Rosie Cheeks

Unfortunately I was away for our February ride - visiting a friend in Yorkshire.  It is part of my 40 year celebrations (of club riding - I plan a Fab Forty later in the year so watch this space!).  So the reins were once again handed to my loyal and superb leader group.

Some consternation on the morning of the ride, as leaders recounted weather conditions locally

Linda reported the ride on the Facebook Group:

A hardy group of 9 cyclists gathered at Kingsway cafe this morning with the temperature hovering around the 3 degrees mark. We were warmly welcomed back to Kingsway after our absence of about a year. It was a cold but otherwise lovely cycle down to Rossett to the new Hwb yr Orsedd cafe via Eccleston. The return took us through Dodleston on a 22 mile round trip. Credit to Colette for the photos.

Collette

Lovely cafe  Thanks for leading, Linda and Sonia

Kath

Shame I couldn’t join you have pulled my hamstring and can’t go on bike looks a fabulous ride.

Denise

Nice photos girls. Rosie cheeks. (this is where the post title came from!)

Sarah

Lovely ride and company - thanks ladies x

Jean

Thank you ladies, a lovely feb fab ladies ride x

https://www.hwbyrorsedd.org.uk/

New Year, no ride

We were all ready to return to Kingsway cafe for our first ride of the new year, which was planned to be to Manley - when it snowed.  On Monday it was very wet, slushy and melting fast, but by Wednesday we had had a few inches, which was not showing any signs of going anywhere anytime soon.  Freezing temperatures meant the small amount of snow stayed very pretty and clean, but not suitable for venturing out on two wheels.

Ride cancelled!

Friday night wintry evening walk

Panorama

Those of you who know me or have followed my posts for a few years will be aware that I like to take a few photos - and in recent years I am sure you know I completed the 52 Frames challenge in 2022, and I am repeating that this year.  No?  No worries - all you need to know is that this week's challenge is 'Panorama'.  So that should explain the format of some of my photos from today's ride.

Still meeting at Total Fitness we were disappointed for a second month that there were no hot drinks available.  Yana, the young lady who served us, was most apologetic and still managed to look after us with a variety of smoothies and juices, but it does not bode well to continue meeting here.

Nine ladies were out, and after a quick photo as the weather has turned decidedly colder now, we set off.  I plotted a slightly unusual route to get to the Boat Museum in Ellesmere Port, which involved Greenway, some canal, lanes to Ellesmere Port, residential streets but dropping back to the tranquility of the canal for the final run to the cafe.

Although cold, we did have the most beautiful sunny morning, and were met by Michelle in the cafe, with a central table laid out and reserved for us.

Extreme panorama - I found a new setting on my phone!!!

The Port and Anchor cafe sits alongside the (Manchester) Ship canal, and sometimes you can be treated to a very large ship passing a few feet from the cafe windows.  No such luck today but an opportunity for some panoramic photos at least.

A Panorama made of 5 photos stitched together when I got home
- I'm very pleased with this!!!

Options for heading back were shared (either through the industrial estate to Thornton Le Moors, Wimbolds Trafford, Dunham on the Hill and beyond; or canal then lanes near Chester Zoo, or just canal all the way back) - the ladies opted for the middle option and we set off, back along the canal.

The surface is unfortunately quite broken up at times at this end of the towpath, and combined with quite overgrown hedges it did make for a slightly exciting journey, until it smoothed out at Stoak.  We left the canal here and followed through Croughton and then up the back of the Zoo and through the Zoo bridleway.

After this people started to drift off home as usual, until it was just me!

See the route on Komoot

A Beautiful View

Disappointing start this morning when we were told the coffee machine / hot drinks were not working, so we could not start off with a brew.  So I asked the guys to pose for me, for the blog of course!

Still, it was a nice day and after our photo we wet off along the Greenway.  As I have mentioned over the years, September I try to run as a 'back to school' gentle introductory ride, a nice easy scoot up the Greenway and either to Yvonne's in Connah's Quay, Nets or Burton Manor across the Marshes. This year it was the turn of Burton Manor again.

We regrouped for another photo at the Blue Dragon or Welsh bridge, before continuing to turn off and
head through the industrial estate to cross the marshes on the boardwalk.

On arriving at the cafe, we met the Breeze ladies led by Sam.  I am friends with her on Facebook, and follow her exploits, and she told me about her upcoming trip to Cuba.  We waved the Breeze ladies off and sat ourselves at an outside table, enjoying late summer sun and warmth.

On our way back we detoured to follow the river back in, overhearing the racecourse announcements as we neared Chester.

Blog post title - refers to this week's photography challenge (I am doing '52 Frames')

Precipitation, Police Box and Puncture

Starting at Total Fitness, after a quick coffee and chat, we assembled for the photo and the off

Meeting at a new venue means different routes out - so, for example - I do not think the ladies group has ever set off along Ermine Road, with the view of the Lead Shot tower in front.

Followed by the humpedy bump along Lightfoot Street, with the awful speed bumps.

New routes or not, this is a diversion we would have had anyway - Severn Trent have had road closures along Boughton and Huntington all year.  It is now closed at the Sandy Lane end, but we were able to get through (with a pleasant detour alongside the river)

And another topical sight - the demolition of Et Alia, formerly The Red House, overlooking the river and the meadows for many years.  Time will show what they replace it with - probably a very large nice house - or several equally expensive flats.

ON arrival at the cafe we set up on the benches outside in the garden; but it was not many minutes before the rain started; we braved it for a few minutes, but when the spots got bigger we decided to relocate back inside.  And not before time, as the heavens did indeed open!

So, this was a bit of fun.  For no reason (that we could discern) they have a life-size Tardis (well, antique Police Box).  So we had to take photos, squeeze inside, take more photos!

Now that the rain had stopped we caught a few sunshine rays before heading back out to the lanes.

Unfortunately, within a few hundred yards just as we crossed the main road, Linda discovered a puncture.  No matter, we got this!

We ain't got this.  No end or pulling, tugging, poking, advising, or tyre levers could shift Linda's tyre.  It was so tight - in the end (with time a-marching on) she called for assistance and we reluctantly left her to wait for her pick up.

After Borras Head we stopped to take photos and take in the view, turning out a lovely day (now the rain has gone...)

We perambulated back around the back lanes of Trevallyn, and made our way into Chester across the 'new' blue bridge over the A55, and even newer cycle paths at new housing estate on Wrexham Road.

 

Have wings will fly

I was away for May, so I rely on photos and posts from Facebook.  I gather it was a gloriously sunny day though!

With thanks to Angela, Linda, and Collette for the photos!

And the post title?  Well, I saw the bike photo here, hanging from the ceiling with a pair of wings - Cycling UK was formerly CTC, and the symbol for the CYC was a 'winged wheel'.  We have a few local to us - Tarporley, Corwen, Middlewich, and there should be one in Bala but I believe it is missing (Bala weekend blog post to follow).  You can read the  Cycling UK history page, or when we reinstated the one at Corwen (that is me on the left, blowing the fine horn!).

There used to be a website listing all of them (I never found the one in Macclesfield), but that seems to have disappeared, but there are some on 'YACF' (Yet Another Cycling Forum).

When you are out on your bike, and especially in the sunny summer months, you can really feel like you are flying!