CHANGE OF FORMAT

Owing to lack of interest and support for 100 mile rides I will not be posting any intentions on this blog. The 100s will continue but I will arrange them directly.

Eureka

Due to family celebrations all day Saturday there was insufficient time to post a notification. Continuing celebrations on Sunday meant a Smiler ride was out and therefore we started from the Eureka at 10am and took an early finish for 66 miles.

Eureka Ride

Two of us are out but one is recovering from food poisoning and a late night so the 100m is put on hold and we meet at the Eureka to join Tony and Don J. A pleasant ride to Alpraham where we find the cafe closed so we repair to the Lock Gate. Back through Delamere and a call at Elvis' for tea and cakes - closed two hours ago but couldn't refuse the charm. Back home with 70 miles up.

Loppington 103m

It's cool at 8am - about 5 deg C - but there's bright sunshine, little breeze and it should be dry for the ride, and 14 deg C is forecast. Down to Plas Newton Lane to find my luck's in with three windshields lined up - luxury. Phil and Gary were expected but Neil's entered on the line. As last week's ride went so well we hope to emulate the success by taking the same approach - start slowly, let the pace build and finish strongly.
Out into the lanes in through and off formation with each doing a 2.5 miles stint on the front. It's going like clockwork with the pace soon at 16mph average. We're all feeling relaxed so the pace builds a little to our first break at Overton when we're at 17.0 mph after 32 miles. A bit of B road to Ellesmere gets us into the lanes again through Lee and on to Cockshutt where we cross the A road for the lanes to our most southerly point at Loppington, and on via Dobsons Bridge to land at Prees and the Raven cafe with 17.2 mph showing. Now, how much fuel do you need on a ride? Phil has egg on toast, I have egg, beans and chips, Neil has the mini breakfast with toast. but Gary has the cafe's Gutbuster breakfast PLUS toast; and he was first to finish. He deserves a medal.
Out of the Raven my Garmin goes funny, so that's why Gary's link is below. We're turning north, no apparent headwind and the pace builds (those breakfasts work). Ightfield and Audlem are fleeting images, as are Ravensmoor, Bunbury and Beeston. It's obvious that Phil has his mind on a quick average and we don't know if our legs can stand it. A diversion: how about a cuppa at the Ice Cream Farm? YES, unanimous. Here we can recover and get some carbs in - scone and a lot of jam, with enough tea to put a wavy line across the eyeballs. We check the average before we depart, 17.3 mph.
More pace as the scones burn through Hargrave, Tarvin and Barrow until the 100 miles comes up at Morley Bridge. Final concensus for the average is 17.4 mph. This is the fastest Smiler ride to date and the fastest 100 for all of us. We arrive back at the County Officers in good shape so something is working.
See the route by clicking the link below.

Smilers 110 miler. by kmaoudis at Garmin Connect - Details

Sound Heath 104m

A sunny day is forecast, 15 deg C with a 10mph NE wind and an 8am start is planned. Phil's already there but I've got a leaking patch so we return to mine to repair before heading off.
Today we plan to take it easy and let the pace build through the day so that we finish strongly. The wind's interfering with pace as we head west for Churton and then east for Wettenhall - with a bench stop at Alpraham for fluid and carbs. As we hit Jax cafe in Bulkeley we've covered 63 miles at 15.7mph. Two North Enders provide the light entertainment and as they leave a lady stroller takes up their role.
Out of the cafe the pace only improves slightly due to the downhill section to Wrenbury but at Sound the world changes - we have a tail wind. The average builds steadily 'til at the hundred mark we're on 16.5mph and we return in a condition which is on plan i.e. able to walk without doing a crab impression.
See the route and details on the link below.

Sound Heath 104m

Chirk103

Forecast is dry, sunny, 10 deg C and 15mph westerly wind. Twice as many out as last week so half the time on the front, and we have a 9am start to celebrate BST.
We start from the County Officers and Phil gets technical:" How about 2 miles on the front, this wind is pretty strong." "Suits me, and I might do a few." But we're not troubled too much by the wind; at 10 miles we're on 17.5 mph average. "We won't keep that up." - the boffin. At 20 miles we're on 17.6mph and at 25 miles it's 17.9 mph; then it's all downhill (performance-wise) as we head into the wind and the hills get more lumpy on the next 10 miles to Chirk and the cafe. "I'll have something small," - a chip bap at £1:60 and a tea, all for £2:10. But it's a bin lid bap and a plate of chips and Phil has to help out.
Out of the cafe we head for Pont Elan to cross the Ceiriog and luck leaves us; it's closed for repair, no traffic or pedestrians. Retrace through Chirk and get on route at Weston Rhyn then it's plain sailing. Sunny and an easing wind. We walk a patch of thorns but a few miles later Phil's rear succumbs - near Loppington. As we head north we feel the wind more and we're on 'through and off' again with our average down to 15.5mph, which we hold for the remainder of the ride. At Peckforton Phil's rear goes again; no thorn or glass. We have 18 miles remaining so it's fairly direct via Beeston and Greenlooms to get back at 5:15 with 103 miles up.
See the route on the link below.

