Category: Easy

This weeks ride was to The Swan in Kinnerton via Chester, a lot of it was for the first time and apart from a headwind most of it would be classed as an easy ride.

It was a fairly quick ride out to the Eureka with “Sandstorm” putting me in a time trial mood, joined up with two others near Thornton Hough but they split off to go to Raby Mere. Once past the “Thatch” it was decision time A540 and ride past the site of Mels accident or turn right for the “Missing Link”. Straight on it was and through Willaston and nervously along the A540.

Breakfast as usual and it was time to select which group I was going to ride with. Merseyside hadn’t made up there mind as where they were going, Chester were going to The Swan at Kinnerton. I’ve had a superb bagguette at The Swan last time so The Swan it was. John, Julian, Ruth,Andy,Roy and moi  set off towards Woodbank. It was straight down to the lights as the A5117 newt bypass is blocked. Onto the cycle path at Sealand heading towards the River Dee cyclepath.

I thought we would be turning right at the river but John had other ideas and it was left. This is a great stretch of path especially on a sunny day and runs virtually into the centre of Chester finishing by the race course. this was the first time I had been past the bridge at Saltney and I nearly  followed the North End over it.

A sprint off the front for a picture was wasted as my fingers were too cold to operate the button in time, this happened twice on the ride. Could do with a camera with big buttons.
Andy had left us by now as work phoned him. Once off the path and just after the Viaduct it was sharp right and on to a unique path around Chester racecourse.

It was under the roadbridge past the courts and then across the road at bridge Street and a quick stop by the bandstand. Walked across the bridge and the back on the bikes to go around the perimeter of Handbridge. I commented to John “This is definetley band D council tax”. It was on to Eccleston and it was around here we started to hit a headwind.
Pulford and Lavister came up, then across the A483 and right turn at Burton Green heading towards Kinnerton Green where it was a left turn towards Higher Kinnerton and The Swan.

Because of the headwind we were slightly later than the others which was probably a good thing as most places can’t cope with mass influxes of cyclists. Now this is where thing get a bit surreal. The Swans had a glowing write up by me for the baguette they served me last time. I was looking forward to more of the same but it was not to be.

The menu has changed. The baguettes now come with chips, I don’t do chips now, what’s worse is that they are those spiral ones that Jamie Oliver has succeeded in having taken off school kids menus. “Can I have a jacket potato instead of chips”, “No they come with chips” I gave up at the third time of asking and was offered a jacket potato with the same filling, Coronation Chicken. This was an absolute farce.
It gets better, Ruth had ordered what I orginally wanted, she had never had twisted fries before and she didn’t like them one bit. I’d explained the above before her meal came. Ruth left a comment in the book, good for you Ruth.

About 20 had made it there this time so we are by no means a small party.

More later

31 Jan I’ve got to finnish this post off before I do anything else, I’ve had a busy week.

The first ride of the year was an impromptu one, those that turn up decide where to go on the day. Normally this would probably be the Ice Cream farm but we understood it to be closed today so it turned out to be Bellis,s Garden Centre at Holt. This was a new venue for me  and I had no idea it was at Holt.

This was my first proper ride since the fall and a chance to see if I’m up to doing the Audax at the end of the month.  The ride out to the Eureka Cafe went OK, giving me a chance to see if the new cassette (12,28) on the back would make any difference. It might be another year but it was breakfast as usual. Margaret and Phil were there, it was Margarets first time out for about three months after she had broken her wrist. Janet was back from her cycling holiday in Costa Rica ( I think) and also had had a fall.

There were 8 on the ride John, Janet, Margaret, Graham, Brian, George, Annabel and moi.
It was nearly 7 as Margaret,s bike needed attention for a loose seatpost. I was just packing the multitool away in the saddle bag with the bike leaning against the bus shelter, turned around and they were gone. Still in sight, it was a quick bit of pedaling to catch up.

It was down Woodbank a left turn and across the A5117 multi million pound Newt bypass.
Here I had to stop to tighten up a loose bottle cage so it was another catch up job. It started to rain too and some stopped to don rainwear. Margaret and Graham left to go into Chester as the rest of us headed to the Dee crossing at Saltney (footbridge). It was a drink stop on the other side.
Out of Saltney towards Bretton John went over a small puddle that concealed a pothole. If it happened to me the jolt would have set me back a bit.

