T to Tilleys. 

We were all ready to set off when Clive realised a pair of gloves he had arrived with had disappeared. Initially blaming the walking group, the blame quickly turned on Dave H. Whilst his initial pleas of “I've only got one of them” may work in the Frodsham branch of Clarks shoe shop, it didn’t persuade Clive. On searching the mighty Berlingo, a second errant glove was discovered. 

So replete with all PPE, we set off towards Hatchmere and took a right. The original route takes in the Whitegate Way, but since it has been muddy and Ray had just cleaned his steed from head to toe, we followed Clive’s diversion through Cuddington and towards Sandiway. Clive was setting a blistering pace only matched by super domestique Ray, whilst Alan and I grovelled in their wake. A rare navigation error at Sandy Lane by Steve firmly re-asserted Clive as ride leader as he safely routed us through Clay Lane and into Little Budworth. 

From now on the Cheshire lanes hummed under our wheels at a modest 14.5mph however it felt quicker  possibly due to the one degree headwind (hence no Neil T) all the way to Bunbury. Tilley’s provided an excellent fayre as usual, with Ray eating his body weight in baked beans whilst mushrooms, chips and sausages made up for the rest of us.

At Beeston Castle's gatehouse

A quick diversion to Peckforton allowed us to turn North and whiz through Beeston (photo opportunity) and then on towards Tarporley. Ray left us at this time with Clive peeling off just after Eaton. The last two miles to Delamere seemed hard despite the low average of 14.2 mph and 1800 ft of climbing the route felt tough today. 

Thanks to Clive & Ray for navigation. 

See route map and/or gpx file download

S Hu

Photo SHu

6th February 2025 : Overton ( brisk)

A very cold but sunny start for today’s ride commencing from Walk Mill over to Overton. Nick, Clive, Ray, Alan and Chris were my companions. We followed dry roads out from Waverton via Hargrave into Tattenhall.

 
Leaving Tattenhall on the Harthill Road, this initiated the usual grumbles about the gradient although I personally felt the icy patches we came across were more of an issue. The road from Harthill through to Malpas was enjoyable as it was dry and clear of debris and allowing us to keep a good pace.

After navigating Malpas’s busy high street, we turned onto Dog Lane and, after negotiating the potholes of Worthenbury, went through Bangor and passed its racecourse to arrive in Overton at 12:30 with 25 miles completed.The  staff at the 2 Doves cafe facilitated secure bike parking at the rear of the cafe and the rest of the service and food was excellent.

For the return, we retraced the road back to Bangor where we stopped by the church for a photo shoot as this coincided with Chris picking up a puncture. It only took ten minutes for the tube to be changed and then we were back on the road  heading out via Cross Lanes to Farndon.

Onward through Aldford and Saighton, we arrived back at Waverton where Clive, Ray, and Chris peeled off back to Chester leaving myself, Nick, and Alan to collect our cars. It was a glorious day, despite being cold, for this 45 mile route on mainly well-surfaced roads with an average speed around 15mph.

See route map and/or gpx file download

KP

6th February 2025 : Malpas (mod)

Would there be any moderate riders at Walk Mill, or would I be destined for a lone ride, like Keith a couple of weeks ago? Overnight ice, warmth seeking holidays and medical appointments are amongst the reasons for missing CER winter rides. As it was, there was a reasonable club turnout on a brilliantly sunny but cold morning. Trevor and Mike Gilbert were to be my knowledgeable riding companions, so there was little chance of taking wrong turns. 

Lunch was to be at the Little Deli in Malpas, and the morning route was intended to miss any hills with possible ski runs created by the sub-zero overnight temperatures. We made our way to Hargrave, but Trevor suggested an excursion before passing through Tattenhall. So it was that we navigated the quiet little lane from Owler Hall to Honeyend Farm before cutting across to a familiar route at the north gates of Bolesworth Castle estate on the road from Tattenhall to Harthill. There was some flooding near Woodlake Farm, but nowhere near as deep as the previous week. We were also grateful for the absence of water on the stretch from Tattenhall to the A41 , which has been closed a number of times this winter. 

No - it's this way

We reached Tilston via Carden Park and headed south for Cuddington Green. Mike nearly came a cropper in some ice slush near Chorlton Hall, but managed to eventually unblock his mudguards and continue. I think we were skating on sheet ice turning left at Chorlton Lane, but we got away with it and kept firmly on the sun-kissed side as we headed up the lane for Chorlton Lodge. We had completed a reasonable nineteen miles before ensconcing ourselves in the warmth of our friendly Malpas lunch destination. 

