Routes and Rides – Page 7 – Frank Kinlan's Blog

CTC Ride to Boughton (The Peacock)

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.
The Peacock (Boughton)

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.

The Peacock. (rear)

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)

CTC Ride to The Swan, Kinnerton

This wednesdays ride was to The Swan in Kinnerton and it turned out to be a good three bears type ride, just right. 30 miles in total with a good pub lunch half way around.

Even though I’d prepared the number 2 bike I ended up having to leave the house later than I intended as I couldn’t find the heart rate monitor for the Garmin 305. So it was down Route 56 for breakfast at the Eureka Cafe. It was packed again this week with standing room only, things eased a bit when we started to assemble for our 10 o’clock start.

Wednesday at the Eureka Cafe.jpg Ride assembly.jpg

We had another new rider join us, Fred. It turned out it wasn’t going to be Freds day more of which later. The ride list reads like this. The two Johns, Barbara, Jill, George, Ray, Fred, Brian, Ruth, Julian, Jake and moi. It was down Woodbank to the lights on the Welsh Road, A5117 junction which appeared to be stuck. We soon joined the cycleway at Convatec following the route around to the railway bridge Dee crossing. Left after the bridge, along the Dee and we are soon in Shotton.
It,s weird riding up the road with the church at the end of it, I have this target fixation on the large white cross on it. Not to the last minute do you see the path to the side of the church.

We climbed up towards Ewloe past a gaudy pink painted bungalow which had a matching pink Nissan Micra on the drive to boot. The ride came to a stop when we lost Fred off the back. A taxi driver stopped to tell us he had a puncture.

Waiting for Fred.jpg

Once this was sorted it was up the hill towards Hawarden. Right at the T junction enjoying the freewheel down the hill before the inevitable hill. This week I didn’t miss the turn up the lane and had a good workout going up the hill. I’d enough time to get some pictures of the group coming up the hill, so heres one of them.

The two Johns.jpg

Barbara always beats John (on the right) up the climbs. Thought I would throw another one in as I don’t seem to have all that many action shots on the site. After this it was over the footbridge across the dual-carriage way. Then right then left. The map shows the route. We ended up going past some farm where a bloody terrier chased me on another ride. Thats what you get when you ride at the back. I wasn’t at the back for long.
It’s nice riding around Kinnerton and after circular tour we ended up at the lunch stop, The Swan.

The Swan.jpg
This turned out to be a really good lunch stop, like the week before there were more than 20 of us who rode out there. I think there were about 4 other customers in there. I was one of the first in there but one of the last to order, another mistae I won’t make again.
I ended up ordering a Salmon with cottage cheese and chives baguette which is pictured below.
I met Linda (I think) in the Eureka Cafe after the ride and she was looing for a place to take her father for lunch. This should give you an idea of what it was like.

Salmon Baguette at the swan.jpg

All the meals looked really well presented. I was more than happy with what I had all washed down with a diet Coke. I shared a table with John, Ruth and Julian discussing various thing like dieting, this website. I was asked for two of my cards so it looks like I will have to get some more printed. I ended up giving out as many cards out as Fred had punctures, three!

No ride is complete without a puncture picture.jpg

It was a short climb up the hill once out of the pub car park, the garmin logging the ascent all day. It was all downhill from there, a small climb the only thing of note near the Airbus factory. I sped off down the road so as to be in position for some more pictures.
Then it was across the footbridge and up the lane to the junction at the top. Fred picked up another puncture around Blacon. I had another look at Georges chainset, this is the ultimate compact chainset IMHO, more like a granny ring and a big ring combined. He goes well on this combo and I mean well. For those that don’t know him George is 72, flies down hills and has the beating of me in him if I drop my guard.

We crossed the A5117 with remarkable ease, no gully where the central reservation was last week, just Mr Macadams finest. Another sprint up Woodbank to get some pictures at the finish and it was all over.
Ride Stats: 30.75 miles. 1244 ft climbed. Punctures 3. Black cats 1. Newt sightings 0. Calories burnt 1824. Averge speed 12mph. Max speed 28.1 mph. Pub rating 5/5.

Another great day, thanks everybody. A couple of more pictures to post and I’m sorting out a link to the route map.

Link to Google map of CTC ride to The Swan (Kinnerton)

Comments welcome.

CTC ride to Dunham Arms

Yet again I started out on the wrong bike, I should have rode on the winter training bike with spd pedals and mountain bike shoes. It wasn’t too bad when I set out, blue sky with the odd woolly cloud so “The Toy” got wheeled out instead. Left it a bit late too so it was full speed ahead to the Eureka Cafe to get my breakfast before the ride started. Tis was aided by one of the tunes from the previous evenings spinning class bouncing around my head.