Link: Chirk103

Bulkeley 104

It's a fine day, I'm out at 8am (bodyclock) - 9am BST- and down to the County Officers to pick up the ghost squad: "We're doing an east/west meander today on lane revision." "Lead on McDuff."
Into the local lanes to warm up before having a look at Delamere Forest - nice. Through Norley to Hartford and Whitegate, keeping away from the not so nice. It's far enough east so turn for Cotebrook and head for Churton against a stiffening breeze and the average dropping towards 15mph. Churton's the westerly point and the wind's on the tail through Chowley and Tattenhall on the way to Bunbury. Between Beeston and Bunbury there's lots of Cheshire Cat riders heading the other way to Malpas but we take in Spurstow and Peckforton before lunch at Jax in Bulkeley - only 35 miles to go.
Up hill to Brunty Bank and then gloriously downhill all the way to Wrenbury and the average creeps back up. A short detour into Sound Heath hits the most southerly point and then Nantwich, Wettenhall and Tiverton get us on to route one and home. 104.2 miles at 14.9mph - blast that westerley! View the details by clicking on the link below.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Smilers: Bulkely 104

Ellesmere 108

Sunday 14th February: OK so it's Valentine's Day, but there's a good ride on. 8am and zero deg C, misty but no wind and I meet up with Phil at the C.O. I'm greeted with 'I'm in 'expletive deleted' trouble today, you're on your summer bike.' True enough, I'm on my carbon to stave off knackeredness. Off we go through the lanes and we're soon into fog but we find the poor visibility is due to our breath freezing on our goggles. And so it continues through Kelsall, Huxley and Tiverton but as we circle Beeston Castle the sun is on us and the icing abates. We circle Bunbury to take Peckforton Lane and Mill Lane and take our first stop at Jax cafe, after 35 miles, which has only been opened for a fortnight - lovely food.
We're now in the sunshine of a spring day as we head for Wrenbury, Morton Say, Calverhall and finally Prees Heath at 67 miles. We have picked the pace up from 14.8mph and we now stand at 15.3 as we tuck into an unhealthy plateful. Phil must be feeling the pace as he reflects on 'That b***** TREK.' But he's in fine fettle and we're both enjoying it.
We set off at a pace which aids digestion, heading for Ellesmere. The lanes are dry, the pace builds and the clouds gather. By Ellesmere it is spitting for rain but it never gets any worse - only 28 miles to go. We take the lanes again, heading for Penley. It's hilly terrain, a little mucky in places - offset by the lack of traffic and the fine scenery. Exiting the lanes at Worthenbury it's a straight dash for home. we arrive in good shape ( the best paced ride of the year) with 108 miles up at 15.4mph average.

View route on link:
Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Ellesmere 108

Prees Heath

Sunday 7th Feb and the day is dry. 8am at the County Officers and Neil is already there " It's been 2deg C all the way here in the car." "Oh, the forecast's right then." And it is to be 5deg C all day. Phil turns up within the minute and were off on the second Smiler of the year. We're taking it easy; we don't want to be knackered at the 100 mile stage. So it's through and off every four miles with the sun trying to break through the mist. Out through Tattenhall and Bunbury to a slight hiccup at Alpraham where Phil's Garmin freezes and he goes straight past a right; "Phiiiillllll - rrrriggghhhhtt!" A reboot sees him OK and we're back in formation. Then a ten minute break for a drink and some carbs puts us right for the next leg to Prees. We go through Sound and Audlem before it gets a bit hilly through Wilkesley and Calverhall and then we drop down to Prees at 12:15.
The Raven cafe is a cyclist's dream: Cheap, fast service and big servings. We get stuffed for under a fiver and we're off again, still heading south as far as Edstaston where we point west for Loppington and finally Cockshut. Now it's north for Ellesmere and home. We have a pleasant stop in the Boathouse cafe, overlooking the mere, in Ellesmere and then off again for the final leg. We're back at the County Officers for 16:20 with 104 miles up at 15.1mph average. We aren't all that fresh but we're pleasantly tired - where's that hot bath?

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Smilers to Prees Heath

Frodsham? Eureka! and Bangor-on-Dee

The forecast was for broken cloud, and they're not often wrong but today we got a serious wetting; and the temperature was only around 4 deg C but at least there was hardly any breeze.
Out at 8am to the C.O. start where two Smilers are ready to go and I'm told that one, who hadn't yet got his chuckle muscles going, would be smiling when we pick him up at 9am. Phil, Neil and I set off down the lanes, to make the distance up to around 15 miles, for Frodsham where we'll pick up Carl (Neil's son). It starts to rain as we start and it keeps going but we make the pace with 14.6 miles in as we pick up Carl. He's practising the sax but he doesn't yet know 'When Your Smiling' - a bad omission, must do better. Off again and aiming at 30 miles by 10:10am at the Eureka cafe. We keep the lead changing at make the cafe with 34 miles up. We have a chat with the Road Club lads but we can't join them to the Ice Cream Farm as we can't stretch the miles. It's a sign of the poor weather that the cafe still isn't clear when we leave at 10:45.
Now we're heading for Bangor, by a devious route, and by Holt the roads are drying and we can enjoy sucking a wheel. 67 miles up by the Buck (pub) in Bangor and large meals seem to be the order of the day - Phil considers a pudding. Carl, the virgin Smiler, receives high praise for the way in which he has fallen into our routine and pulled his weight - he can come again. And although he wasn't acknowledged, Neil did most of the ride organisation and most of the work.
Leaving the Buck, with threatening skies, we meet the Mold CTC group on their way to Errdigg and spend a few chatty minutes before pressing on for the last 33 miles. The rain soon hits again and doesn't stop. We do a detour to Beeston to make the miles and head for base, and it's wet. A last stop in Hargrave for carbs (a shelter), where we all have the same thing in mind - get a warm bath and then flop in front of the telly. Then the last bit through Guilden Sutton to return to the C.O. with 102 miles up at 15.0 mph. It's no use asking if the ride was enjoyable as people with this kind of mental disability have no credence with normal people.