Alzheimer's Century Ride #1 : Tour de Cheshire

For my first 100 mile ride in the challenge I used a route that I'd planned a out a while ago when I was thinking of doing a century ride. I hadn't studied it too closely for this ride, as I didn't want to worry too much about what was coming up many miles ahead! After a decent breakfast I set off, pausing for the obligatory photo, and rode out of Sandbach for Alsager just after half past eight. The weather was fine, with a little wind (due to pick up around lunchtime) and only a short spell of rain forecast (again, around lunchtime), so I stuffed a rain jacket in my middle top in readiness for it. Food-wise I carried three energy bars and four gels, along with two 750ml water bottles.

On the climb up to Alsager I kept reminding myself that it was a marathon, not a sprint, and took it fairly steadily, not wanting to use all my energy in the first half of the ride. Despite feeling a little tired when I woke up, the ride itself felt fine and it was good to be riding through leafy lanes, Coming into Alsager I was passed by a female cyclist wearing a GB Age Group tri suit. A little further on she was stopped at some road works and we had a little chat before setting off again. She disappeared fairly quickly, and I found myself having to ease off a bit, having caught the "got to keep up with the cyclist that just passed me" bug! I was expecting to head through Alsager and turn left onto the A50 for Holmes Chapel and Knutsford, but was surprised when the route turned left in the centre of town, eventually bringing me out at the familiar Borrow Pit Meadows, and from here through Hassall Green on familiar roads to Smallwood. After Smallwood my route took me to Congleton and down a nice 10% drop, from which of course there was a similar short uphill to Somerford Booths! A left turn at the top took me past the World Famous (at least here in Cheshire) Clonter Opera, then to Lower Withington and past Jodrell Bank. The radio telescopes were sadly not upright, which would have made for a decent picture, but flat. At the roundabout at Chelford I passed the Village Hall, which I'd visited a few times in my time-trialling days, and went under the railway line to Gatley Green, along Welsh Row to face the start of the biggest climb of the day - up Artists Lane to The Wizard, nearly two miles at an average of 3.4%. I toiled my way up, and at the top headed over the road to the first pit stop of the day - The Wizard Tearoom.

Here I had a capuccino and a sumptuous raspberry and oat rye muffin, still warm! I checked my bike as it had developed an annoying rattle after Chelford and found my rear mudguard had come loose at the seat stay bridge. I quickly fixed this and prepared to set off at eleven o'clock. I overheard the staff at the cafe saying that it was raining, bang on time, although my forecast only had rain from twelve. Fortunately it didn't come to much, and I set off down the hill into Alderley Edge. I hadn't been down this road for a long while, as there were too many potholes, but to my surprise I found the road a lot better, and dropped into Alderley much happier than previously. At the bottom of the hill I crossed over into Chorley Hall Lane, where there used to be a football pitch on which I once scored a goal for Barclays Radbroke Hall Sunday team. From there I headed to Lindow End, past Wilmslow Golf Course and on to Ollerton, where I joined the Knutsford Road. I had ridden along this road many times in my time trialling days, and indeed my only 100 mile TT would have used this road. I headed through Knutsford with grey ominous clouds overhead, and took the route through Tatton Park, where I saw a group of male deer lying under a tree. At this point the rain was starting to fall and I took the opportunity to stop, have an energy bar and put my rain jacket on. 

The rain became persistent, but not that heavy, and I left the park and headed to Rostherne, on new roads for me. Although wet it was quite a pretty route with some lovely buildings and lots of greenery. At Rostherene I turned left towards Bucklow Hill, which I had been a little concerned with as it used to be a very busy junction before the M6/M56 link road was built. Now though, the traffic lights have gone (save for a set of pedestrian crossing lights) and I sailed through towards High Legh easily. Eventually I came to the busy A50, and headed into High Legh, turning left at the garden centre. I crossed over the M6, where a group of people were standing on the bridge with cameras in hand, for what I do not know! A little while later I stopped to take my rain jacket off, as the rain had now stopped and there were signs of it clearing. Continuing on, I passed signs for Arley Hall and Great Budworth Alpaca Walking. This was another nice, green section of the route, and at one point a dragonfly flew out ahead of me. Entering Great Budworth the road was atrocious, with so many pot holes, but the village itself is pretty, with a nice church.