I’m still getting comments about the breakfast so I’ll say it again “I have the breakfast EVERY time I walk through the door of the Eureka Cafe” I’ve done a post about. It’s part of my diet and the only fat on it is the bacon and that gets cut off.

Now that I’ve got that over I’ll get on with the ride. There were 45 in the cafe and by the look of it no one wanted to set out in the cold. Things stirred and next minute there are fair few of us outside getting ready for the off.

The usual suspects set off towards Capenhurst lane and we had Mike along for a second time. Last weeks ride not putting him off. We were relagated to the back as we had no mudguards on or we just might have been slow. As we chatted at the back of the bunch the conversation got around to the merits of ACE Inhibitors versus Beta Blockers. That and heartrate. You can see all the data I gather on the rides on the MotionBased site if you look hard enough.

Margaret and husband left us at the A56 Warrington Road along with the chap I talk to who has the magnesium framed bike. There were six of us left, the two Johns, Jill, Brian (I think) Mike and Moi. The weather had been ok until we crossed the Tarvin road there was a bit of a biting headwind there and a bit further on it started to drizzle. It was time to don rain gear at the Plough Lane crossroads.

Ellevenses were at a Cafe in the block of shops at Waverton. Tea and a flapjack for me. There were two guys in there having the breakfast, it was literally two heart attacks on a plate. While we were in there I had a look at the free mag that was on the table, there was an advert in it for the Abbey Arms (a ride I did a few weeks ago) apparently it,s a Hungry Horse pubchain. Five course Christmas Dinner for £32. Probably served on those 17 inch plates. It’s no wonder the country has a weight problem.

I didn’t want to leave the cafe as it was pouring down, the gutter of the one stop shop was leaking a steady stream of water over “The Toy”. We retraced the route to Plough Lane and the next stop was the Dunham Arms. The Aldi Winter Gloves aren’t waterproof (I expect too much for £2.99) and my hands were freezing, the roads are awash and the decision to go out on a bike with no mudguards is really making itself felt. And not for the first time!

Dunham Arms.jpg

After about 7 miles we arrive at the Dunham Arms, cold and wet in my case. Other groups have taken probably a more direct route and arrived there before us. All told there are 20 of us that have ridden out to the pub, there are no other customers that I could see.
I ordered a jacket potato with chicken strips which came with a salad. When it arrived (which was quite soon) it was so well presented I took a picture of it. What caught the eye was the cherry tomatoes sliced in half and placed centrally on the cucumber slices. All the food seemed to be of a similar high quality.

DunahamArms Baked Potato.jpg

It was too much to expect my gloves that had been placed on the radiator to be dry before we left. So now I am looking around for a waterproof pair, and the way its getting colder by the day they might well be mitts.

It was still raining when we left and headed down Hob Lane but as we headed down the hill the rain eased off. Stanlow oil refinery was in the distance and the next thing you know we are following the reverse of the route we took on Rememberance Sunday.
For some unknown reason my hands are now ok, still wet but not freezing. It’s my feet that are now cold, the Aldi Winter Overshoes secumbing to the stream of water that the unguarded front wheel directing at them. We are soon going back down Capenhurst Lane towards the Eureka Cafe. At the junction by the Ostrich Farm I sprint off the front hoping to secure a photo of the group returning to the Cafe. It was to no avail, although I reached 28 mph on my dash to the Cafe, by the time I had parked the bike and rushed out on to the road my hand were too cold to operate the camera in time. An opportunity lost but still it was worth giving it a go.

Dunham Arms Ride Finish.jpg

After a cup of tea and another card for the site given out it was back home along the Chester High Road and back through Willaston , Thornton Hough, Route 56 and back up Rest Hill. It was a good day out, the weather was terrible, but I’ve still had a good time, my whingeing was all self inflicted. 100 lines ” I must not go out in winter without mudguards”

The map opens up in a new window, click on Hybrid view for a satellite overlay.

Link to Google map of CTC ride to Dunham Arms

CTC Ride Eureka Cafe to Mold via Little Mountain

Boy was it cold when I set off for the Eureka Cafe from the Hills of Higher Bebington.This was despite having the full complement of Aldi Cycle Thermals on, the Aldi Winter tights, socks, overshoes, and an Aldi long sleeve running shirt under the Biemme jacket. I gave the Aldi running cap a miss and opted for a Thinsulate fleecy hat. BBB gloves this time out and these were the only thing to let me down as my hands were cold by the time I reached the Eureka Cafe. The temperature was 0 deg C.