During our chat about various health challenges being encountered by our club colleagues at the moment, it became apparent that between the three of us only Trevor would pass an M.O.T. without any advisories; mind you he is the youngest! The lady serving us was the one who had run a fair way up the road after us last time waving my car keys in her hand. This incident had given everyone a laugh at my expense and saved me a load of hassle on the day. Trevor and Mike went for the Big Breakfast, whilst I attempted to make a healthier choice accompanied with coleslaw and greenery guaranteed to give me more gas than a barrage balloon for the rest of the day.

Our return was planned to be by way of Hampton Heath, Gallantry Bank, Peckforton, Tiverton and Burton. Unfortunately, as we climbed up the road approaching Bickerton Hill on our left, there was a loud bang from my rear wheel. I was able to wrap the broken spoke around an adjacent one and disconnected the rear brake to avoid fouling the now distorted rim. When we moved to a safe spot across the road the chain had to freed and replaced on the bottom jockey wheel. It’s most likely that the chain was dislodged after the spoke broke, but I’m dropping it off at Leon’s at Barrow tomorrow to fix the wheel and check the transmission. 

I can’t complain as Dave Matthews offered to replace my original wheels after I broke through the rear rim on that day, many months ago, when I returned from Bangor-on-Dee in a furniture restorer’s van. I was looking to buy new, but Dave had a lightly used pair in his garage that had been there sometime, and kindly fitted them for me, all for about ten bob. I believe that they had been on Andy Whitmore’s wife’s bike. They have covered many trouble-free miles since, although ideally the back wheel spoke count should be higher for my weight. In the circumstances we decided it was best to carefully take the shortest route back. 

The Harthill climb would be a test for the damaged wheel, and the descent with only one brake demanded concentration. The weather remained sunny, and thankfully the remainder of the ride from Tattenhall was very pleasant and the rear wheel held up. At the last T- junction after Greenlooms, I appreciated Trevor and Mike’s offer to follow me back to Walk Mill, but I was able to politely decline, and they headed for Waverton. The amended return route had resulted in just thirty-five miles covered, but it had been a lovely day in relaxed company. 

Thanks to Mike for the photo which captures the essence of being on one of our Thursday rides in quiet, scenic Cheshire countryside on a fine day.

See route map and/or gpx file download

DH

30th January 2025: Overton (mod)

 Well today’s ride….woke up and looked out and was surprised -  ice, ice baby ( Vanilla Ice ); anyway just thought let’s go . The gang that showed- me plus my driver, DH, Steve Tan in casual attire due to impending holiday (recovering as well from an introduction to asphalt), Shane, the half Welsh duo SHu and Alan, Clive, Ken, Nick, Ray and a late arrival representing the mob that can shift at a fast pace for ages,whereas me and my partner Dave kept to the script - moderate or as some car drivers liked to say knobs get a move on .

We headed after no discussion at all to Overton via lanes that were extremely muddy and icy so we took care to behave. The route started by passing through Tattenhall to get to Overton via a route made on the fly by Dave, who, as usual, put Garmin and other twenty first century navigation equipment to shame by using a map with more creases than my holiday luggage. We meandered through lots of exotic locations - Duckington, Tilston skirting Malpas to Tallarn Green, then to Holly Bush and into Overton, stopping for food at the Two Doves cafe . The lunch time discussion was…. oh well, time to crack on.

The route back was also cold, even with a good winter sun out, but the ice had mostly thawed. One thing that had been evident was the amount of flooding that has happened, with the lanes muddy and lots of water left, but these where actually helpful identifying the pots. Anyway, the route back went via Bangor on Dee passing the small but very popular horse racing venue, on towards Worthenbury, Shocklach, back through the hood commonly known as Tilston ( Runcorn pubs don’t have tether points for our ponies) then passing Carden Park golf club ( so wanted to shout 'fore!' to a bunch of golfers.. what a game). Anyway we then bumped into the Welsh partnership finishing their cycle meander around Cheshire lanes, whereas me and Dave had crossed the border into Wales, I only have one question concerning this. Why did the sheep all run in the opposite direction when Dave was passing? Just a thought . We finally arrived back at the cafe in Tattenhall Alison’s.  38/ 44 miles in great company putting the world to rights.

KB

30th January 2025 : Frodsham (brisk)

A dryish day in prospect as I arrived at Alison's cafe where Ray S was already into his cake and coffee. Very soon about 10 riders were eager for the off with Dave M and Steve T in civvies,

The Brisk Group consisted of Ray, Nick and Matt, once he had arrived from Walk Mill. Matt was sporting a new Swiss-made  titanium bike (even with Ti front forks and Rohloff gearing, massive tyres and  a carbon fibre "chain")  - must have cost a fortune but it should last forever.

