CTC ride to Trevor Arms at Marford

It was an early start  with me being fed and watered by about 9.30 at the Eureka Cafe.
Ray comes in and gets to see the new toy. The ride was going to be the first real test of the Garmin Edge 305. The purpose being to log the route and record all the personal data at the same time. I have’nt got as far as navigating just yet.

Ten o’clock sees the group ouside the cafe ready for the off.

The group comprised of Annabel, Lusso jacket John, Barbara and John, George, Ray, Alan (for part of the ride) Keith?, another chap whose name I don’t know and moi. Terry in red is off somewhere else.
It was off down the well worn route to the crossing of the A5117 and then on down to the footbridge at Saltney Ferry.  Annabel and Keith consulted the map once across the bridge.
The parking space resembling  a 4X4 dumping ground. It was then right instead of the normal left and around the Airbuss Factory at Broughton.

We meandered through the lanes with water stop at a T junction somewhere near Kinnerton and then it was what seemed like a short ride up to the lunch stop at the Trevor Arms at Marford.

With the bikes around the back Ray and I ventured in for a pub lunch. Chicken dinner for me washed down with a diet coke. Next round is mine Ray. I’ve had some good chats with Ray about diet and exersise regimes.
Things livened up a bit when a group of motorcyclist from Yorkshire came in and occupied the tables around us. There was a good bit of banter going on.
The split group reformed with Annabel giving us great ammusement by giving a CTC Member Details form to one of the bikers by mistake (Ray and I filled ours in over lunch)
Lunch over it was across the road and up the hill on the road to Holt.

I don’t know who the chap in red is but the chap in green is George. George knows no fear. I was barrelling down a hill towards Holt starting to apply the brakes for a bend coming up and not wanting to go down on the wet leaves when George flies past as if I was standing still. George is 72 for those that have never met him.
The rain that the forecasters foretold arrived as we headed back to Chester with a stop for waterproofs outside the Duke of Westministers gates.
As we approached the hill outside Siaghton, George surprised both myself and Ray by dropping the pair of us. To make matters worse I was third. You just have to shake you head and smile.
It was on to Chester  with the Dee on our left , around the back of the Bike Factory and then on to the cycle path.

Guess who is at the back of the bunch because he came out on a bike with no mudguards. Anyway it was back to the Eureka Cafe where I saw the state of the back of the super luminous Altura Jacket that was doing a good job of keeping me dryish.

I didn’t even mind the rain, you get used to it and it turns out it is not the end of the world if you get a bit wet. Thanks for the ride everyone it was another good day out despite the weather turning.

44 miles on the GPS.
The whole ride was logged and here are a few of the statistics:
71.3km, Av speed 19.6 kmH 2400 Calories burnt. Av heart rate 100bpm, MaxHr 139bpm.
Av Cadence 74 rpm. Total Ascent 680 metres.
The last figure is surprising as this was an easy ride, it is 2230 feet!!!
Thanks again everyone.