Crew: El Pres, Slim, Butty, Stunt
Route: Riverside Car Park, Bollin valley to Prestbury, Chelford Lane, Findlow Hill lane, Bradford Lane, Hocker Lane – with Alderley Park mini loop, Slade Lane, Findlow Hill lane, Bridleway across into Windmill woods, Artists Lane, Prestbury, Butley Ash.
Conditions: Cool, windy, very wet trails.
Notes:
With a big low pressure coming through and a lot of wind and rain all day, only four brave souls ventured out…and yet by 6pm although windy the rain had stopped…:-)
A good time to head West to the shelter of the lanes in and around Alderley edge.
As the rush hour traffic headed along Manchester road we slipped quietly away under the railway and into the dark and quiet of the Bollin valley riverside park. The river was roaring in places with all the rain, and very wet grass led to some meandering of our own to find a routes that were less splashy!
Newish fencing at the Prestbury end means you can’t ride around the final kissing gate, and signage up for sale of a plot of land mostly the otherside of the railway line, but with a small amount next to the end of Bridge green cul de sac – looks like someone might fancy building houses in the future!!
Quickly through the bright lights of Prestbury village, then up the long climb past Hare Hill, up the “wrong way” and over the back road to the start of the back lanes proper at Findlow hill.
Four is a good number for riding, two pairs and plenty of chatting, but no need for extended regroup stops.
Bradford lane – best described at a log flume – a decent stream running down, with thick muddy leafy squish either side. Butty’s butt was wet through by the end (well if you don’t run mudguards…)
At the turn into Hocker, we comment on the signage put up by the locals, mostly telling you “Not to” do things…trying to keep the commoners away?
These days Alderley Park is legit for riding, and the main trails are well kept, we start with a lesser trail down to one of the ponds – and uber slippy roots on an otherwise innocuous track give some sideways action!
Back up a very muddy and wiggly path to the lane, and Butty becomes a meme with his use of the boot brush station at the stile! But at least he has a cleaner behind (for now).
Plenty of rainfilled potholes on Hocker to negotiate, and plenty of mud, leaf and twiggy detitrus on Slade lane to add spice to the rapid tarmac descent past the farm.
The large house on the RHS near the main road – empty and awaiting development for years, is now a swish modern mansion!
Back at Finlow hill lane we go around for sloppy seconds, and the bridleway cutting the corner to Artists lane is seriously gloopy!
The woods though have more to offer, with ankle deep sticky mud in large patches that need determined pedalling to traverse. The long gully heading gently downhill – is renamed gloopy gulch, with lead riders repeatedly getting mired, and sending the rest of the crew left or right to the better line.
Taking the narrow straight/slightly left gap into the sandy field, we avoid the swamp of doom, and exiting in the opposite corner arrive into the track to the Owl. Which is running full width several inches deep in water!
We emerge onto Artists lane with gritty sounds from the drivetrains, and a time check suggests we need to gently head back (we were requested to be early at the pub as they were down to one chef).
Butty engages Turbo mode to get ahead and change in his van, the rest of us chain gang back into Prestbury, past the Legh arms, up and over the Railway, turn left on the corner of Heybridge lane, and across to the A road.
Now it’s white beamer knobhead territory, and scary lorries for the short section to the safety of the pub.
Pete adds extra rear lightage just in case.
We get our ususal table in the corner, get the last pints of IPA, and mostly order the signature burger – mainly because its Beef on a beef burger – yes extra beef feather on top of the patty. Stunt goes for the classic gammon.
They are delicious, albeit a bit smaller than expected, chip envy as the gammon plate looks better loaded.
Mustard pots pack a punch!!
White Butty rustles up a new AI member of the crew, we switch to Guiness, and have to refine bing’s inherenet US biases. Our british biker still looks a bit Hampstead Hip, and there is weird stuff going on with the handebars on closer inspection.
Soon we are in a rabbit hole of virtual badness with the news of the week that an AI model with pink hair is making thousands a week on various websites and promotions. How long before “life imitates art” and a lookalike is found to do real life appearances!?
This time in “the most interesting pub carpark” category….a BMW saloon is loaded onto a flatbed recovery truck..at a snails pace with a lot of hanging around. Either a jobsworth recovery man, or a well disguised theft!
Time to savour a Jura before heading out for the ride home.
The skies have cleared and Orion is above – our winter friend.
Next week the Christmas ride and a welcome return of all the social and country members!
Late breaking news…..The Nancies did not ride tonight because of how it looked mid afternoon, nancies by name…