We set off at a pace around Beeston Castle bound for Bunbury and Alpraham. Equally at a pace, we take the aptly named Long Lane to Wettenhall then Darnhall. We weave through pleasant Winsford suburbia on our way to Whitegate and the edge of Hartford.

Arriving at Weaverham, we dive right down to Winnington. After a while I realise that I had loaded up the longer route option. I had meant to drop down to Little Leigh to arrive near Dones Green. I decided not to admit the mistake but exited Winnington up the very steep Soot Hill near the Anderton Boat Lift. We take five to recover not just Soot Hill, but the high speed 22 mile run out to here.

Pushing on, we eventually get to the 2 mile long ever gently upwards Marsh Lane which enables us to approach Frodsham from the North East. At last the lunch stop is in sight. Matt needs to get home so carries on as we three stop at the Devonshire Bakery cafe right by the lights in the centre of Frodsham

We are able to order up very quickly and then access Whatsapp to discover the shocking news of Ivan's medical emergency whilst on holiday in Spain. Ken had been in contact today with Ivan and passed the news onto us and Dave H. Whilst Ivan is recuperating in hospital, apparently he is concerned what has happened to his bike and where it actually is - like we all would be! 

I feel I must tell Ray and Nick that I had inadvertently taken the 4 mile longer route thus pushing the distance ridden from home before lunch to 45 miles+. The food is good and very welcome. We discuss the way back and we three take the long hill out of Frodsham towards Hatchmere. Nick motors on for home, whilst Ray and I take the Delamere forest road back to Chester via Manley.

Arriving back home I find its nearly 70 miles today and the 15 mph average belies the fact that we were going a lot quicker than that for most of the route - except for the hills and the minor rain shower.

So many thanks to Ray and Nick for riding with me all the way round, and to Matt for slogging his new bike through muddy lanes  - but at least it will not rust! Hopefully Ivan will recover quickly and be back in the saddle again.

See route map and/or gpx file download

CA

30th January 2025: Whixhall Marina (mod+)

Today was a first -  I enjoyed my coffee inside at Alison’s, the reason being the cold had driven the CER hardcore all inside. Whilst it was a balmy four degrees Celsius in North Wales it was somewhat cooler and icier on the Cheshire plain.

The assembled crew split into a mod, mod + and a brisker group. Shane, Alan and myself had planned to use Neil T’s dry roads route we used in autumn '24, with a lunch stop at Holt.

So, the three musketeers set off and meandered along muddy icy lanes until we reached Farndon. At Farndon we turned left & right and crossed the busy Barton road. Following the ascent of Wetreins Lane the mantle of ride leader was passed from myself to Shane, with a new lunch destination of Whixall Marina.

I’m sure since I enjoyed my Christmas Fayre and libations that the climbs to Malpas have been made steeper. Alan and Shane sprinted off up ahead as if being auditioned for the new Ineos squad. The roads around Malpas were particularly treacherous with long sections of slush. However, we were soon away and zooming towards the busy Whitchurch road and then onto Fens Bank.

 I’m always amazed at the time taken from passing the sign advising you are entering Whixall and riding over the canal to the canal-side marina. It must be another fifteen minutes. Hot food, chilli con carne, eggs and lasagne were all washed down with hot tea as we basked in the midday sun at the marina. Special mention must go to the staff and service here, it really is first class.

Replete with hot food we set off home repeating our route to Tilston in the vain hope we would enjoy a tailwind. Of course, as we all know in cycling, a headwind out means a headwind back!

 Shane peeled off in Stretton and Alan and I plodded on to Coddington and ultimately Tattenhall. In Chowley Oak we espied two cyclists who bore a remarkable likeness to Keith and our esteemed secretary Dave H. It was pleasing to see Keith had done six hours voluntary community service accompanying Dave to Bangor on Dee and Overton. Thus, the remaining four easy riders plunged into Tattenhall to the warmth of waiting cars.

 A pleasant route with thanks to Neil T and Shane in temps down to two degrees Celsius covering forty seven winter miles.

Steve Hu 

See route map and/or gpx file download

23rd January 2025: 'Tour de Cafe' (Mod)

Well, I’m calling todays moderates blog 'Tour de Cafe'.