I’d opted to ride out with the Merseyside CTC section as the Chester and North Wales CTC section were off to the cycle sale at the Northgate, the last thing I need at the moment is more cycling gear. The Chester section departed at 10 and we set off at about 10.40. The group quickly formed and set off, it was that quick I didn’t get chance to take a decent photo of the start.

It followed the usual route down Woodbank Lane towards Queensferry. and the rollcall reads, Gordon, Chris,Ken,George,Ken, Tom,Paul, Rachel and moi. I think I’ve only ever ridden with Gordon before. We are soon at the blue bridge at Queensferry and shortly after what seemed like disaster struck.

I’m sitting on the back and pick up a puncture, we’d seen a bit of glass beforehand.
Well I gave the shout but no one heard, I gave another shout but still no responce. There is no point in shouting a third time when you are coming to a halt and the rest of the group are still steaming ahead at 15mph.

This was one of those ride breaking moments, I hadn’t a clue what route they were going to take, and only knew one of the group vaguely. I was a tad annoyed to say the least.
There was nowt down for it but carry on, swap the tube and hope to meet them at Mold.
As I change the tube and find a shard of glass sticking through the tyre carcas a kid on a mountain bike comes by. He stops and asks if I have any spanners to fix a loose front wheel.

I haven’t but I’m really engrossed in trying to pump up a tyre with the worlds most useless carbon fibre bicycle pump. It’s 66g, looks the part and got me out of this mess but only just. The kid gave up and rode off, cone spanners don’t come with multi tools yet.

The puncture repaired.jpg
The puncture repaired I took a picture of the Toy as I set off to catch the group.
Using the knowledge I’d gained on Andys ride to Kinnerton I set off to Mancot, I’d figured the group wouldn’t be going up Eweloe Hill so turned right at the lights just after Makro and headed off up the hill to Mancot. I’m soon through the village of Mancot and up to the Tee junction by the cemetery. Right instead of left this time and a few hundred yards later I’m on one of the steepest climbs of the day into Hawarden village.

At Hawarden I’m waiting to turn right across a stream of Sunday numpties and when I finally make it I glance back and see another cyclist approach the junction. It turns out to be Chris, I had a brief moment where I thought they were looking for me, it wasn’t the case, another rider had suffered a puncture. Puncture number 2.

It was this big!.jpg

I’ve forgotten where this picture was taken but it is somewhere around Buckley.
Somewhere around here I see Little Mountain and Little mountain trading estate. Its that small it hasn’t made it on to a Google or Ordenance Survey map yet but it does exist.
Anyway It’s good to be back with the group. Rolling along towards Mold we were about to join the A541 when the cry of “Puncture” goes up again.
Puncture Number 3.jpg

This time it was Rachel,s turn. Just outside Mold there was a stop to look at a plaque that I didn’t get the gist of because I was about 20 yards off the front when the group stopped to look at it.
Mold Tesco,s is proving to be a decent stop, this is the second time I have been there and providing you don’t want something cooked it is easy to take your sandwich or cake to the front of the queue. There is no excuse for taking butties these days as the place is a supermarket teeming with everything.

Chris at Woodbank.jpg

Stats: 2371 Ft ascended
Punctures: 3
Mileage. 45.67, 18.2 of which is by me getting to the Eureka Cafe.
Max Heartrate for me: 174 BPM.
Calories burnt: 2728 Calories

more to come during the week, maybe a Wednesday ride as well.

Link to Google Map of Route

CTC Wednesday Section Ride to Okells Garden Centre and Cafe

I didn’t start out with the intention of doing a CTC ride today, it was going to be a lap around the Wirral and a logged ride through the missing ling to the Eureka Cafe.

That was the plan, the reality was I’m talking to George by the door and trying to stuff Franks Breakfast down my gizzard to make the 10 o’clock start. Anyway I made the start but hadn’t a clue where we where going.

First off the ride list was Ruth, Mike, Jill, John, Barbara, Lusso Jacket John, Barry, Greorge and moi.
Ruth and Mike I hadn’t met before. Mike was on his first ride with the CTC and by all accounts hasn’t done anything like this before. For your first ride out Mike you’ve done well. It is a huge step up from doing leisure rides to doing a ride with the CTC where even the old timers are doing more than you’ve ever done ever.

The ride out from the Cafe was similar to Sundays ride but turning off before Cheshire Oaks.

Wednesday Start.jpg

I’ve classified the run as easy as it is a relatively flat run, in reality there was a stiff headwind/sidewind in places so it could be classed as medium by some.
Anyway if you follow the link at the bottom of the post you will see we had an ellevenes at Okells Cafe inside Okells Garden Centre.