Then it was on to Dodleston, Pulford right at the tee towards Rosset and then left on to the Rosset road towards Holt. Left at another tee and into the square at Holt.
Right here and Bellis,s is a couple of hundred yards down the road. I’ve never been here before but the first thing that struck me were the signs saying don’t park Bicycles virtually anywhere. Same goes for the shop. The bike gets parked up against a wall on the far side of the carpark. Obviously something has happened in the past. But they could do themselves some favours by putting up a bar similar to the Eureka.  You’d get six to eight bikes in the same space as one of the 4×4 that dotted the carpark.

STI levers aren’t cheap and I like to keep an eye on my bike, not have it shoved aginst a wall in the back of beyond. Any way the place isn’t bad Garden Centres are not  my particular cup of tea. The cafe is busy and we get the last table for six. Linda from the Sunlight joins us. She has had to stop for something to eat and the group had gone on without her. Janet mentioned about upgrading to a carbon framed bike, well Linda has a Trek Maddone WSD similar to mine, we both said how much we loved going out on them.

George was a bit more sceptical “Whats the difference, how can you tell”. Well there is a difference, I felt the same way about the Colnago Carbitubo and I didn’t know it was carbon fibre untill it broke.  Everything is a bit smoother and you can pick the thing up with one finger. The winter bike although good just isn’t the same. It may be the wheels as George suggested but the wheels on the Iceni came off the Colnago.
Chicken baguette with a pot of tea for me, I’d just cycled 18 miles for it. I’m increasingly aware of how large we have become as a nation, there were a fair number of big people in there, the furthest they walked must have been the fifty yards through the store. I was in the same position and realise just how little most are doing. I litterally did nothing. Anyway the bill was £6. No picture this week as the baguette at The Swan is going to take some beating.

It was light rain when we set off again, I was riding around in circles in the carpark with the Garmin Edge 305 bleeping away at me. As I had pressed the start button to log the ride again it was counting my circumnavigation of the carpark as training laps. Four laps later we set off back into Holt. It looks like Paul Burrells Flower Shop has closed in Holt village square, pity really as it sort of put Holt on the map.
Now its a garden centre with no cycle parking.

Down the hill from Holt the lights are on red for the River Dee crossing. For those that don’t know it this is a picture postcard bridge that links Holt on one side of the river and Farndon on the other. There is only one lane and it’s controlled by traffic lights on either side. Feeling in good form I position myself in pole position at the lights aware of the car I heard coming up probably wants to beat us to the chicane.

I fly across the bridge at over 20mph the speed dropping as I hit the hill on the Farndon side its still 16-17mph as I tackle the climb to the junction. I stop for a blow as by this time the heartrate has hit 160 bpm and look back to see the car come slowly past some seconds later. The gradient is 6 to 8% so its about 1:12 in old money. As you can gather I’m having a great time.

We are following the road to Churton and then on to Aldford. After Bruera I see the climb to the tower at Saighton in the distance. Determined not to be beaten again by George I take off, well its flat on the run up and the Garmin says 22mph dropping as I hit the climb. This was a full on effort and the garmin has it logged as 177 BPM. Next one along is George which is good going as he is 72. Its pretty much straight on to Huntington past the Rake and Pikel. Avoiding the Jungle we stay on the B5130 with views over the River Dee to our left. Another sprint up the hill that has a park at the top of it. There were two grey squirrels here when I stopped for a few seconds.

It’s around the back of the Bike Factory, follow the canal for 200 metres across the bridge and work our way to the cycle path. This is by far the best route to get back to the Eureka. You only see traffic on the road you pick up on the outskirts of Blacon. Back up Woodbank to the Eureka for a picture of John and Annabel turning in.
 

Tea and flapjack in the Eureka, Linda made it back with the Sunlight, Graham and Margaret made it back. Met Roy and Joan and started talking about Audaxes, he put me onto the CTC events. I asked about Joans Giro helmet which they got from Deeside. I’ve just learnt that they have ceased trading which is a pity as I was only in there the other week. Looks like I will have to go further afield for that Colnago Extreme C that I dream about.

I followed Roy and Joan to Willaston, they ride at a respectable 16-17 mph or did do until Roy,s Cateye computer bounced down the road. This computer has nine lives as it fell off when Roy dragged me off Moel Famau when the Toy broke. Luckily there was no passing traffic when it was retrieved otherwise it would have ended up as roadkill 1 on the stats.