 At the beginning it was me, Ray and Nick from the other mob haha (fast lads), plus D Mathews and Clive also dressed in smart casual attire. I left the first cafe (Rose Farm) and, as discussed earlier, with Ray and Nick went toward Duddon via a road that looked like I had gone to Mars, with a council officer marking the craters as they had gone beyond potholes, plus more mud on the road than in the fields. I then passed the second cafe (Walk Mill) heading towards Waverton; from here I decided to head to  Christleton, then the metropolis  of Guilden Sutton as the weather started to turn from a cold drafty morning to, let’s say wet, then a monsoon so I headed for Meadow Lea cafe  -  my third of the day. 

I decided to have a early lunch waiting for the monsoon to pass . I left after the owner came to me and said all the cycles outside where lying down flat, which they were as a domino effect had happened as the first untethered bike knocked all the others down as nobody had been arsed to lock them due to the rain. I needed to get back to my car which I’d left in Delamere, so I braved the A56 so I could veer off towards Manley Mere but I passed this cafe due to it being closed plus I was having a sulk due to the local flooding after the rain which had made the roads sketchy. 

Anyway, I headed through Mouldsworth heading through Aston Green, my first mis route calculation as I ended on the busy Tarvin bypass heading towards Kelsall, another village growing in size.  Anyway I cracked on through the town heading back towards Delamere on a longish detour back tracking earlier roads I’d been down which where now covered with lakes and mud which the passing vehicles seemed to have great pleasure trying to drown me but they needed to get up earlier than that as I could see the look in their eyes. 'Pay back it’s a cyclist he’s getting it ha.' Anyway I finished cycling through the forest to the last cafe (at Delamere Visitors Centre), my last of an enjoyable solo ride. 5 cafes, 3 used, a belly full of tea, muddy but you know what, happy, as I was out cycling. 35 ish miles .

KB

23rd January 2025 : No Ride - or so we thought…..

The weather forecast was for rain, 5C warmth, and winds strengthening overnight into Storm Eowyn so I decided not to ride today. I had to go Tarporley way for an errand so drove over and went to Rose Farm Cafe on the off-chance that there  might be a few hardy souls there.

And there were! - Nick, Ray S and Keith were supping their hot drinks in cycling gear with Dave M in civvies. Keith decided to ride back to where he had left his car before the rain came through. After Keith  had left, Ray and Nick decided to have another coffee with cake with custard to fuel themselves up for their respective rides homewards.

So well after 1100, Ray and Nick set off, Dave went into the Deli and I drove home via Tarvin. The wind had picked up as had the rain. By the time I hit Chester it was torrential with high winds - so I hope Ray and/or Nick weren't caught out in it.

As I write this around midday, the rain had stopped, the wind had abated, and the sun was trying to come out - standard crazy English weather of course!

CA

January 16th 2025: Mickle Trafford

 Having just taken the precaution of slapping on some last-minute suntan lotion I was now losing more time scraping ice from the car. It was going to be that sort of winter’s day: brilliant sunshine but, once again, cold enough to be caught out by the occasional icy surface. I arrived in the Ness car park at 10.30 and I could see only one bicycle, which turned out to be Clive’s. Before long we were joined by Ivan, Chris, Big Ray, Trevor and Keith. As far as the moderate quartet were concerned, I had two ride suggestions for lunch:  Tanskey’s in West Kirby or Meadow Lea at Mickle Trafford.  Despite Clive trying to be helpful in explaining his favoured route to West Kirby via Eastham, we finished up choosing a route to Meadow Lea.  Funnily enough, Clive’s recommendation of a Wetherspoon’s in West Kirby that had burnt his pizza and forgot to deliver a replacement, but gave him another pint of ale as part recompense, didn’t help tempt us.

Our route out was by way of Neston to Raby and then turning south east towards Willaston,  Capenhurst and Dunkirk. We clocked up a few more miles wandering around the area east of Backford, often on stretches only the locals have call to use. The lane beyond Picton had large road closure signs at either end of nothing going on, which was convenient because we had ignored them. Meadow Lea was busy, but the service was friendly, and we all ordered an excellent full English Breakfast. From this point Trevor was taking Keith on a fifteen-mile jaunt to get some extra miles in as they had both started from here earlydoors, so there was no point for them in returning to Ness.

