Prees - The Long Way 23/11/13

Would you believe me if I said it was 60 plus miles from Wrexham to Prees and back? Sounds unlikely doesn't it, but expect the unexpected when Big Al's (AKA Le Patron's) creative route planning juices start flowing. Although cold by recent standards we had a pretty good turn out including Brownie, Lantern, Patron, Robbo, Beast, Craig, Ronnie, Coppi and Chrissy, the latter of whom will celebrate 50 years on two legs and approximately 48 years on two wheels next weekend! To be totally honest I haven't got a clue which way we went after Hordley as I was too busy chatting to Brownie to take any notice, but I definitely recall a stretch of the Ellesmere - Shrewsbury road, a long stretch from Myddle to Wem, and a seemingly interminable stretch with me on the front from Wem to Prees. By the time we reached the warm fug of the Raven truck stop, me and the Beast were suffering from early onset mild hypothermia and most of the lads plumped for the full breakfast, eschewing the usual 'athletic' menu choice of beans on toast. The return leg was thankfully more direct, and the predicted attacks did not materialise on the road from Worthenbury to Bangor. We split into two groups at Bangor, as the main bunch made their way back to 'the village' past The Plassey, while a breakaway trio meandered past the Dee and up to Overton past Bangor racecourse. Beast and Craig peeled off for St Martins leaving me to soft tap the last 4 miles or so back to Ellesmere. About a mile after the trotting mare I encountered a damsel in distress, or more accurately, a woman on a bike that had clearly seen better days (the bike, not the woman)'parked up' on the grass verge on one of the drags. The carrier bags dangling from her handlebars had not helped with wind resistance and she'd admitted defeat on the incline. After a quick chat to check she was OK, it transpired she was cycling to the craft fair in Ellesmere. I mused there would possibly be several more carrier bags joining them on the return leg, but on the plus side, it would be downhill on the way back. After a few moments it became apparent that her formerly 3 gear steed had somehow mutated into a fixie, and she was clearly struggling on the drags. After slurping my energy drink and pocketing my last nutrigrain she somehow found her second wind and sat on my wheel all the way into town before heading off to do her shopping. All in all this was a great day out in fine Autumn weather, and I really hope she found what she was looking for at the craft fair!