Roweclan club run...

Todays weather was gorgeous, the sun's out and it's warm, really warm. The club (North Cheshire Clarion) are off on a hilly jaunt out towards Winter Hill and Rivington, a nice ride but hilly and that drag out of Horwich brings back horrible memories from the last time I rode it. With my recent form I was under absolutely no illusions that this ride was for me in fact I wasn't bothered whether I touched my bike at all today which is completely not like me, I normally feel guilt ridden if I pass up on a glorious ride but not today...

But... dinnertime comes and we - moi, wifee and little daughter decided however that we would at a very leisurely pace take in the local cycle paths, I chose my weapon of choice, my Specialized single speed, my wife on a GT hybrid and daughter the poor thing on the only bike whose seat would go low enough - an old 80's vintage Claude Butler mountain bike.  

We set off like a little club run but at a less than 10mph speed (the Mrs doesn't like speed) on the paths just enjoying the sun and avoiding the dog walkers, other bikers, kids, but then came....

Buzzed by Mormons

Yes you read that right, buzzed by Mormons. We live 500 yards from a huge Mormon church so regularly encounter them on their proselytising endeavours and at this point of the ride I'm on the back of our little peloton when I hear yank voices thrown my way "hi we are Mormons from the local church, would you like to live forever?" I look around to see two familiar Mormon persons who I've encountered before talking to me and chasing us on their bikes, bloody noorah this is going to spoil my day, I'm usually pretty short but polite with them but I'm with my family and don't want to talk to them whatsoever so don't respond, they make a move to come alongside on this narrow path but a quick short sprint from me to block their path stops them in their tracks and this tactic works, they are chattering on from behind unable to come alongside and are getting nothing from me. We pass an old dear tending her hedge and hear the yank voice fade to nothing as we ride on "hi we are Mormons from the local church would you like to........" the old lady with the shears had been Mormonised, we were freeeeeee....

99'er stop

The local boating park was our half way point and the reward for our little ride, 3 x 99ers. Cones with fresh soft ice cream with a stick of chocolate flake in (for those that don't know what a 99 is) and unbelievably in these expensive days the bill was £3.00. We sat in the sun soaking it all up until it was time to move on..

 

A nice uneventful ride home then a stubbie in the sun to round the afternoon off, a gloriously nice way to finish a fantastic day off....