Two for one

Post was written at the end of July, so it is mostly photos - and not all mine!

We had about 30 riders, and four new faces.  The sun was out, and shorts are appearing at last!  The long winter may now be behind us!

St Albans, Tattenhall

Rick's group

Cheryl's group, as she practices the art of over-the-shoulder photos! 

Heading out on the Greenway

A certain corner near Burton has
a gorgeous pond and black swans

Love the fox and rabbit on this thatched roof!

Sat outside at the cafe

The reason for the lack of my photos is that I had not taken many on our way out, and we had a small incident where a wheel touched the wheel in front.  This caused a spill, and some consternation.  We picked her up, and in the end I walked with her to the cafe, as we were only about a mile away.  This was we could sit safely and in comfort and await collection.

A fall will cause embarrassment, if you are not seriously hurt.  However, adrenalin kicks in, and what you think may be bruising or a sprain, may be a fracture, so it is wise not to continue riding.  However, it also highlights that the emergency contact details we ask for at the start of the ride need to be someone who can come or arrange for someone to come and pick you and bike up.

Thankfully the lady was not seriously hurt, but muscular sprains did keep her off the bike for several months.

I rode the route the week before, it was a sunny day and Cheryl was doing a reccy for her route, so a few of us joined her - here are some photos from that day - blossom and sunshine!

Beeston - in case you were wondering!

With Laura - cyclist and new owner.

And the rational behind the title for this post?  Photos from two rides combined into one post!  Tenuous, I know :-)

The ride must go on

I was away this month, to Leeds on a Swing Dance weekend.  So, I passed the reins to my fabulous leaders.

We had six leaders, twelve riders, and three groups. Unfortunately this is the only photo I have.  The route was to Hawarden Farm shop.

Spin for Smartworks - "40k of laughter"

Spring is definitely springing, and after a couple of quite turbulent weeks weatherwise (although no snow in Chester, of course!) and despite it pouring at 07:00 this morning, we had a very pleasant and mild day.

Possibly due to the rain, or maybe as tomorrow is Mother's day, we had 19 riders, split nicely into three groups.  This was our second charity ride; I had been approached by Lucy from Smartworks as they were holding a 'Spin for Smartworks' fundraising challenge.  Planned in the week including International Women's day, we were one day out with our planned ride, so we offered to collect a small donation per rider; Dani from Smartworks was due to meet us at Okells.

Ready to leave, we employed a young lad from the cafe to take our photo, as Mr Rosie is recovering from an operation (meaning Rosie had the adventure of catching the train from Frodsham!).








Alex led away the faster further group, with promises (threats) of the Yeld; noted in retrospect by one of her riders that a similar route was employed last year - also to include the Yeld!   (for those of you who do not know, The Yeld is a slightly brutal straight  line climb with an arrow - it rises in front of you a bit like a wall)


No-one had signed up to the slow and steady group, so we split remaining riders between the leaders; Cheryl had a 20 mile route in total planned, and I had an idea in my head.

It was even warm enough to take a layer off!

Recent rain meant lots of roadside water, and this final flood just before the cafe.

Okells had not been able to save us seats together, but we managed to commandeer enough spaces for bottoms, and a variety of snacks were obtained.  I'll say one thing for us, we know how to dine well!

We were joined by Dani Novick from Smartworks, to tell us a little bit about the project, and to hand over the money raised by riders (small donation to ride today); we raised £65 for the charity.

Smart Works is a UK charity that provides high quality interview clothes, styling advice and interview training to women in need.  We give women the confidence, the self-belief and the practical tools they require to succeed at interview and start a new chapter of their life.

We not only gave the donation, but offers of quality clothing and volunteer time I believe was also offered.  You can read more about the charity here.

Another flood, this time nearly home on the Greenway.  











Why the title '40k of laughter'?  Well, one lady riding was out for the first time, and just enjoyed the company and conversation so much, I could hear her laughing all morning.  She said it was 40k of laughter, so I thought that would be a good title for the blog!

Never mind the forecast....