Leaving Great Budworth downhill, I crossed the main road to go uphill towards Comberbach, where I turned left towards Marbury. Here there were signs saying the road was closed, which caused a bit of concern. I pressed on though, as often there is a way through for cyclists. I passed Anderton Boat Lift and Marbury Country Park, and eventually came to the road works on Soot Hill which confirmed the road was closed, "except for cycles" - result! I turned left at Winnington Swing Bridge into Northwich, and then right on Winnington Avenue, past what used to be a large ICI works, towards Weaverham. The wind had picked up by now, and had become a head wind, and it started to get hard. Through Weaverham and past Acton Bridge, the road became rolling and rough, which didn't help with the strong head wind, and going uphill through Kingsley was a real struggle. Eventually I came to a crossroads, and headed straight over to continue climbing for a short while before dropping down to Hatchmere, where I turned right on the forest road through what looked to be a very busy Delamere Forest. The forest road (actually Ashton Road) is a nice switchback through the forest, and momentum gained downhill helps with the next uphill section. Ashton Road became Delamere Road, and at the end of this I turned left towards Ashton Hayes where I turned into Duck Road, onto Kelsall Road and onto the busy Kelsall Bypass for a short while, finally turning left into Kelsall itself. This was another grind, and I'd expected to be turning right for Weetwood Brewery, however my route took me onwards and upwards(!) to eventually turn right to where I knew the old Kelsall Cycles was. After a bit more climbing / struggling, I cycled past Willington and enjoyed a good downhill blast to the A51 at Clotton. Here, I crossed the busy road into the aptly named Corkscrew Lane which twisted and turned towards Huxley. At Huxley, I knew where I was and, more importantly, where the next pit stop was going to be! I started thinking about what I was going to order, settling on a nice teacake with jam and a coffee. At the end of Huxley Lane I turned left into Red Lane, and more short, steep climbs to hurt my legs. Finally, I turned right into Newton Lane and after a short while the welcoming sight of Manor Farm and Old Ma's Coffee Shop brought a welcome and much needed rest to proceedings.

Here, I found an amendment to the rule about knowing when the cafe closes - know when the kitchen of the cafe closes! It closed at Old Ma's at 2pm, so at 2:26 my hopes of a teacake went up in smoke. I settled on a piece of chocolate cake instead - not the same. I stretched my legs as I ate and drank, thinking that the next, and final, part of the route would be with a wind mostly favourable. Setting off again just before 3pm, I had a short stretch into the wind before turning back on myself for home. Riding through Tattenhall, I had a good idea where the route would take me now as I'd been that way before, and it wasn't long before I was turning left into Bird's Lane heading towards Beeston. Every slight incline now was beginning to feel like Alpe D'Huez, although I was still going well on level ground. Soon, Beeston Castle came into view ahead of me, which meant more climbing. That was tempered though by what I thought would be a reasonable ride home after I'd passed the castle. 

No such luck though! A little while later, my computer told me to take a left, then another left, and I knew what was coming up! Passing underneath Beeston Castle, I turned off on the descent of Bates Mill Lane towards the Shropshire Union Canal. It was good to get a rest from pedalling as I flew downhill, but I knew that an equal uphill awaited after the canal, followed by a long drag into Tarporley. 

I stopped to take a picture at the picturesque canal bridge, then pushed on to attack the uphill. Strangely, I found this to be not as bad as expected, and after joining the main road and turning for Tarporley, the drag up didn't seem as hard as anticipated either. I went through Tarporley and took Eaton Road for Eaton (no surprise there!) where I turned into Edgewell Lane and onto an old familiar road for me, and I found I was still keeping up a good pace. Eventually I turned left into Alpraham Green and at the end turned left into Long Lane. This brought me out at Wettenhall, where I turned right for Cholmondeston, and here I turned left for Church Minshull. I knew the climb out of Church Minshull would be a killer, so took it easy for a while to try to save energy. At Church Minshull I was stopped at the bridge before the climb by traffic coming through (and ignoring the Give Way to Traffic Leaving The Village notice, or following the It's OK To Ignore Signs If You Are Following Another Car rule), so had to set off from standing start. It's a slog on a rough section of verge at times, so I had to weave a little, but I kept going and made it over the climb and the subsequent nasty little stinger of the canal bridge, and then followed the road round to the traffic lights at Minshulls Garden Centre. Here I turned left, then right to avoid the closure of Flowers Lane, feeling not too bad as I rode along. In Leighton I turned left, crossing the railway bridge (sting in the legs), and following the road past the White Lion at Coppenhall Moss (what wouldn't I give for a beer now!). I'd switched from map view to time / distance on my computer by now, and watched as the three figures clocked up on the display - 100 miles! A short while later I turned right into Hall Lane for the final leg home, took the last stinger of the canal bridge climb in my stride, went under the railway and turned into Elton Road - home, slightly under eight hours since I'd set off! 

It had been a good day out, although I was bloody knackered at the end. I was pleased with the final time, given I'd not done a hundred mile ride in thirty years, and am looking forward to the next one with a little less trepidation now.