Good to catch up with you lot for a short part of the ride and hope the rest went well.
England : Cheshire 200 km 'audax-style' forum ride, Sat, 27th June, 2015
- Thread starter ColinJ
- Start date
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Good to catch up with you lot for a short part of the ride and hope the rest went well.
skudupnorth
Cycling Skoda lover
- Location
- Astley,Manchester
Brilliant ride !!!! Shattered and now sporting a lovely tan. Thanks again Colin and the rest of the gang who turned up and made it a cracking day
skudupnorth
Cycling Skoda lover
- Location
- Astley,Manchester
Looks like my total mileage is 138 miles 
That's why my backside and knees are twitching 
That's why my backside and knees are twitching
OP
OP
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Thanks for joining me on a fine day out!
I'll write more tomorrow - I am a bit 'relaxed' now ...
I'll write more tomorrow - I am a bit 'relaxed' now ...
skudupnorth
Cycling Skoda lover
- Location
- Astley,Manchester
And that last café stop was awesome, must go there again !
Wobblers
Euthermic
- Location
- Minkowski Space
Just a little sunburned, tired and with aching legs....
but have had shower, food and almost feeling human again. I'm even feeling kindly disposed of towards Elsmere Port! Wonderful ride, wonderful weather and wonderful company. Thanks for organising Colin.
but have had shower, food and almost feeling human again. I'm even feeling kindly disposed of towards Elsmere Port! Wonderful ride, wonderful weather and wonderful company. Thanks for organising Colin.
Fabulous ride and terrific company. Stunning route that Colin organised. Will try to upload cafe stop photos tomorrow. Sleep well - I will.
skudupnorth
Cycling Skoda lover
- Location
- Astley,Manchester
My tan lines are more pronounced ! Great to meet new faces today, this is what these rides and CycleChat are all about
skudupnorth
Cycling Skoda lover
- Location
- Astley,Manchester
Out again this morning for a little 13 miler to work and back......off to Styal near the airport for a stink of volunteering in a bit with will add a good 48 miles to the weekends tally
- Location
- Next door to Mr Benn at No 54
Out again this morning for a little 13 miler to work and back......off to Styal near the airport for a stink of volunteering in a bit with will add a good 48 miles to the weekends tally
I have in the past done some volunteering at Styal, Quarry Bank Mill. I stayed in the Apprentice house, and I can assure you that although the bathroom facilities were extremely basic, I did not stink.
OP
OP
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I am off for a curry this evening but I thought I'd type a few words before I go ...
Many thanks to @Littgull again for the lifts to and from the ride! I wouldn't have done the ride without a lift because Wilmslow is too far from here for me to get to, not being a driver. I could catch a couple of trains each way, but it would mean an extremely early start and getting home late.
We got to Wilmslow in good time and set off in sunshine, which is always an uplifting experience. It didn't take long to notice that the wind seemed to be stronger than forecast and it soon put paid to my idea of averaging 20 kph for the ride. We could have done it if we had bust a gut into the headwinds and taken rushed stops, but it is supposed to be fun, right?
We settled for riding along at a steady pace and chatting.
We met @skudupnorth at Ashley as planned. No sign of 400bhp so we waited a while in case he was still coming, but was late. It became clear that he wasn't going to be taking part so the 3 of us set off again and headed off through Tatton Park. Someone mentioned the park in another post, and I commented that we had mentioned @potsy as we rode through there. He often posts pictures of his rides through the park, so it reminded us of him. We will be dragging you out on a forum ride some time this year, cat lover, so get into training!
You will notice that I am not posting any pictures and that is for the simple reason that I did not take any! My phone's camera can take some good snaps but I carry it in my back pack and it is a faff taking it out and putting it back again. I am going to treat myself to a new compact camera and carry it in a small bar bag, which will be much handier for impromptu ride shots. [ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR WHAT MODEL OF CAMERA? Budget up to £200. I want a camera which will handle a wide 'dynamic range' in scenes. I want to see detail in shadowy areas, without the sky bleaching out. I'm not bothered about zoom or a stupidly high Megapixel count. Image stabilisation would be handy, and so would the camera being waterproof. I'd like it to be pretty small, as close as reasonably possible to the size of a pack of playing cards. I know that I will not bother carrying a bigger camera. I gave away my old Olympus because it spent all its time on a shelf back at home!]
We carried on into the wind and eventually arrived at Delamere Forest where we saw signs declaring that the road through the forest will soon be closed for 4 days, as mentioned elsewhere by @SatNavSaysStraightOn. (I think the closure starts tomorrow, 29th June but check for yourself if you intend heading out that way.)