Can someone please count back to how many times I have said that the weather did not turn out as foretold on weather apps or news, or times when it started looking glum and wet, but was an OK day, often with sun, and not nearly as bad as was expected?  I have lost count, but today was no exception.

The weather, a common topic of conversation, was particularly wet and unpleasant at first, in fairness to those who took one look and said 'nah'.  On arrival, Sharon was indeed a very wet and bedraggled cyclist - it had been OK until a few miles before the cafe, she said.

 Coffees and teas, and only a handful of us so we split into two groups, with a regular-fastish and regular-slowish divide, and we set off, after a quick call to the cafe (there will be ten of us) and a photo.  Fully waterproofed up, the weather was not as wet as expected, and it had even stopped by the time we were at The Straight Mile, after Eccleston.

If you look real hard you will see snowdrops on the left,
and snow/ white stuff on the hills mid shot!

We stopped and had a couple of conflabs about which route to follow, as we had several options; the weather was not too bad, we decided, and agreed which way to go.   There was quite a strong wind, but the rain did not reappear, and we even had a glimpse of sunshine.

Many snowdrops to be seen, always a lovely welcome sight, and Sharon stopped in glee at the first fully opened but slightly muddy and forlorn daffodil.  The sun also made a bit of an appearance, so quick photo to capture that!  The last run into Chester Lakes was a smooth tarmac with a bit of a tailwind, which was a nice end to our morning.

Chester Lakes cafe has changed hands since we last came and, unbeknownst to me, had been moved and significantly downsized.  It took me a while to get my bearings from our first visit in Feb 2011, and subsequent visits in November 2013, and the Sports Relief ride in March 2014.  Room, if no-one else came, for 23.  It is a good job we had a smaller turn out, and we struggled to find space, filling the last 10 seats with ours.  It worked out OK, and the staff were pleasant and helpful.

Parting of the ways from the cafe back - Linda and Sharon headed into deepest Wales and we came back via Lache Lane, Handbridge and the Groves, to the canal by Barton Rouge (quick advert for our curry night 21/2/18) where Helen left us.

I arrived home in bright sunshine!

The long way round

Back to the ladies rides for a new year of cafes and fun, our 10th birthday year.  The first planned destination was about the closest cafe we visit, unless we loop back to Kingsway!  Meadow Lea is a large cafe at the Mickle Trafford end of the Greenway, they were our Chester & N. Wales cafe of the year in 2015.  They are accommodating and even allow dogs, so I phoned ahead earlier in the week and booked for about 20.

34 riders turned up!  In fact, there were more, as Jane went straight to the cafe as she thought she had missed us (but in fact arrived at Meadow Lea before my group had even set off!), and Helen had been waiting for a delivery from B&Q, which came earlier so allowed her and two other newbies to come straight to Meadow Lea and meet us.

One new rider had only got fingerless cycling gloves, and I thought it was quite a chilly day.  On my way back from getting cash at the Co-Op, I popped into the chemist - they were selling kids woolly gloves for £1.  Bargain.  A few ladies popped in - not the warmest gloves but better than none!

As it was quite a cold morning, I brought out one group at a time to set them off, and see who was left so we could balance groups out.  First off, as usual, was the faster further group, headed by Alex.  It was so busy I did not remember to take their photo; they had a longer route planned so of they went.  Apparently they nearly stopped at The Bluebell Cafe, but we do try to all come together so they continued past.

Group 2, led by Sonia - I had to steal two leaders from this group to set up a fourth! So I sent these ladies on their way next.

Group 3, formed with Linda and Cheryl as leaders, posed nicely for their photo too. They then set off (after a hurried route discussion.)

Group 4, my group.  Mr Rosie, our usual photographer, his fingers must have got too numb waiting in the cold, as no picture is on my camera.  In fairness, he did say to check but I know his pictures are usually good.  Will be checking from here on!

So, I had the shortest distance, which was a good job as by the time I had everyone sorted it was 10:30 before we left.  I had some new and a little nervous riders, so we waited and kept together.  Past the Zoo, no animals out today! Down Butter Hill and long the road above the canal.  

The one photo I took on the way!