Okells Cafe.jpg

This could prove to be a decent location for a stop in future. The location is good, once they cotton on to what cyclists need/want on a ride it could be a regular call. The patio heaters inside really warmed the place up.

Okells Garden Centre and Cafe

Okells Garden Centre is between Tarvin and Duddon on the A51 Tarporley Road.

I spoke to Mike on the ride to the Rake and Pickle and ended up giving him a card with a link to this site. Lunch at the Rake and Pickle proved to be really good. Other groups had taken direct routes there and were by enlarge finished by the time we arrived. This was a blessing in disguise. I ended up having a Jacket potato with steak strips accompanied with a small salad. It was really good, anything more would have been too much, after all I am on a diet and it is a cycling club not a dining club.

Lunch stop was at The Rake and Pickle Inn at Huntington. If you zoom in on the map you can see where I parked my bike around the side.

After Lunch it was back to Chester via a route that was called “The Jungle” its an area that a cyclepath runs through between Huntington and Great Boughton. We were soon going around the back of the Bike Factory crossing the canal and then a relatively troublefree crossing of Hoole road. We then jumped on the cyclepath and headed back to the Eureka. No squirrels trying to give us heart attacks this time.

A lone rider passed us as we were crossing the A5117, this proved to be the trigger for another pursuit up WoodBank Lane. I was in fine form touching 19mph going up the lane. Along the Parkgate Road I must have had the wind behind me as on the stretch just past The Yacht I saw 26 mph on the Garmin. It was another cup of tea and a flapjack at the Eureka Cafe along with a chat to some of the other riders.

It was then time to return home via the Missing Link and give the lighting system a try. It wasn’t too bad seeing as I was only running one of the pair of lights. The rain the forecast promised arrived but it was fairly light. It was back up Rest Hill and that was the end of the ride. Thanks to all those on the ride, another good day.

Total mileage 57.64 Miles
Average Speed 12.5 MPH,Max 30.5 MPH down RestHill
3228 Calories Burnt
Average Heartate 113 BPM Max Heartrate 161BPM
Total ascent 1941 ft

Link to Google Map of CTC ride to Okells Garden Centre

CTC Ride Eureka Cafe to Ice Cream Farm.

This post and route may prove to be one of the most popular parts of the site .
The Eureka Cafe and the Ice Cream Farm are two of the most popular cycling destinations in Cheshire and runs like this are done by hundreds if not thousands of cyclists each year.
It is an easy, flat run and can be done by anyone who could cycle 20 odd miles before needing a break.

I had another decent run to the start at the Eureka Cafe with the Garmin Edge 305 signaling the turns about 30 yards before they came up. This device is proving to be superb toy for the likes of me with more features coming out of it all the time.

Back to the ride, 10 o’clock sees two groups assembling across the road for the ride. I have a digital camera this week and it proves as problimatical as the phone camera I have used in the past. This shot should have been really crisp but for whatever reason it wasn’t.

The start.JPG

Annabels group headed out down church lane to towards Ledsham and Capenhurst in the direction of Ellesmere Port and Cheshire Oaks. We were on the cycle lane and everything was OK untill we hit Cheshire Oaks. Here the Sunday morning shoppers were streaming into the estate as if they were about to miss the opening of a January sale. I had this thought that if we’d jumped on to the road at the roundabouts we would have been through there in no time and had right of way to boot. I was thinking of hot scones getting cold at the Ice Cream Farm.
Worst part of the ride.JPG
The ride down past Stanlow was a bit bleak, it’s a fast road that is a lot quieter these days, with a white line for a cycle lane. Just as well the wind was blowing in the right direction . Things brightened up a bit when we turned off at the sign for The Gowy Landfill Site. We had a stop further on to pay our respects to the dead of two world wars I’d forgotten it was Rememberance Sunday.
Two minutes silence.JPG

It was a poingant moment. The picture was taken before we observed the silence.
After the stop it was back on the bikes an onwards towards the Ice Cream Farm.
I’m starting to recognise some of the places and routes now so I have a rough idea of where I am.
I took a gamble with weather in going out on “The Toy”, it didn’t pay off as it started to rain and it was another short stop to don some rain gear. It was a drizzle that gets right through stuff that is labelled showerproof. Worse was to come, further on the road is covered with mud and slurry and there is no getting around this mess.
The fluorescent jacket gets plastered yet again and I’ve only myself to blame.
I decide to ride off the front which is where the next picture is taken from.The rain then stops.
A picture from the front.JPG

As we get near the Ice Cream Farm I decide to have a good go at the only hill of any sorts on the route, the one over the canal. It also gave me the opportunity to take the next shot which was the group arriving at the Ice Cream Farm.