The front light gets switched on after Willaston and it’s the full 15 watts at Brimstage. Up RestHill on the lowered gearing the Garmin gets stopped at the top.
55 Miles, it’s been a good day out and a good start to 2007. Thanks everyone.

Link to Google Map of Ride opens in new window.

I don’t know why it has uploaded the section from RestHill to the Eureka as I have gone to some trouble to delete that data, along with software updates, hardware updates to boot.

Stats:
Eureka-Bellis,s-Eureka 37.1 miles
2167 Calories burnt. Max heartrate 178 BPM. Average heartrate 130 BPM.
Average speed 12 mph. Max speed 25.2 mph.

The forecast didn’t look too hot for this ride and as the crow flies it looked on paper to be a short one. I was running a bit late as I couldn’t quite sort out what to wear as I haven’t set out much in the rain.

I’m at the top of RestHill and a car passes with a bike on the back of it. It transpires it was George. The Garmin gets started and I’m off, breakfast awaits and I’m in good form. I pass one of the Sunlight just after Brimstage, one of the CTC riders at Thornton Hough and Brian  just after the turn off for the missing link. I was doing 20 to 23 mph at the time playing around with the big ring to increase my speed.

I don’t know where all the other clubs where this week but the cafe wasn’t bursting at the seams this week mainly CTC riders this week. After a quick breakfast we assemble outside and we’re off to Woodbank rollcall reads John, Andy, Jill, Brian, Barry, George, Mike and moi. (I may have left someone out)
At Sealand we take to the Route 5 Cycle path to Chester. I haven’t been on this particular part but further on the path looks very familiar.

Ellevenses were at the christian tea room at Newton, it’s just off the park/play area. We cycle past the “No Cycling” sign and park up. It’s a bit quirky but tea and a mince pie for £1 is a bargain. (No cream for all the dieters, weight watchers and calorie counters out there) The funny thing is mince pies are the topic of conversation at the followup class in the evening. Mikes got some mudguards this week that cost more than the bike. I changed bikes to the winter trainer or number 2 bike, riding at the back forces you to take these extreme measures.

Routemeister John  leads  us out through the Cheshire lanes, we head out to Waverton and a little later on Saighton Lane I blast off the front over the hump back rail crossing bridge. It’s one of those challenges I see in the distance and think I have to do this. It was an opportunity to burn off the mince pie. No picture from the front this week as it’s raining.Anyway its getting a bit wet now and we head towards Saighton.
At Huntington just past the Rake and Pickle we take to “The Jungle” its a cycle lane through an overgrown valley. The google route map explains it all. The whole idea of these rides is to ride on cycle friendly routes.

Once past the school we are soon approaching the lunch stop, “The Peacock” at Boughton Heath.

Jill had warned us that the service was slow  and so it turned out. Three of us ordered caesar salads or something similar. Now apart from the chicken there is not much that needs cooking on a salad. Every Tom, Dick and CTC Harry seemed to be getting served before us, and all we wanted was a salad. Anyway just as we were about to find out what the delay was it arrives.

Plenty of space to park 30 cycles, pity the weather wasn’t a bit better.

Part of the reason they had trouble coping with the meals could have been the size of the group. There where 34 of us there that I counted which I thought was an exceptional turnout, considering the weather.  The Chicken Caesar Salad wasn’t bad but I’ve been spoilt now by the bagguette at The Swan. I have trouble getting something healthy at  the chain pubs that do meals. Something has to suffer if they can do two meals for £8 so I generally leave well alone and stick to what I know has worked for me. Which means no chips etc.

Its wet when we reassemble outside and we head towards the canal, we follow it for a while and then its back on the cycle track. This is a familiar route now, its quiet with only the road in from Hoole to cross that is busy. You can see the route on the Google map. For all those that look at the routes, I couldn’t come up with these routes just looking at a map. It takes years of The Knowledge that I just don’t have. The Garmin GPS is a shortcut to gain that knowledge.

We seem to be riding under a black cloud that follows us all the way back to the Eureka Cafe. We can see blue sky but it’s a couple of hundred yards to our left. Good weather for newts as we cross the A5117. It’s been a good day despite the rain, I’ve had some good advice off George (72) about increasing my speed, and training. He used to do Red Hill which is just a couple of hundred yards from Rest Hill. A bit of rain shouldn’t stop you going out. Or should I say the thought of a bit of rain shouldn’t stop you going out.

Link to Google Map Eureka Cafe to The Peacock (Boughton)