We were running late and were supposed to be meeting @MartinQ and @McWobble at Kelsall. I couldn't remember how far into the ride Kelsall was and was considering ringing Martin when we suddenly arrived in the village. We found him at the Greedy Pig cafe, which seems to be very popular with cyclists so I suggest that you add it to your list of Cheshire cyclist cafes if it is not already on it.
More chatty riding, and glimpses of Welsh mountains in the distance to the west, very similar to the picture posted by SNSSO in her recent post in Your Ride Today.
We were in need of refreshments and were pleased to arrive at Tilly's cafe in Bunbury. Martin left us there and a few seconds later, McW arrived! He had set off from home late and headed straight for Bunbury instead of Kelsall.
The cafe was nice. Tables outside where we could sit in the sunshine and keep an eye on our bikes. The only slight negative was that it was a bit expensive. London riders may not worry about paying £7:10 for a coffee and scrambled egg and beans on toast, but I think a fiver would be more like it. So be aware of that, but still a nice establishment.
We had a long stop there but eventually got back on the bikes and set off towards our second stop. My route started to meander about all over the place, seeking out quiet roads, nice scenery, and extra kms/miles. It meant that we did get some respite from the nagging wind, but it never seemed to last long enough! Still, I'll put up with wind if it means warm, sunny days ...
Eventually, we flirted with the western fringes of Nantwich, then passed the Cheshire College of Agriculture where Skud studied recently. Soon after that, we got to the second cafe stop at the Venetian Marina, Cholmondeston. That should definitely be added to your cafe list! The prices were low and the cake nice. I got a coffee, a can of Coke and a big piece of home-baked Bakewell Tart for £3:10! (We all went back in for seconds - another can of Coke and piece of Bakewell only cost me £2:10.)
We sat at a table out the back overlooking the Shropshire Union Canal and lazed about in the sunshine, chatting and watching the boats pass by, but eventually it was time to hit the road again. We soon said farewell to McW as he headed off back to Merseyside. Skud came a bit further with me and LG, but he had to get home to look after his kids so he turned off, and then there were just two of us left!
The great thing about long rides at this time of year is that there is plenty of daylight to play with. We were in no danger of getting back anywhere near sunset so we just pressed on at a comfortable pace.
We got back to the car in Wilmslow at 20:20, having covered 208 kms or about 129 of your imperial miles. We had been out for over 12 hours but that included well over 2 hours of stops. It felt like the easiest '200' that I have ever ridden so that confirms that my health and fitness are now well on the way to where I'd like them to be.
Cheshire was looking extremely lush and green in the sunshine. I had chosen the route well - mainly quiet roads, some very flat ones, quite a few more challenging undulating ones, just a couple of stiff little climbs. LG and I decided that we would like to do the same ride again next summer, so watch out for that - AND COME ALONG!
Thanks for the company, lads, and skud/LG- don't forget to post your photos.
Many thanks to @Littgull again for the lifts to and from the ride! I wouldn't have done the ride without a lift because Wilmslow is too far from here for me to get to, not being a driver. I could catch a couple of trains each way, but it would mean an extremely early start and getting home late.
We got to Wilmslow in good time and set off in sunshine, which is always an uplifting experience. It didn't take long to notice that the wind seemed to be stronger than forecast and it soon put paid to my idea of averaging 20 kph for the ride. We could have done it if we had bust a gut into the headwinds and taken rushed stops, but it is supposed to be fun, right?
We settled for riding along at a steady pace and chatting.We met @skudupnorth at Ashley as planned. No sign of 400bhp so we waited a while in case he was still coming, but was late. It became clear that he wasn't going to be taking part so the 3 of us set off again and headed off through Tatton Park. Someone mentioned the park in another post, and I commented that we had mentioned @potsy as we rode through there. He often posts pictures of his rides through the park, so it reminded us of him. We will be dragging you out on a forum ride some time this year, cat lover, so get into training!
You will notice that I am not posting any pictures and that is for the simple reason that I did not take any! My phone's camera can take some good snaps but I carry it in my back pack and it is a faff taking it out and putting it back again. I am going to treat myself to a new compact camera and carry it in a small bar bag, which will be much handier for impromptu ride shots. [ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR WHAT MODEL OF CAMERA? Budget up to £200. I want a camera which will handle a wide 'dynamic range' in scenes. I want to see detail in shadowy areas, without the sky bleaching out. I'm not bothered about zoom or a stupidly high Megapixel count. Image stabilisation would be handy, and so would the camera being waterproof. I'd like it to be pretty small, as close as reasonably possible to the size of a pack of playing cards. I know that I will not bother carrying a bigger camera. I gave away my old Olympus because it spent all its time on a shelf back at home!]
