The Met Office had issued Amber and/or Red warnings for the last Thursday in June and, indeed, it had been very hot for a few days. So I thought that a modest ride without challenging hills might be appropriate given the weather forecast. Using Plotaroute, I concocted a 25 mile circular ride from Rose Farm.
About 10 CER members gathered at
Rose Farm by which time the temperature had already reached 26°C.
I thought we had a new member amongst us, but when I looked a second time, it
was Dave Matthews in cycling gear!! It
was his first ride out for just over three months and he would be limiting
himself to the ride to and from home, but well done Dave!
Whilst Dave M and Anthony would
be riding home, Neil had gathered a ‘mod+’ posse of 5 for him to lead. That
left a mod group of Dave H, Keith and me.
We set off from Rose Farm turning
right and not left. This was to avoid going down Wood Lane at the bottom of the
hill from Rose Farm as it is probably the roughest road in Cheshire. However, soon
after joining Willington Road I learned that this was not much better, at least
for a few hundred yards.
Crossing the A51 at Clotton, we
followed Corkscrew Lane through Hoofield and Huxley, and soon found ourselves
climbing into Tarporley via Crib Lane, the only significant climb of the day. After
Eaton, we were now in the Cheshire countryside with a warm breeze keeping
things reasonably cool. Darnhall followed and then we were in the housing
estates around Glebe Green and our cooling breeze disappeared.
Turning left at the B5074, we
were now in Winsford. Our plan was to take a break at The Cosy Tea Room in
Delamere Street, but we struggled to find it. Only after we’d gone quite a way
past it did we realise that it’s part of The Gate public house. We were even
more confused that the café had a ‘valuation day’ event on, which meant that
the café didn’t have room for us. So, we were directed to the pub bar, where we
ordered food and drinks.
When the drinks arrived, Keith
managed to confuse the waitress, pulling her leg that she’d got him and Dave
mixed up. How could this be? She misunderstood and thought that Keith and Dave
were brothers!!!!! In the end, all was well as was the food.
Back on the bikes, we headed for
Cassia Green and then Clay Lane, which lead us across the A54 to Little
Budworth and Oulton Park circuit which, today, was silent. All that remained
was to cross the A49 at Cotebrook and take the little lane back to Rose Farm,
where we arrived just before 2pm, with 25 miles on the clock.
By this time, the temperature had
soared to nearly 30°C, so we were glad to have avoided the heat of the day.
ST
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