Arriving at the Ice Cream Farm.JPG
It was busy in the cafe with a lot of faces that I recognised from the visits to the Eureka Cafe and other groups from around Cheshire. Kev had made it there but without Bob or Charlie. I had a chicken tikka baguette for lunch and it was really good. Don’t know how it would fit in with the eating plan but it came with a small salad and was washed down with a couple of cups of tea from the pot that Ray had bought. Thanks Ray.
Lunch over it was time to assemble outside and head off back to Chester.
Departing Ice Cream Farm.JPG
It was acroos the crossroads and down Newton lane towards Gatesheath, Hatton Heath and Bruera. Then it was along Chapel Lane to Saighton where it was an uncontested sprint up the hill to where the road splits. This is the same hill that George dropped Ray and I a couple of weeks ago.
Stop at Saighton.JPG
From Saighton it was down the road where we picked up the canal towpath at Waverton.
It was a bit of a juggling act trying to stay on the path whilst taking pictures but they came out better than expected. Things were going well when lo and behold Margaret picks up a puncture, our first and last of the day. It couldn’t have been Margarets lucky day again as she picked a puncture up on the Abbey Arms ride as well. We all know about trouble coming in three,s so be warned for the next run everybody. It could have been Phils fault for not getting the thorn out properly from the first puncture!
Margaret picks up another puncture.JPG
It should have been sorted in double quick time with all this help standing around.

It doesn’t get much flatter than a canal towpath. I took a couple of pictures from the back of the group and this is probably one of the best. We also past the site of a swans nest in the summer they were quite active in protecting their young, pecking out at everything that came near. The nest was about 6 foot from the path.
Towpath towards Chester.JPG

The towpath under the road near Focus DIY has had its surface leveled with tarmac and is a lot better than it used to be. It was like riding on a jackhammer originally. Once in Chester we picked up the cycle path and then it was back on a well travelled route to Woodbank. The A5117 improvement are about to start and where there was a central reservation last week there is now a 6 inch drop onto limestone foundations by the look of it. I had another go at Woodbank lane. This time it was to get in position for another picture. It didn’t come out too good as the focus was set to infinity and isn’t worth adding another 85kb to this post.
Back at the Eureka Cafe it was another cup of tea and an oat flapjack for me and a chat with the other riders. Then it was back down the Chester High Road on Phil,s wheel until the turn off for Willaston. It was back through Thornton Hough picking up Route 56 and finally up Rest Hill where the Garmin announced I was approaching the summit.
Another great day out, I even saw a couple of new places I hadn’t been before.

Google map link Eureka Cafe to Ice Cream Farm

Thanks to Annabel for leading the ride.

CTC Ride to Kinnerton (AGM)

I\’ll start off by saying there will a link to Google map at the end of the post that will show the route taken from the Eureka Cafe. If you click on it it should open up a new window.
This is still early days for me with this feature but is set to be a big part of the site.

All my rides start at Higher Bebington at the Travelers Rest Pub and head down Rest Hill, through Thorton Hough to the Eureka Cafe. Today,s ride to the Cafe was a fast one as I was trying to log a fast time for the route I am going to post to the MotionBased site.

Fast forward to the Eureka Cafe which was starting to fill up fast, I managed to order Franks Breakfast before the rush. I was sharing an empty table with Angela (who got one of the cards) and breakfast was soon over. Ray came in and we were soon discussing the Google map of last weeks ride to the Abbey Arms. The detail is amazing and available for all to see. We were that engrossed that we nearly missed the roll call that was outside.

Ray, Terry and the Sunlight

I wondered what was so funny.jpg

Bob pushing his bike to the start!

There is no register this week as we were to split a bit further on. We headed off down the road to Woodbank down the lane heading out towards Sealand and the Welsh border.

Things were going OK untill we joined the path along the Dee and approached the Blue Bridge at Garden City. Here we were stopped by the long arm of the law at what resembled a scene from CSI, which as it turned out was what it was.

Here the group split, a bit further down the cyclepath was a pedestrian entrance with a locked gate. The bikes would have to be manhandled over the gate. Not a problem for Andy he was allready there, no problem for moi, the Toy only weighs 7.5 Kg and I was travelling light today. Next up it was Janet with a much lighter bike this week even with Marmalade sandwidches on board. Finally George passed his bike over and along with Ray we headed off down to the end of the road.

