Thanks to Alan for leading a very pleasant 42 mile ride out to Alsager. For me, first time back in the saddle for 4 months, it was a perfect 2013 starter. Great to see everyone today and great that Carol made it out and around on her mountain bike despite her recovering arm. Happy New Year everyone - here's to a year of excellent cycling with WVCC!
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/258792120

Thanks Jules for leading the long run, a tough 80 miles to loggerheads, 3600 ft elevation gain, 3246 Calories. Great group as usual.
I am sure Eleanor is doing a blog
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/258746218

Cheers to Al, nice ride today. Short run blog now live for those who wanna read.

Great blog Woody as always!!! It was so good to be back out with you all today I have missed it and all of you so much!!! Thanks to Phil and Andy Hammond for giving me loads of stick, I felt as though I'd never been away 😉
Also a massive thank you to Alan for letting me come along on my mountain bike, I know it's not the norm!!
Thanks to everyone else for your usual fab company! Might not be out now until the downhill comp but will not be on the mountain bike whey hey!!! 😆 see you all soon. 😀

@woody wrote:

Cheers to Al, nice ride today. Short run blog now live for those who wanna read.

great blog woody, also good to Carol is getting some stick as well as getting out on her bike 😆

Great run to loggerheads today. Was good to test the 1st 3rd of the llanberis legs.

Cheers jules!

thanks to all for a very enjoyable run today. Nice to be getting some long miles in again .
Thanks Jules for leading it, I'm sure you spent most of the day on the front !!! 🙂

Thanks all. Enjoyed today's ride as well. With 65 miles yesterday and 75 today legs are a bit sore 😯

Thanks for leading Jules. I really enjoyed it, even if though I didn't get quite as far as the cafe.

Just read Woody's Blog. Sounds like a good run and Caroline certainly enjoyed herself. Woody mentioned that I didn't appear at the lunch stop. I went training in the morning and got a bit carried away riding to Bickerton, Hampton Heath, Whitchurch, Marbury, Aston, Nantwich, Wybunbury and at Weston I got a call from Caroline telling me that they were just leaving Radway Green and were coming via Barthomley to Weston. I decided to ride towards them but I didn't know exactly which way they would be coming so I gambled and rode via Englesea Brook to Barthomley. I sat and waited outside the pub for about 10 minutes and realized that something was wrong when they didn't come through. I then remembered seeing a lane about half a mile before I got to Barthomley pointing to Crewe so I think they must have come from that direction but Caroline wasn't sure when I spoke to her later.

So I carried on, on my own and rode back home, getting back about 20 minutes before Caroline turned up. Great day out and 75 miles covered at a good pace but a shame I didn't enjoy the company of the club on the way back. Serves me right really for being unsociable in the morning.

Cheers

Dave

Dave you were not the only one that was unsociable this morning, I turned right instead of left out of the social and went to Holt, got a bit lost and did more miles than I planned but all good training. Glad you all had a good ride 🙂

😆 the Fear on a mission! To be fair we went round the houses plus a mechanical so not surprised we missed you!

Sorry folks our PC has packed up and I dont know how to upload photos on the iPad so no blog today. But I'll attempt a report here. Great group out today, if I remember right we had the following out: Jules, Kev, Jim, Tony, Alan K, Carl, Tim, Jon Conboy who turned off at Higher Kinnerton, Richard M who turned off at the top of the Treuddyn climb, also new boys Mike and Josh who did really well. We also had both Campbells with us for the return ride, they didn't realise we were leaving early so missed the start and rode out direct. Oh yes, and will o' the wisp Kris who appeared occasionally riding in various directions around our group, looking racing-snake fit, trying to get extra miles and speed in.
Jules did a brilliant job of keeping us altogether, this must have been pretty challenging given the range of abilities. We rode through Waverton, Chester, Higher Kinnerton then up the Treuddyn climb where we all rode at our own pace, collecting at the pub for the right turn and a fab descent (well mostly descent) to the cafe. The return ride took the direct route and all I can say is that the ride through Delamere Forest saw the elastic snap for a few of us! It's a long time since I did a long ride (we did 80 miles @ 16+mph on crappy roads) and having mountain biked yesterday I arrived home today with nothing left in the tank. But all good training for the big one. Thanks to Jules and everyone else for their patience and camaraderie, this was a classic well organised and convivial club run, where it was all about staying together.