Sunday 27th and AGM Monday 28th

Sundays club run - 9am Denholmgate, 9.30 Keighley for Dales and Washburn Valley.  

Reminder - AGM, 9pm Monday 28th @ Travellers, Hipperholme.

Autumn Tour - The Report

Thanks to John Kaye for his Tour report - if any of the tourists have the odd photo please e-mail a few and I'll add them to the report (petehorne@yahoo.co.uk) 

“The Autumn Tour” by our embedded reporter Nimrod

Day 1     After taking extensive advice from Mike Darke (a one time resident of Staffs) Monday 7^th saw our intrepid riders setting off due south west to Baldwins Gate, Staffordshire. A place so small it’s not on most maps, Baldwins Gate that is not Staffordshire. The advanced motorized bag carrying party consisted of Paul Gower and copilot Derek Needham, Peter Sutcliffe also made the journey by car from the far dark north.

The riding  party consisting of Imps JK, Hoppy, Neil D. Everard,  Condors Brian and John G and a Star Wheeler Dave Saleem. With the aid of Daves electronic bar mounted map wotnot no map reading stops were needed and we zig zagged our way via Stalybridge, Marple (via a steep concrete climb) 9 miles on a cycleway, Alsager where we were joined by Paul and Peter for the rest of the journey to the Slaters Inn, base camp for the rest of the week. About 85 miles and four pints.

Day 2      After Peter and Dave had retired to their room early the previous evening and up loaded the route to Daves machine Tuesday morning saw us venturing further south in excellent traffic free lanes warm sunshine and once again shorts. A thoroughly enjoyable ride saw us carrying out a detailed inspection of “the” Iron Bridge and a more detailed one of the Robin Hood.  More excellent lanes on the way back but no beer stop. 70 miles 3pints

Day 3       Another “electronic” route this time west to Ellesmere, more traffic free lanes but 20 degrees colder than the day before plus a little rain. A good pub was found for the dinner stop and after much messing about outside it those more alert in the party decided the funeral car and undertaker parked outside were much more likely to be in the church next door than the pub and so it proved. A different route back and once again a early night for Dave and Peter to plan tomorrows route. 70 miles 3 pints.

Day 4       Speed training courtesy of Neil, quiet roads but a bit of a blur at racing speeds. Dinner at Nantwich in the piano bar, very up market but we fitted in. Brian asking the very attractive blonde waiteress if she had anything different, on return he simply said she showed him what she had. 55miles 3 pints

Day 5       A return home more or less the same route we took on the outward trip. A sandwich and a pint or two for dinner at Prestbury and then a long drag into the head wind and a final stop at Denshaw were the John Willy Lees proved to be the best pint of the week. Driving rain and a head wind strong enough to make it hard riding down from Buckstones brought another enjoyable tour to a close. They used to be known as detraining tours but with the beer dropping and the milage rising I don’t know anymore 90miles pints on request