As we were waiting for the group to reform at where we assumed we would all meet up we had the chance to admire Rays latest handiwork. This was in the form of the Indian war paint you can only get from a chain and chainring when parting company from your steed. The cut knee looked far less impressive and thinking about it now it must have hurt. With no sign of the others we headed down to the Blue bridge where the copper the size of a brick outhouse was guarding the entrance to the CSI.

A Cycle path at Sealand.jpg ndy led us out around the streets and paths of Queensferry to emerge by the new Makro then it was right at the lights at Mancot and up to the Wesh foothills.

George Andy Ray and Janet.jpg Further on.jpg

After the climb out of Mancot up to the cemetory we took the road to Dobshill. There was a slight problem here as Ray and I pressed on at a good pace to the top at the roundabout. We should have turned off to a track about half way up, thats what happens when you get out of eye and earshot of the leader. Luckily Janet followed us up an redirected us back to the route. we rejoined the route just as George past, it was a short wait for Andy giving us some time to look for a rattle on Janets bike.

Then it was across the footbridge over the A55 and onto the Old Hope Road across the A5104 Mold Road and onto Lower Mtn Road where the pictures of Ray and Janet where taken on the move, which is a bit fiddly at times.

Ray and Janet.jpg Ray heads off into the distance.jpg

Around the Golly area we had a detour on to Shordley Road and on to Cobblers lane.It must have been a detour as we saw the main group saunter past the end of the lane. We were either marking time or they were taking the direct route (shortcut) either way we all ended up at the same place. Which was the Scout hut at Higher Kinnerton.

I’ll not dwell on the AGM as this site is not about publishing minutes of CTC AGMs

A small group re-assembled outside and we headed back to the Eureka Cafe. It was all downhill from Kinnerton as they say and we ended up at the footbridge at Saltney.

Heading Back to the Eureka

Saltney Ferry

It was up through Blacon and then on to the A5117 crossing which was a real bind to cross this time, even though they have removed the barrier in the middle for the coming road improvements.
Now this is where it got interesting for me and it may be of interest to Ray. When I got back onto Woodbank Lane a chap on a racing bike goes past at about 17-19 mph and I set off in pursuit. I pass Bob and another further up the lane and then The Garmin Edge 305 bleeps and tells me to turn left at the top of the lane, I’m still in pursuit of this chap back along the Chester High Road and when it bleeps again and tells me I am at waypoint 2 at the Eureka cafe, absolutley fantastic.It works.

I took a couple of pictures or the returning riders and had a cup of tea in the Cafe.
Then I bumped into The Sicknote Club had a chat with them and rode home with them, the Garmin was bleeping away merrily all the way home signaling the turns.

As I rode up Rest Hill it gave one final bleep as it announced I was approaching the start of the route.

Another great day out, the weather was kind, I got to play with the new gadget, went off the front to give myself a bit of a workout and generally had a whale of a time.Thanks again everybody.

The route link:

Google map of CTC Ride to Kinnerton

CTC Ride to Dragons Rest Cafe

It promises to be a lengthy post this one as there are a few pictures to post another point on the map to add and tales to tell.
Rode down to the Eureka Cafe for Frank,s Breakfast (Franks Breakfast is a menu item at the Eureka Cafe) after avoiding the Missing Link as I didn’t want crap all over the bike.

10 o’clock had Graham(leader) Margret, Andy, Janet, Bob, Jill, John, and Moi heading off to Woodbank and onwards towards the River Dee. John in the blue top below is not wearing his fluorescent yellow Lusso jacket as it is still in the wash following an incident on the return from the Wednesday section AGM. (one of the funniest things things I’ve seen for a long time)

dragons rest ride 002.jpg dragons rest ride 005.jpg The first climb of the day

Here I saw the Dee bore for the first time as we cycled along the path, it was about 2ft high and most impressive . Then it was over the Rail bridge at Shotton. We came out near Deeside Cycles which I had been in the previous day looking at Colnago,s , crossed the road and nearly ended up in a church service as a white van blocked the path.
We were soon climbing up towards Ewloe Green and then it was on towards Mold Tesco,s for ellevens, tea and a muffin in my case.
On the descent into Mold it was a swift blast down the dual carriage way only to be baulked by a red light at the college. Graham said he would have given me a race if the light was going to be green. Graham, if I’d known you wanted to give me a bit of a race I’d have zipped my jacket up!

Mold Tesco,s stood out on the ride as one of those places that has Farmers Weekly in a prominent position on the magazine shelves as opposed to the celebrity drivel we seem to get in my neck of the woods.