Ray and myself set off for The Greenway when we crossed paths with Shane. He had been cycling to Ness in the morning, but had picked up a puncture in a flooded section of the cycleway as you depart the industrial estate and enter the Burton marshes pathway. The delay meant that he had abandoned his plan to cycle with the Brisk Group. Shane warned us of this hazard and the thick ice at the end of the ramp immediately preceding it. It was a dazzling day with a brilliant blue sky as we bowled along beyond Blacon. We hailed Ray Stigter on a solo ride in the opposite direction at one point.  We then ran into Chris and Ivan returning from their ride to West Kirby with Clive. They also gave us dire warning of the iced surface of the ramp under the A548. When we arrived at the hazard Ray managed to survive the ice and plough through the water. I had made the mistake of scooting down the last three metres of ice and stood astride my bike holding a metal bollard at the end. I felt that if I tried to start from this position the bike may well slip from under me, and I wouldn’t get properly set to plough through the water that had potholes below. For once this winter, I decided that this was a risk too far, particularly as I am on a list for a hip replacement. I asked Ray at the other side of the flood to carry on to Ness, and I would find a road route back. 

Unfortunately, there is no viable cycle route back to Ness without mixing it with heavy traffic and juggernauts along the A548 and then the A550. I thought about shooting down to Shotwick, but didn’t want to waste time seeing if I could get through on this narrow lane. I remembered riding on the A550 some years ago with Roy, when we were heading for Christmas lunch at Parkgate in gale force winds. Then, vehicle drivers had sounded their horns and even shouted abuse out of windows; now, with traffic thick and fast the same was happening again. Assertive road positioning was not a choice, and cat’s eyes out from the gutter were hazards that I couldn’t afford to slip on or swerve around. I was expecting to be smashed into from behind at any moment. A car coming towards me hooted repeatedly and braked; it was Ray coming to find me. There wasn’t a place to stop, so I gave him a thumbs up and carried on.

I gave a sigh of relief on recognising the Two Mills crossroads, and another one on reaching the lane to Puddington. I later learnt that Ray had managed to turn around somewhere and had continued to try and find me to give me a lift back. His efforts are much appreciated.  The sun was low in the west now, and I had to shade my eyes with a hand to see, as I tootled down to pretty Burton. I have really good prescription tinted glasses, but I am not sure that they would help me spot ice or potholes as well as clear lenses when riding on shaded winter lanes. My heart rate was back to normal as I arrived at Ness. Overall, it was an enjoyable ride in brilliant sunshine and good company. Trevor leading on “my” route had played a blinder in the morning. The planned route ridden by Ray was 32mls., my Detour from Hell took me to 38mls., and Trevor and Keith managed 49.

DH

16th January 2025 : West Kirby (brisk)

A very sunny day was in prospect albeit with a cold start. I arrived first at Ness, then wondered if I was at the right venue, but Dave H then arrived and a further 5 Easy Riders turned out today. Steve T was still recovering from his ice-dancing incident so two groups formed : The Mods with Dave H, Electric Ray, Kevin and Trevor; The Fast Lads with Chris, Ivan and myself.

A month ago the Fast Lads had a novelty ride around Wirral with lunch at the the Spoon's Old Dee Hotel in central West Kirby. Today's route would steal some of that ride and weave other interesting roads into it. It should be sub-tilted the “climb every mountain” ride as we scaled Prenton Hill (253ft) and then Heswall Heights at 315ft via Irby hilltop.

We started off in the opposite direction by going due East via Little Sutton and Overpool to the Rivacre bottom at 43 ft. Climbing out via Eastham Village, we run through the country park to then take my new favourite link aka the old railway cutting alongside Unilever’s industrial site at Port Sunlight. Today we cut Northwest via Bebington and Higher Bebington to Mount Road on Prenton Hill ridgeway.

Diving down to Heswall Island, we take the very popular cycle path along the Fender river to Upton station. A quick left and right finds us in and out of Moreton’s extensive estates thence hitting the Meols seafront. It's a short run down the railwayside cycle path to the Old Dee Hotel. The food comes quickly along with an excellent pint of dark ale. Ivan tells of the time in July 2007 when he was in London on railway business at the time of the appalling London Tube and bus bombings - he was actually in a taxi almost behind the bus that exploded! 

Along Meols front

The way back enables us to enjoy 6 miles of continuous uphill cycling after sliding through the big houses in Croft Drive East in the valley in Caldy - not to be confused with Caldy Valley! Maxing out in Heswall at 315 ft, it’s all down hill though Leighton and Neston back to pass Ness Gardens after 39 miles. 

Ivan and Chris elect to travel back to Chester over the marshes to the Greenway whilst I cycle on through Burton and Puddington and on the A540 towards Chester. I was back indoors by 1515 and my solar array display showed a perfect half circle confirming what we already knew that the sun had been out all day thus producing a few kilowatts of free electricity for me.

So, I was little surprised that there weren't more riders out on a sunny day, but  thanks to Ivan and Chris for their company and patience today as we weaved our way down roads anew to places well known.

See route map and/or gpx file download

CA