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Retired, work part-time or shifts, enjoy being out in the countryside? Then cycle the lanes and byways of Cheshire and surrounding areas with Chester Easy Riders: you won't get left behind.
Chester Easy Riders is an independent cycling club affiliated to Cycling UK. We cycle every Thursday throughout the year with moderate and brisk day rides of 40 to 80 miles.

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Saturday 24 March 2018

22nd March 2018: Holt (mod)

A combination of holidays and the recent Siberian weather meant that I hadn’t ridden for four weeks so the prospect of a ride up into the Welsh hills was not an inviting one. When I left home for the Gallery Coffee Shop in Hawarden I only intended to cycle up to the start then wend my way gradually back home through the Cheshire countryside. Indeed I had already arranged to meet Jim for lunch at Cleopatra’s in Holt. I arrived at the café to find Dave H and Keith surrounded by brisk riders and facing the prospect of a moderate ride featuring just the two of them. The arrival of Bryan didn’t help them either as he was out to do his own thing too. So I suggested that they could join me and they readily agreed. Bryan was also persuaded to join us with the promise of a slow-paced, mostly downhill ride.

We set off down the Wrexham Road before turning left onto the small road that would take us up the back of Bilberry Wood to the footbridge across the A55. The first section is quite steep so I stopped to wait for the others to catch up, expecting Dave & Keith to come round the corner first. But it was Bryan who appeared first. What had happened to Dave and Keith? Apparently Dave had left his hat at the café and they had gone back to get it. (Dave leaving things behind? Surely not!!!!) After crossing the A55 we turned right then left into Chester Road and continued into Lower Mountain Road by-passing the village of Pen-y-Mynydd. Then a left and right into Sandy Lane.

From there we turned into Shordley Road and dropped down Cobblers Lane, passing over A483 and the railway to emerge in Rossett. We turned onto the main road and then left into Darland Lane joining the Holt road. A long straight road (boring but unavoidable) and a left turn brought us into Holt where Jim had conspired to arrive at exactly the same time having ridden from home.

Cleopatra’s is normally one of our starting venues but today served as our lunch stop. Over lunch our conversation covered such topics as the delights (or otherwise) of cycling through Malpas and our first cars. How things have changed since the days when you could lift the bonnet and understand what was going on under there.

After lunch we crossed the River Dee into England. We turned left towards Churton then right to Coddington and left again towards Handley. Then it was up to Chowley Oak and across the A41 to Tattenhall. At Tattenhall Bryan opted to take the shortest route back to Chester, taking Dave & Keith with him. They headed off towards Bruera and Saighton and on into Chester where Bryan promised he would point Dave and Keith back in the direction of Hawarden. Living outside of Chester, Jim and I made our own direct way home via Hargrave, Waverton and Christleton. Jim had had a fairly short ride while I had managed 44 miles, the other three slightly less.

TC

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