5th August 2010: Barthomley

A good turnout today at Rose Farm in Utkinton – there is Mike, Jim, Ivan, Jane and Graham, Dave H, Bryan, and Omry.  Three routes are proposed; a 60+ miler to Mow Cop, and 52 miler near to Mop Cop and a 48 miler on the flat to the other side of Crewe – no prizes for guessing that the flat route was opted for.  The Mop Cop route will be attempted the next time we are at Rose Farm so you have been warned.  Ivan said it takes 6 minutes to get up the final 25% gradient, about the same time it would take to walk it.  Graham tells me it took him four visits to be successful!  Mike is not able to come today – he’s an appointment elsewhere – but he did tell us that he turned up an hour late for the start of the Bickerton challenge recently – hope you made your appointment on time Mike.  Just as we are leaving, Liz and Dave P turn up, so we promptly set off for Wettenhall via Cotebrook and the regular lanes on our way to Occlestone Green.  Turning south we skirt Warmington en route to Winterley.  Out past Oakhanger we take a very narrow lane down to level crossing and just get across before a train rattles by.  Omry makes two good suggestions The first is to go to a pub he knows in Barthomley (I had planned the White Lion in Weston, or the White Hart in Hough) so we go and have look-see. The second related to the potential source of a very annoying rattle on my Trek (see PS).  A couple of locals outside the White Lion say the beer and food are good so we de-bike into the al fresco dining room.  The locals were correct; the food was not only very good, but reasonably priced and very quick as well.  The route homeward saw us trying to avoid the main roads around Nantwich as far as possible and, with Bryan guiding us through; we were on the Ravensmoor Road in no time.  A shoot up Dig Lane got us to Swanley and a shimmy via Faddiley found us on the back lanes to Bunbury.  We are tempted by the new café in Bunbury called “Tilly’s”.  All agreed it was worth noting for future rides.  The usual route via Beeston Castle was taken to get Dave H, Dave P and Liz back to their cars at Rose Farm.  While Jim, Bryan, Ivan and I head for home with Dave and the tandem duo splitting off: meanwhile in some confusion, Jane and Graham and Omry go back via the Ice Cream farm.  We expect to meet them at Huxley but they are nowhere to be seen.  So we four head off via Waverton all bound for Chester.  The circular route from Utkinton was 48 miles and with the 25-mile extra from Chester environs made a 73 mile, rain-free, if somewhat cool, largely flat, pleasurable ride.
See route map and/or gpx file download.
PS Omry, you were right - it was a broken shim in the cassette – fixed on the spot at TBF!
CA