We carried on into the wind and eventually arrived at Delamere Forest where we saw signs declaring that the road through the forest will soon be closed for 4 days, as mentioned elsewhere by @SatNavSaysStraightOn. (I think the closure starts tomorrow, 29th June but check for yourself if you intend heading out that way.)
We were running late and were supposed to be meeting @MartinQ and @McWobble at Kelsall. I couldn't remember how far into the ride Kelsall was and was considering ringing Martin when we suddenly arrived in the village. We found him at the Greedy Pig cafe, which seems to be very popular with cyclists so I suggest that you add it to your list of Cheshire cyclist cafes if it is not already on it.
More chatty riding, and glimpses of Welsh mountains in the distance to the west, very similar to the picture posted by SNSSO in her recent post in Your Ride Today.
We were in need of refreshments and were pleased to arrive at Tilly's cafe in Bunbury. Martin left us there and a few seconds later, McW arrived! He had set off from home late and headed straight for Bunbury instead of Kelsall.
The cafe was nice. Tables outside where we could sit in the sunshine and keep an eye on our bikes. The only slight negative was that it was a bit expensive. London riders may not worry about paying £7:10 for a coffee and scrambled egg and beans on toast, but I think a fiver would be more like it. So be aware of that, but still a nice establishment.
We had a long stop there but eventually got back on the bikes and set off towards our second stop. My route started to meander about all over the place, seeking out quiet roads, nice scenery, and extra kms/miles. It meant that we did get some respite from the nagging wind, but it never seemed to last long enough! Still, I'll put up with wind if it means warm, sunny days ...
Eventually, we flirted with the western fringes of Nantwich, then passed the Cheshire College of Agriculture where Skud studied recently. Soon after that, we got to the second cafe stop at the Venetian Marina, Cholmondeston. That should definitely be added to your cafe list! The prices were low and the cake nice. I got a coffee, a can of Coke and a big piece of home-baked Bakewell Tart for £3:10! (We all went back in for seconds - another can of Coke and piece of Bakewell only cost me £2:10.)
We sat at a table out the back overlooking the Shropshire Union Canal and lazed about in the sunshine, chatting and watching the boats pass by, but eventually it was time to hit the road again. We soon said farewell to McW as he headed off back to Merseyside. Skud came a bit further with me and LG, but he had to get home to look after his kids so he turned off, and then there were just two of us left!
The great thing about long rides at this time of year is that there is plenty of daylight to play with. We were in no danger of getting back anywhere near sunset so we just pressed on at a comfortable pace.
We got back to the car in Wilmslow at 20:20, having covered 208 kms or about 129 of your imperial miles. We had been out for over 12 hours but that included well over 2 hours of stops. It felt like the easiest '200' that I have ever ridden so that confirms that my health and fitness are now well on the way to where I'd like them to be.
Cheshire was looking extremely lush and green in the sunshine. I had chosen the route well - mainly quiet roads, some very flat ones, quite a few more challenging undulating ones, just a couple of stiff little climbs. LG and I decided that we would like to do the same ride again next summer, so watch out for that - AND COME ALONG!
Thanks for the company, lads, and skud/LG- don't forget to post your photos.
skudupnorth
Cycling Skoda lover
- Location
- Astley,Manchester
Had a great afternoon with the Rangers at Styal but was suffering a tad on the way home on the bikeI have in the past done some volunteering at Styal, Quarry Bank Mill. I stayed in the Apprentice house, and I can assure you that although the bathroom facilities were extremely basic, I did not stink.
I can safely say it has been one of my biggest cycling weekends on the mileage front. Did you stay long at Styal ?
- Location
- Next door to Mr Benn at No 54
Had a great afternoon with the Rangers at Styal but was suffering a tad on the way home on the bike
It was a long time ago, when the National Trust did "Acorn Camps". I was there for a week, cutting down trees, in a overgrown part of the grounds, I think.
potsy
Rambler
- Location
- My Armchair
I am off for a curry this evening but I thought I'd type a few words before I go ...
Many thanks to @Littgull again for the lifts to and from the ride! I wouldn't have done the ride without a lift because Wilmslow is too far from here for me to get to, not being a driver. I could catch a couple of trains each way, but it would mean an extremely early start and getting home late.
