Crews
Roadie Stunt, El Pres, TJ, Coley
Off Road PTD, Mr I
Pub roadies Slim, Eric & El Pud
Pub Mrs I
Route
Roadies, BL, Fools Nook, Jodrell Bank, Goostrey, Swettenham, Congleton, over Timbersbrook and into Ruston Spencer via Beats Lane, main road to Leek.
Off Roaders – furtlings from Roach End into Leek
Conditions
Wet start clearing to blue skies, warmth lost as sun went down, misty and cool return.
Notes
Summer having happened the day before the plan to head to leek under glorious skies now looked very dubious as it had rained much of the afternoon! But a plan’s a plan and weather geekery predicted it would stop soon enough.
Waterproofs donned, a flatter plains route seemed best, and maybe the weather would reduce the chances of meeting large farm machinery in the lanes? “said stunt as a large yellow piece of farm machinery trundled into barracks lane ..ahem.
Cobbling together route knowledge between the crew (and managing not to lose TJ) soon enough it was time to stop to admire Radio Telescope, and muse on the sign saying no mobile phones beyond this point…with a mobile phone mast in the field behind!
Roads and riders drying rapidly it’s time to enjoy the rolling countryside in it’s summertime at its lush best. Children feeding ducks at Reedsmere (by throwing the bread onto the road!), Man releasing rabbit well away from his garden, Middle aged men in Lycra on bikes (ooops that will be us then!)
Congleton was a definite grey area in the collective mental mappery, and with a trust in direction that would have made El Pud proud, a direct line to the right road was attempted to avoid the dual carriageway. With a few zig zags, laissez faire attitude to road signs, and a tactical alleyway, we did get the right road without getting lost (even if we couldn’t claim to know where we were).
Luckily for some !?? they didn’t know that there was the small matter of a large lump of landscape between us and Belgian beer. Those who have done the Cheshire cat will remember it, with views of the cloud to the left, lama’s and lifesize plastic jungle animals to the right, and standing on the pedals eyeballs popping out the front.
With time running out on the rendezvous with the knobbly boys, the Rudyard route was abandoned in favour of the Ruston certainty. Nice views of the lake on the last climb, then rapid road riding into Leek, final slog up the hill to the marketplace, check of the phones to discover Knobblies already a pint up.
Georges fish and chips devoured under the market cross, with leftovers thrown to hungry latecomers.
Minor rebellion as PTD and El Pres opt for wetherspoons for food (Hmmm)
But finally all are cosily ensconced in Den Engels, Mr I delighting in the book of beer geekery, and the world is that bit fuzzier and nicer.
Hold the front Page its El Pud! There must be an unusual planetary alignment.
Straight away there is controversial comment – its the germans this time!
General Faffing cannot disguise the fact that its a long and likely cold ride home. All clothing donned riders head out. A range of strategies from hard and fast, to slow and steady rapidly emerge. Full moon and mist make for some eerie and quiet moments, plus some wonderful sights like the dark mass of the cloud rising out of the valley mists.
Some concerted peleton chasing catch the longtime breakaway rider close to Macc, but further attacks fracture the group and its an honourable draw at the turn to Byrons lane.
Another summer classic – with caps!