It was a cool, grey, gloomily dark and rather drizzly Welsh
day when 7 hardy CER souls descended on Alyn Waters to test the Welsh hills.
Erm, please do tell why we decided in our recent collective wisdom to dispense
with Alyn Waters as a venue? But chose to include Delamere Forest instead? [For clarity: Delamere will replace Manley Mere, and Chirk will replace Alyn Waters for winter meets; effective only when blog is updated - SH] At Alyn the coffees and teas are great, the breakfasts are a
joy and the prices are easy on the pocket. Yes, the hills are a bit of a
challenge, but if you want to go to the edge of exultation you have to look the
snake in the eye, don’tcha? Anyway, having garbed up against the cold (a
soul-less 8 degrees!), clipped on the lights and donned the hi viz, Kate, Ray,
Andy, Dave Pipe, Brian Mac, Steve H and Jon B set off.
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| Photos by Macca |
Intrepid Andy led by default since it’s his home patch, but
all were astonished by Dave Pipe’s choice of fixed wheel after recently
returning from holiday and falling off his tandem! Some people know only pain… It was an uneventful drift down a single-track lane to the
day’s first semi-serious climb! No holding mountain goats Andy and Ray as they
powered effortlessly away leaving lesser mortals to battle with the challenging
gradient. But bliss came quickly as we turned right into a racy
descent during which we were blithely informed, as everyone clung gingerly to
their bars and brakes, had a narrow bridge at the bottom!! And yes, it sure
did!
Rain fell steadily, although Macca was quick to tell all
that since we were so high and among the clouds it wasn’t rain – it was merely
water droplets condensing … but it sure felt like rain to us! There were many
points of discussion about which way to turn to avoid the arduous hills and
since it wasn’t a day for seeing the vista laid out before us we chose easier
options. Or so we thought.
We sauntered gaily down quiet Welsh lanes until we came
suddenly upon a very sharp, short but challenging hill, with a gentle s-bend
and two descending walkers coming down the leaf strewn road. Most tried. Some
succeeded. A few climbed off. And one fell off! It was at that point that I
thought we had come to Little Switzerland! Apart from a brush or two with a
couple of articulated trucks at narrow island points on a long uphill drag
there was nothing else to report until we reached the pub for lunch … which
blithely informed us they didn’t do food! Argh! [Note: Apparently the publican is selling-up. This is one of our favoured lunch spots, so
will need to be removed from that list. SH]
Thus the group split with several riding off to Loggerheads
café in search of sustenance and others taking a welcome and well-earned
draught at the pub. Conversation bounced around from crosswords to Kate’s
six-year cycle of bike servicing! (Not recommended!) Etymology was also a point
of interest on a somewhat wet day with the general agreement that the original
word for an umbrella = a bumbershoot – should still be in use … a bit like Alyn
Waters! The group compacted at Loggerheads where they do a mean
curried parsnip soup and we rode gently home, assured by Andy that the “worst
was over”.
Me, I’m always astonished at how much new building work is
being undertaken as we ride around the countryside, often in the most remote
and isolated places. We toiled up a few more hills and the “condensation”
thankfully stayed away, although the gloomy darkness made lights a must-have on
the wooded, wet lanes. But the best was yet to come with a thrilling Alpine
descent, a real eyeballs out and bum firmly gripping saddle riot of a downhill
into Frith. Scary but distinctly satisfying!
After which point the “locals” left and I marvelled still at
Dave’s tenaciously gutsy performance on the fixed wheel machine knowing how my
legs felt on a bike that offered 17 other options! Back to base then with just
a last sting in the tail of a(nother) testing short, sharp climb.
We’d battled the condensation, beaten the cold, compromised
over lunch, ridden gamely and been led wisely. We’d churned out 32 excellent
miles at a steady 11.3 mph average, climbed 2,800 feet and thoroughly enjoyed
the day and the company. Andy set off on his second lap and Ray went to find
some harder hills. The rest of us went home stirred and fully sated by the
day’s challenge.
JB
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