We got to Wilmslow in good time and set off in sunshine, which is always an uplifting experience. It didn't take long to notice that the wind seemed to be stronger than forecast and it soon put paid to my idea of averaging 20 kph for the ride. We could have done it if we had bust a gut into the headwinds and taken rushed stops, but it is supposed to be fun, right?
We met @skudupnorth at Ashley as planned. No sign of 400bhp so we waited a while in case he was still coming, but was late. It became clear that he wasn't going to be taking part so the 3 of us set off again and headed off through Tatton Park. Someone mentioned the park in another post, and I commented that we had mentioned @potsy as we rode through there. He often posts pictures of his rides through the park, so it reminded us of him. We will be dragging you out on a forum ride some time this year, cat lover, so get into training!
You will notice that I am not posting any pictures and that is for the simple reason that I did not take any! My phone's camera can take some good snaps but I carry it in my back pack and it is a faff taking it out and putting it back again. I am going to treat myself to a new compact camera and carry it in a small bar bag, which will be much handier for impromptu ride shots. [ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR WHAT MODEL OF CAMERA? Budget up to £200. I want a camera which will handle a wide 'dynamic range' in scenes. I want to see detail in shadowy areas, without the sky bleaching out. I'm not bothered about zoom or a stupidly high Megapixel count. Image stabilisation would be handy, and so would the camera being waterproof. I'd like it to be pretty small, as close as reasonably possible to the size of a pack of playing cards. I know that I will not bother carrying a bigger camera. I gave away my old Olympus because it spent all its time on a shelf back at home!]
We carried on into the wind and eventually arrived at Delamere Forest where we saw signs declaring that the road through the forest will soon be closed for 4 days, as mentioned elsewhere by @SatNavSaysStraightOn. (I think the closure starts tomorrow, 29th June but check for yourself if you intend heading out that way.)
We were running late and were supposed to be meeting @MartinQ and @McWobble at Kelsall. I couldn't remember how far into the ride Kelsall was and was considering ringing Martin when we suddenly arrived in the village. We found him at the Greedy Pig cafe, which seems to be very popular with cyclists so I suggest that you add it to your list of Cheshire cyclist cafes if it is not already on it.
More chatty riding, and glimpses of Welsh mountains in the distance to the west, very similar to the picture posted by SNSSO in her recent post in Your Ride Today.
We were in need of refreshments and were pleased to arrive at Tilly's cafe in Bunbury. Martin left us there and a few seconds later, McW arrived! He had set off from home late and headed straight for Bunbury instead of Kelsall.
The cafe was nice. Tables outside where we could sit in the sunshine and keep an eye on our bikes. The only slight negative was that it was a bit expensive. London riders may not worry about paying £7:10 for a coffee and scrambled egg and beans on toast, but I think a fiver would be more like it. So be aware of that, but still a nice establishment.
We had a long stop there but eventually got back on the bikes and set off towards our second stop. My route started to meander about all over the place, seeking out quiet roads, nice scenery, and extra kms/miles. It meant that we did get some respite from the nagging wind, but it never seemed to last long enough! Still, I'll put up with wind if it means warm, sunny days ...
Eventually, we flirted with the western fringes of Nantwich, then passed the Cheshire College of Agriculture where Skud studied recently. Soon after that, we got to the second cafe stop at the Venetian Marina, Cholmondeston. That should definitely be added to your cafe list! The prices were low and the cake nice. I got a coffee, a can of Coke and a big piece of home-baked Bakewell Tart for £3:10! (We all went back in for seconds - another can of Coke and piece of Bakewell only cost me £2:10.)
We sat at a table out the back overlooking the Shropshire Union Canal and lazed about in the sunshine, chatting and watching the boats pass by, but eventually it was time to hit the road again. We soon said farewell to McW as he headed off back to Merseyside. Skud came a bit further with me and LG, but he had to get home to look after his kids so he turned off, and then there were just two of us left!
The great thing about long rides at this time of year is that there is plenty of daylight to play with. We were in no danger of getting back anywhere near sunset so we just pressed on at a comfortable pace.
We got back to the car in Wilmslow at 20:20, having covered 208 kms or about 129 of your imperial miles. We had been out for over 12 hours but that included well over 2 hours of stops. It felt like the easiest '200' that I have ever ridden so that confirms that my health and fitness are now well on the way to where I'd like them to be.
Cheshire was looking extremely lush and green in the sunshine. I had chosen the route well - mainly quiet roads, some very flat ones, quite a few more challenging undulating ones, just a couple of stiff little climbs. LG and I decided that we would like to do the same ride again next summer, so watch out for that - AND COME ALONG!
Thanks for the company, lads, and skud/LG- don't forget to post your photos.
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