At last we are off: heading west we pass straight through Ewloe tracing the well-used route through Northop onto the lanes. Unfortunately Brian Mac is suffering mechanical problems with his new rear wheel and is forced to retire, returning home to get it fixed. The rest of us continue on until we join the A55 for a brief stretch past the motel and up to the Britannia Inn. From here on we can enjoy the views to our right across the Dee Estuary marred only by the head wind forcing a heads down riding position.
After Brynford we cross the A55 and cruise past the Friary only to find we are missing half the group as Dave H has a rear wheel puncture. While Dave H and others set to work the rest of the group stand around realising just how autumnal the weather is. Then we are back together but with less than a mile done Dave H punctures again! This time we leave the “puncture repair team” with a map and spare tube before continuing on to Whitford and the lovely lanes through Llanasa to our lunch stop, the Eagle and Child, in Gwaenysgor.
Photograph by Bryan Wade
The welcome here is friendly and we are invited to take over the snug where the landlord sets the tables for all eleven of us. A good selection of food, with jacket potatoes the most popular choice, is served quickly. Almost everyone is on beer today: most unusual, until someone points out that lime and soda is well over £2 a pint! The puncture group arrive to report that the problem was down to a hole in the tyre fixed by fitting a patch to the inside of the tyre and a new inner tube. Brian Mac then texts to say that the hub of his one-day-old new Mavic rear wheel had collapsed!
By 14.30 we are ready to leave but first we ride up to the viewpoint looking out over Prestatyn and the offshore wind farm. The route back through Dyserth causes Bryan, following his SatMap, some problems. The SatMap route shows straight ahead but half way down Bryan realises we aren’t on the right road so its back up a hundred yards to the last turning, then within a further quarter of a mile of more climbing he realises that this isn’t right either. Back at the original junction the only other option is a track heading steeply down. Bryan takes this and as there is no further sight of him everyone else follows. Back on the right road we contour round towards Rhuallt, the sun comes out and we enjoy wonderful views to the right over the Vale of Clwyd. After Babell its time to sample some new lanes so with a shout of "right here", we turn into a slimy slurry covered track. Martin is convinced it’s the entrance to a farmyard but after a few yards we emerge from the slurry, without mishap, onto the track. New lane two comes a mile later bypassing Rhes-y-cae but with a surface woefully short of traction. From here it’s up the last significant hill of the day before descending to Rhosemor and the descent down towards Northop where George leaves us, as we continue back to Hawarden via Soughton, Buckley and Dobs Hill.
What a wonderful day. Andy has made himself one of the group from the start while Peter, on his fixie, has been an inspiration to us all. If you can mange today’s 49 hilly miles, Peter, then you can manage anything we can do.
This group just gets better and better.
See route map and/or gpx file download.
BW
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