Out of Mold it was down the A541 towards Denbigh.Things rolled along untill we reached Afon Wen when it was turn right engage a low gear and climb up to Caerwys. The bike got parked up on the bench at the top of the climb as I thought it was an ideal spot for a photograph. I’m normally sprinting off the front of the climbs as the gearing is higher on the toy and I only have one speed in my legs, all or nothing. Mind you Janet always gives me a good run for my money and she is handicapped by a bike that weighs a ton compared to The Toy.

dragons rest ride 009.jpg Bob and Jill make it to Caerwys

A couple of miles down the B5122 we had the Lunch stop at the Dragons Rest Cafe. Copy of Dragons Rest.jpg dragons rest ride 021.jpg

It was a chicken dinner for me washed down with a diet coke. Lunch over it was back on the bikes (which hadn’t been sold in the car boot sale around the back) and back down the road to Pant, Babell and onto Halkyn Mountain. It was hilly but the views are superb.We had another stop for afternoon tea at the Garden Centre next to the Horticulteral College.

It was all down hill from there and we ended up in Golftyn and it was back down the cycle routes to the railbridge at Hawarden through the Deeside Industrial Estate and down a muddy track to Shotwick Village. Once we got across the road it was up the lane to bring us out next to the Yact pub. Back to the Eureka for another cup of tea and a piece of flapjack.
Keith was putting a new Jersey signed by the British Olympic cycling team up on the wall so its something to look out for if you ever visit. Then it was back home at a brisk pace, up Rest Hill again.

dragons rest ride 051.jpg
65 enjoyable hilly miles. Thanks everyone.

The 77th Eureka Cafe ride

This promises to be a lengthy post, I’ve summoned the courage to post a picture of myself and the toy before start of the ride. The nerves are clearly showing, I just wish I’d smiled for the camera.

Pre ride nerves.jpg

What I had pictured in my mind as a solo ride quickly became a CTC ride led by Ray who I’d met the previous week on the Whitchurch ride.

After signing on, five of us set out for the first stop at Holt at 38 miles.The group comprising of Ray, Guy, Janet, Adelle and moi. A left turn instead of a right at a T junction had us rejoin the route about 1/2 a mile further on. It proved to be a stroke of luck as we joined a group of about 10 to 15 riders who were going about the same pace.

Good progress was made and soon we were crossing the A54 at Tarvin Sands and then on to the straight roads to Willington Corner. There was a bit of a wake up call (hill) before Tarporley and then it rolled along towards Beeston Castle. We’d been following a chap in front who looked like he knew where he was going and after crossing the Canal on the hump backed bridge we got talking. Turns out he wasn’t on the ride at all but was local and was just going out for a Sunday ride. Our ways parted at the fork in the road below the Castle.

It rolled along through Tattenhall with a short stop for a snack then it was on to Fardon down the hill over the bridge and up the hill to the lunchstop at Holt village hall, signing in at 12.04 Lots of familiar faces there including old Terry who I rode the second leg back to the Eureka Cafe with last year. Lunch over and with the bottle refilled it was time to get back on the bikes.

Lunch stop at Holt over

The plan was to take a picture of Paul Burrels (Princess Diana,s butler) flower shop but that didn’t happen for some reason. I did meet the chap I rode the Liverpool-Chester-Liverpool ride with by the memorial, had a quick chat and our ways had to part as he was on the short route.
For the second time I’ve forgotten his name. (I’m hopeless with names as you may have gathered)

Then it was on towards Nant Mill and those climbs I was fearing. Things were going fine untill I picked up a slow puncture at Holt lodge farm.
The tube got changed with no sign of what had caused it and Ray lent me his pump to inflate the tyre. The super duper extra light carbon fibre one that I picked up from Decathlon is little more than an ornament.
It was half inflated when we swapped over pumping the tyre up, the next thing you know I’ve snapped the handle off Rays pump. I owe you a new pump Ray. Janet comes to the rescue with a traditional frame mounted pump which just goes to show the simplest ideas are usually the best.

Panic over it was back on course to Errdig country park and down the lane to the end by the industrial estate where the dog chased Ray and I last week. No problems this week.
We had a slight problem with the route when we crossed the A483 after Farmworld in so much as we doubled back for about half a mile and then had to retrace our steps again as we were going the right way in the firstplace.

Past the Crematorium and under the disused railway bridge and we’re well on our way to tackle a major climb on the route to Nant Mill, just past the Iron works it hits you.
I have to admit to breaking out in a sweat on this one! but it was over and done with in a couple of minutes. We rolled into Nant Mill for a cup of tea and a toilet stop.
Guy was worried that we may have been last on the road as no one had passed us since Holt but a few minutes later a couple of groups rolled in, one stopped others didn’t.

