It was overcast and grey as I left home to ride to Delamere Station Café, but, unlike last week, it was dry with almost no wind. At the café, there were 14 CER members, who eventually shook out into 5 ‘briskers’, 6 ‘mods’, with Electric Pete doing his own thing, Dave Matthews attending to some pressing family business and Andy B going home to attend an appointment with his wife.
My plan was a run down to The Carden Arms at Tilston, but I was slightly perturbed when Clive said he thought it might be closed. However, Steve Ha reassured me that there were a number of ‘Plan B’ options if that turned out to be the case. I was also anxious to ensure that we got back to Delamere in good time, as the light at this time of the year is falling very soon after sunset, which was due at 4pm.
So, the ‘super six’ (Steves Ha, Hu and T, Alan, George and Ray) set off to Hatchmere, where we turned left. Turning left again at Brines Brow Lane, I was confused to see that my bike computer had turned itself off, so we had to stop and re-load the route. Later on, Steve Hu explained to me that, in addition to loading the route onto the device, you have to ‘start’ the route, otherwise the thing just assumes that you don’t need it on. This piece of information was added to the long list of technical support that Steve Hu has given me about my Wahoo computer and I will need a very large mortgage to pay off his invoices.
Things then went well and we passed quickly through Ashton, Oscroft, Waverton and Aldford. At Churton, we turned left into Pump Lane, which Steve Ha had warned me has a very poor surface. This turned out to be the case and it prompted a vocal complaint from Steve Hu. His ire was further inflamed when we lost him and Alan at the end of Aldersley Lane. They had stopped for a comfort break and didn’t see us turn left into Mill Lane, so they turned right into Coddington Lane. A quick phone call led to an agreement to meet up at The Carden Arms.
While they reached there via Barton, we went through the grounds of The Carden Park Golf Club, something we had done with Neil a few weeks ago. Steve and Alan were at The Carden Arms when we arrived at 12.10, but, although the sign over the door said ‘Open’, the doors were locked and the lights inside were not on. So ‘Plan B’ was put into action and we rode half a mile down Stretton Hall Lane to the Lost Barn Coffee Roaster café, which was a first for everyone except Steve Ha and T.
We had been there before, but only for a drink or ice cream towards the end of a ride. Their food menu was not huge, but their ‘Farmers Bap’ was popular and the service was rapid. Following, the traditional group photo, we left the café at 1.15 pm and re-traced our steps to Tilston. Ironically, the pub lights were on as we passed it and it looked like it was open – another time, perhaps.
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| Photo by Steve T |
We turned left into Duckington Lane and ran through there to Bickerton, joining the A534 Wrexham Road for the short run down to the Bickerton Poacher, where we peeled off left onto Stonehouse Lane. This runs in the shadow of the Peckforton Hills which, by this time, were shrouded in mist, emphasizing the need to press on before darkness came. So on we went, through Spurstow, Bunbury and Alpraham. Here, it seemed that we might have lost Steves Ha and Hu, but it turned out that a ‘mudguard clearing’ exercise had been necessary, delaying them for a few minutes. It’s that time of the year, isn’t it?
The last miles took us through Eaton and Cotebrook to Delamere, where we arrived at 3pm, having covered 45 miles at a brisk (for the mods) speed of 13.4 mph. No rain and mud-free dry lanes made for a pleasant day out with great company.
ST
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