It was a very simple route, and the weather remained grey and gloomy - in fact I am sure it was getting darker!  

'Before' photo of cakes -
although there is not an 'after'
as they replenished them all!

My group were first to arrive at the cafe, who had laid out a long table through the middle of the cafe!  As the groups started to arrive, the queue grew and snaked around the somewhat horrified and bemused local customers - it is a surprisingly popular destination so it was a good job I had booked ahead.

We sat and supped, I mingled and chatted to as many as I could, makes a nice change being first in and served early!  People drifted away, as we were at the end of  the greenway it is such a short hop home we did not nee dto reform into groups, although I did bring the last stragglers home.  I returned with as many as I left with, although different faces except 1!

New Year Reflections

2017 was another busy and successful year.  Three new cafes visited, and one refurbished.  Eleven rides this year, with the Womens Festival of Cycling, led by Cycling UK for which Janet A organised a Wirral celebratory ride.  We were nominated within the 100 women in cycling - myself, Welna Lowri (Chester & N. Wales Sec) and Janet (Belles) and there was an event in Birmingham which we attended; you can see a short video here.

Janet, Welna, Julie (from Cycling UK and yours truly

We have had 39 new riders join us at some point through the year, with Saturday morning attracting on average 26 ladies - from 9 to 39, our largest turn out yet!

I am very honoured and proud to be awarded the Cycling UK Certificate of Merit, which was given to me at the New Years Day meet at Churton; I had been unable to get to the AGM in November when I should've had it.  It reflects my journey since I started cycling in 1985, when I was 15, through to today with the ladies, Chester CTC, Bob Clift rides and lots of stuff in between (too doo - that is me blowing my trumpet!)

The picture on the right, thanks to Roy Spilsbury, who writes "circa 19th April 2008. My pic, my hunting horn.  Still in my possession.  Might come in useful sometime.

I recall you were the only one able to blow it properly, Sue."  

Onward and upward to 2018, and all that it brings!

The social side of cycling

Once again we had to cancel the December ride.  Although it was not a widespread frost, or snow, there were patches of ice and many of the Welsh ladies, including most of the leaders, had messaged me on facebook over the previous day and evening to say they were not coming.

I have said before that I live very close to the cafe, and this means I can walk there, which was what I told the ladies via social media.  Some people may not get the message, so at least I would be there  to share a coffee and a chat.  I posted for anyone to join me anyway for a coffee and a bacon buttie.

That last idea sparked Sue to come along, she could not resist a bacon buttie, and we were shortly joined by Sheila and Gill - who had actually brought her bike, so Well Done that Woman!  We spent a jolly hour drinking coffee and chatting, talking about parties coming up over the festive period, and life generally outside cycling.  

It started to sleet and generally throw horrible cold weather down whilst we were in the cafe, allowing a moment of reflection that it was indeed the right thing to do on this wintry morning, and after a quick photo by the tree, we set off back our separate ways to busy ourselves with Christmas preparations.

4 ladies, 0 miles :-)

Remembrance day ride

This year our November ride fell on 11th Nov, so there is a little bit of a poppy theme.  It was mentioned at the start, but as we are riding at 11:00, it was going to be hard to pause, and was not possible to get us all together.

We had a marvellous turn out of 34, splitting into 4 groups and with four new friends out for the first time.  

Jane R led a faster group over a few hills via Tattenhall, and they managed to stop by the war memorial in Tattenhall for a minutes reflection.

It is something we have in all our villages, and we cycle past them all the time.  Next time you are out, try to notice the memorials as you pass.




Welna and Linda both took regular steady groups, Welna headed East of the River Dee through Aldford and Churton, which was the return route for Linda and my slower group.

Crossing on the suspension bridge, we also found blue skies and sunshine!

The colours on the photos here in Eccleston have not been touched up, it was full of wonderful autumn colours.  We even had to stop to take a few layers off, although Hayley found a bit much going in her basket on the front of her bike!







As my group were stopping a little more often anyway we did not manage the minute to stop, and I realised it was 11:15 as we came through Pulford - but also mindful we still needed to get to the cafe!