The climb out of Nant Mill is first gear stuff in a car but hard on a bike even with 30 gears.
At least it was short but still left me out of breath. Then it was on to the bit I was dreading the river crossing and the tree lined climb that followed it.
I chickened out and rode over the footbridge not wanting a dunking in the river/stream.
I can’t remember ever putting as much effort into anything like I put into that climb. The surface wasn’t too good near the bottom and I broke traction a few times as the gradient got steeper. Coming out of the trees the surface improved but just when you think you had it licked it goes around a bit of a bend and then gets steeper again.

I’m on the limit here, I can see the end I’m breathing heavy (very heavy) and I’ve got this feeling that the beta blockers are kicking in and limiting my heart rate. I’ve reached the top and spend what seems like a minute getting my breath back. If I had to rate it on the exercise scale it would be somewhere between 8 and 9. I’m slumped over the bars as the others come into view one by one, none of them seem to be in the state I’ve just been in. Sheldon Browns gear calculator is going to get a good dose of looking at pretty soon.

It’s literally all downhill from this point I saw a new top speed come up on the speedometer of 41.9 mph and I wasn’t going for it!
The mind wanders when your on your own and I start humming Homeward Bound by Simon and Garfunkel with this image of Widnes (corrected by dave from work) railway station going through my head.( I always thought it was Runcorn Station, which always looked particulary bleak))
Folklore has it that it was written there after they had missed the last train.
Homeward bound.jpg

I took the above picture on the move with Ray, Guy and Janet in the distance. It was about this time that I’d realised I had very few pictures of ride but then again it was never a photo shoot.

As we were riding back to the Eureka cafe we passed the Chester Road Club having a call of nature on an Electricity substation in the middle of nowhere. I’ve got to say that would be the last place on earth I’d want to pee on. Anyway after a bit of a mix up the group split a few miles from the Cafe. We all made it back and I was going to get a group photo but the super duper new phone played up but luckily Anne obliged so one should appear on the Eureka Cafe website.

Ride Total.jpg

A great day out, thanks everyone.

The Second 100 mile Ride

It was an early start for the CTC run to Whitchurch which started at 9.30 instead of the usual 10.00. I’d covered about 9 miles before the obligatory breakfast at the Eureka Cafe. Anyway Noel led us off on a crisp September morning with the first stop being that old favourite The Ice Cream Farm.
Had a pot of tea and a hot scone (jam, but no butter or cream for that matter).
Then it was off to Whitchurch on what was turning out to be a glorius day. A bit like the 3 bears porridge it, it was not too hot, not too cold but just right. (for me).

The Route was totally new to me but appeared to follow NCR route 70. I’d had disscusions with Ray about weight loss, frame materials and GPS navigation on the ride to the Ice Cream Farm. (thanks for the comment Ray). It looks like a Garmin will be on it,s way shortly. An hour and a half,s riding had us at the lunch stop in Whichchurch which for those that didn’t take a packed lunch (me) was the Town Hall Vaults pub. Lunch for me was a small chicken dinner and a diet Coke.

Town Hall Vaults.jpg Chicken Dinner(small).jpg

I,m thinking what your probably thinking “whats this nut doing with a picture of his dinner on the website”. Well the whole point of the site, the lifestyle changes I’ve made are probably summarised in that one meal.
If your on the British Heart Foundation portion based plan the above should look pretty familiar to you. Chicken was about the size of a pack of playing cards.
£3.95 by the way and it was the small portion. I’m told the cask ale was very good too.

It was very pleasant out the back with the bikes off the road. Company was good with the coversation drifting into the relms of “Why do all signs around here say Wem 5 miles “. Lunch over Noel led us to the afternoon stop at Waterways (which was the destination of my first CTC ride). This might be classed as a rolling route as rolling down one of the hills was met by a fair climb up the other side.

I’m continually amazed by the scenery on these rides, on a good day there is no better place to be. The roads were quiet apart from crossing the busy ones, I’m at a loss to explain why more don’t take it up.

Waterways was left around 4pm after a diet coke. You get some stunning views over the Cheshire plain here. It was back to Two Mills via the lanes and the pedestrian bridge at Saltney. Home via the Missing link finally splitting off from the other two remaining riders by Brimastage. 100miles came up by the slow sign at the bottom of Rest Hill.

Sep 10 Ride Total.jpg

A memorable day for me, my thanks go out to all those I met on the ride and to Noel for leading it. I mustn’t forget to mention Quinns again as weekend it didin’t look like this ride would be taking place on the bling bike.

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