The weather forecast had been changing almost by the hour, so it was difficult to predict what we would face as Dave and I drove down to Holt. Whatever, it seemed that we’d get wet at some point. However, by the time we got to Cleopatra’s the rain had stopped, so perhaps things were looking up.
I’d planned a ride down to Overton, based on one I’d done with Ken 5 years ago. It would be only about 30 miles, but it was overcast so it would drop dark early. The mod riders would be Dave H, Steves Hu and T, Alan, Andy B and (only to Tilston), Trevor.
I ran into a problem loading up the route onto my bike computer which even our resident Wahoo guru couldn’t solve, so we fell back on Dave’s ‘paper Garmin’ to guide us. Almost as soon as we set off Steve Hu had a mechanical. He’d just fitted a new chain, but there was a mis-match with the cogs on his cassette, which made the chain jump as he pedaled. So he had to use the small chain ring and put the cassette into top gear to stop the chain jumping. He rode the whole route in that gear!
We took the usual route through Farndon and down Wetrains Lane. When we reached the end of the lane we stopped to take a photo at the gates leading to Stretton Hall. As we did so, a Range Rover came speeding towards us from Tilston. As it drew up we thought that we must be blocking access to the hall, but the lady driver wound down her window and offered to take our group photo – but we’d already done it.
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| Photo by Steve T |
Onward then to Tilston, where Trevor left us and thence up the hill to Malpas, where a discussion raged about the elevation of the town (328 ft, according to Google). In Malpas itself, the road out to Worthenbury was closed, so we went a little further before taking Mastiff Lane to Oldcastle Heath and Threapwood where we re-joined the B5069. It has started to drizzle in Malpas and, as we reached Worthenbury it came on harder. By the time we got to Bangor-on-Dee it was, in Andy’s words, ‘proper raining’. But we pressed on past the racecourse and up the hill into Overton which was so steep that ‘top gear’ Steve Hu had to get off and push.
The choice of lunch stop was either the White Horse or the Two Doves café. We decided to see if the Two Doves had room for us - in fact we were welcomed in with open arms. No only did we get a good table, but the larger than life waitress insisted on taking our wet gloves and coats to put them over the radiator!
After polishing off their all-day breakfast, or in the case of Steve Hu, the Christmas Special, we retrieved our gloves and coats for the return journey. By now the rain had pretty much stopped and there was even a glimmer of sunshine, so the short route back through Bangor, Worthenbury and Shocklack was covered easily and quickly. We arrived back in Holt well before dark and just before the rain started again.
A modest ride of 31 miles on a day that promised little, but delivered through the company of the group and the people we met along the way.
See route map and/or gpx file download
ST
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