19th February 2026: Holt

 Well you all will have read the classics maybe, so here’s a moderate ride short story .

The start of today’s adventure  - yes the mods don’t just do cycling - ours seem to turn to adventures -  was from Hawarden. Oh dear I’m getting writers block, as I can’t remember the cafe's name as I only remember it by the late Spiros (The Gallery - ed) . The mods / fast group ( they use to be mods + but something has happened and they now have become much quicker)  had a mob out going up some fancy Welsh hills, where our trio of adventurers  - Trevor, myself and our secretary, Dave .

The aim for us today was to get to Holt have lunch at Maggie's which we managed starting from Guilden Sutton as we all met there. It was convenient then ride  to Hawarden, but we had a small detour due to road resurfacing, oh and the usual narky 'I don’t like cyclists' jobs worth who said go around, so we set off through Saltney ferry then Broughton . Here is where we just missed a very rare chance to be under the flying Beluga as it came in to land. A few minutes earlier and we would of been right under the flight path at it’s lowest before it touched down . This is why I said we had adventures, not just the detour but via very busy roads that where being used by lots of very civil drivers being so courteous to cyclists as if they hated us like most people driving on Thursdays . 

The trip out was 25 miles for us via Dobshill area ,Penymynydd,  Marford, Borras Head to Holt. Thanks Garmin for helping me remember . Then lunch at Maggies was, as usual, of great standard and as normal the girls serving did a good job. Chatter was not up to the moderates usual intellectual offerings as I can’t remember much .

The ride back to Guilden was done without consultation as Dave was happy going straight back but me and Trevor ganged up on him. But due to another road closure at Churton, we didn’t have to hold him down and stand on his balls he just followed chuntering about he would have been happy going straight back, but we had to head for Coddington, Crowley then Tattenhall to get to Guilden Sutton for Dave's passion wagon and  Trevor’s house .

The mileage was around 45.9, as I had cycled to Dave's. The weather today was also a bonus for us due to the fact that, of late, it was blowing cold and wet, but not today. So yet another fantastic ride over all sorts of terrains. Up some pimples, down some muddy lanes, bunny hopped a few craters, gave some hand signals to drivers, might have sworn once or twice, but you know what, it was a good cycling day. So thanks to Trevor and Dave for decent company and I can’t think of any mods mistakes of leaving items or not paying or anything daft that seems to follow us around. So next time we need to find the suspects - obviously as it isn’t any of our trio ? 

KB

28th August 2025: Brimstage (mod)

 Just six plus one members turn up at The Gallery Café in Hawarden, which has had a great re-furb and also has some very pleasant staff. Ivan and Nick were off to Rhyl; Alan, Chris and new boy Ronnie were headed to Landegla; that left Keith and I to choose our destination. I’d brought a route to the Courtyard Café at Brimstage which Alan had lead a few years ago, but had not expected to use it as Ray B had sent an email round during the week including a route which would lead to lunch at Meadow Lea. But Ray was nowhere to be seen, nor George, Trevor or Jim.

So, Keith and I set off in light rain for Brimstage even though I hadn’t studied the route in detail beforehand. The lack of preparation would lead to some confusion and wrong turns in due course. We whizzed down Gladstone Way to the roundabout and picked our way over using the overpasses that Alan had shown us. This is where I made my first mistake Alan’s route had gone to Shotton , over the river using the Hawarden Bridge and then on to the Greenway. I’d took Keith across the New Jubilee Bridge and into Garden City. Not surprisingly, I didn’t recognise my surroundings and at one stage, we found ourselves on the wrong side of the A494.

Back on the correct side, we negotiated Deeside Interchange and eventually got onto some quieter roads. Fumbling my way past Capenhurst and through Ledsham, I began to feel more confident that I was now on the right route. This was short lived as we soon found ourselves on the A540 heading towards Neston. I’d missed a turning up a track that lead directly to Willaston. My computer didn’t show the error as it had picked up the homeward leg of the route through Burton and wanted me to that way!

Eventually reaching Willaston, we got back on track past Raby Mere. At one point, the road had been dressed with chippings; this is a practice I don’t like as it doesn’t do much to remove potholes and it makes cycling more difficult. However, one of the road signs was worthy of a photo (below)

I wonder what the Cat’s Protection League would think of that?

Having gone around the edge of the housing estates in Stanton, we crossed the busy B5151 at Bracken lane. This is notable due to the very steep hill as you approach the main road and the very sharp descent at the other side. Pressing on towards Storeton, we doubled back on ourselves along Brimstage Lane. At this point my computer told me to turn around and re-trace my steps. Then the penny dropped! This was the ride we’d done after some heavy rain and the road under the M53 was flooded. So, we’d had to turn around and find another way to Brimstage. Today we were able to pass under the M53 and go on to the café in Brimstage

Before we’d left The Gallery, I sent a text to Clive (who had a hospital appointment in the morning) to tell him where the various rides were heading to. He’d phoned me back to say that he’d meet us at the Courtyard Café. Keith and I had just placed our orders when Clive showed up, just as it started to rain.

It was still raining as we set off on the return leg through Thornton Hough and Raby. I’m more familiar with the roads round here, but was still happy to have Clive with us, thus ensuring that there’d be no more navigational errors. Pressing on through Willaston and Burton, we were soon on the cycleway at Burton Point where Clive pointed out the site of an Iron Age fort.

Arriving at the end of The Greenway, Clive left us to head home and Keith and I moseyed on to Hawarden Bridge, where we took the path alongside the River Dee. At this point, the wind got up and heavens opened. Of course, I’d just taken my rain jacket off and had to quickly put it back on! Crossing the river, we were just getting into Queensferry when we saw Alan coming the other way. He’d had a good ride and remarked that Ronnie is even faster than Chris! Keith and I fumbled our way around the busy roundabout and started along Gladstone Way. After a short distance, we took a left turn which took us to Mancot and a (slightly) easier route to the top.

39 miles covered on a ride which sometimes seemed like it was being done by Fred Karno’s Circus. My thanks to Clive and (especially) Keith for their company and navigational assistance. I must make a note to study the routes more carefully in future.

ST

See route map and/or gpx file download