Starting September with some sunny easy rides

The sun was very much out for our first Thursday easy ride of September, and mostly present for our first Sunday easy ride.

Seven of us turned out for a rather hot Thursday morning ride from Wilmslow to Sandy Lane tea room. There was plenty of news and holidays to catch up on, so the miles flew by as we did our usual route through Mottram, Birtles and the Henbury loop. We successfully avoided a reversing bin lorry and were waved through a closed road. After some furniture rearranging we created a shady spot for ourselves outdoors at the tearoom and continued the conversation over caffeine and cake. Brian, Becky and Michelle then headed straight for home, whilst Lisa, Sarah Jim and I took the short and mostly downhill route back to Wilmslow. We were all back home before it got too hot.

Today's easy ride saw 9 of us ignoring the threat of thunderstorms to head to Tatton Park, and then on to Knutsford for the once every ten years opportunity to see the Great Race of penny farthings. There were a few drops of rain as we set off, and a few more early afternoon, but not enough for waterproofs. Tatton Park was sunny and uneventful, apart from a wasp taking an interest in Snowy's beer.

In Knutsford there were over 100 penny farthing riders from all over the world, completing as many laps as they could in 3 hours. We arrived in time to lock our bikes up in the park and find a good viewing spot before it got too busy. We got some great photos, and video, but most of us headed home after a couple of laps. John and Snowy stayed longer and the eagle eyed may have spotted them on this evening's BBC northwest news.

Katherine

Sarah, Michelle, Brian, Becky, Jim and Lisa at Sandy Lane tea room

Snowy, John, Lia, Francis, Martin and Simon P locking up in the park (Troy and Vinny were locking theirs up off the photo)