A RIDE - EUREKA CAFE (Eureka! The rain found us.)

SUNDAY 12 JUNE 2011

The day of one of our favourite rides broke to cloudless skies, a nice deep blue with a big yellow sun bathing all in sight with its brilliant light. Surely the forecast for heavy rain was wrong. Despite the strong rays of the sun it was decidedly cold, another day for leg warmers and thermal vests, the previous week had taught us a lesson, winter days can still be around in June.

Five for the ride turned up on the town hall square, Brian being very hardy and the odd man out, chose shirt sleeve order, ie short sleeve top and shorts, not even a pair of mitts.

With Bernard supposedly waiting at Four Lane Ends we set off via Derby street and Daubhill, a following wind allowing an easy start.

No Bernard at Four Lane Ends immediately meant he was once again chasing ghost riders in the sky. It's the latest get fit craze of Bernard's, imagine every ones gone then go hell for leather to try and catch them.

True enough on reaching Hollins Green, there was Bernard, no surprise for us but a big one for Bernard. Now there were six for the ride to Eureka.

The big topic of the day was of course the forecast of very heavy rain accompanied by strong winds, due to descend on us about 11 am. Should this turn out to be accurate we would be cutting the ride short at Dones Green. Riding in 'normal' summer rain is not really a problem but we are going through a not very normal summer, it's very cold and even colder when it rains.

The forecast was not far out, the rain began to fall as we were about six or seven miles from Dones Green, every body bar me stopped to put on waterproofs, reason for that being, like a pratt I had left home without one.

Fortunately I had dressed prepared for a cold wet day with a vest of stuff made from bamboo, (honest) another layer of merino wool, Clarion long sleeve top, with a final layer of an Aldi gilet, which Paul decreed was waterproof. The rain set out to prove him wrong.

As we arrived at the café at Dones Green, the rain was beating steadily down so it was with great joy that we entered, and as a bonus, due to the weather there were not many customers, no queue.

Breakfasts all round and very quickly served too, it really was good to get in here. The usual chat over the meal took place, and the place looked even better as we looked out the window at the driving rain, it was good to be indoors.

After the full breakfasts, the decision not too carry on to the Eureka meant we had time to spare so it was decided that Paul would buy us all an extra mug of coffee, it was good of him to agree, after all he had found a ten pound note on the floor as we passed through Leigh. Bernard, in his haste to catch us had probably ridden straight over it.

So we settled back in the warm café for a little longer as we discussed Bradley Wiggins chances of lifting the 'Dauphine' along with other amusing anecdotes. Time came when we just had to make a reluctant move to a rainy and windswept trek across the lanes of Cheshire, fortunately with the wind giving a little assistance here and there.

The reluctance was even more pronounced as five cyclists huddled in the café entrance as if waiting for the first one to make a move, on cue it was me.

It had been decided on a quick return taking in Great Budworth and High Legh and so at a brisk pace set by the super fit Paul we ventured into the driving rain.

By the time we reached the downhill from High Legh to Broomedge I was grateful to be able to rest my legs a bit, the cold was now getting at me and my normal dicky left knee was even dickier, better to say nothing, the pace goes up a notch if a sign of weakness is shown.

All went well until a gear shift by Paul on Warburton Bridge saw him take off like Cancellara, hotly pursued by Bernard.

On reaching the other side we saw Paul doing the unthinkable, he was taking his waterproof jacket off declaring he was 'boiling up' and the rain continued to pound down.

I was as wet as it is possible to get so I did not have the pleasure of getting 'boiling hot' but the bamboo etc was doing a pretty good job of keeping pneumonia away, just cold feet and cold legs.

The wind was kind to us up the normally hard Holcroft Lane but Paul was determined that it should be just as hard as normal by pushing the pace along at a speed that I could just about manage, Paul really is fit. Paul is of course getting ready for a marathon ride from Barcelona to Bolton and is doing in excess of two hundred miles a week in preparation.

Once through Leigh I am more than glad to leave the lads and tread a weary lonesome path home via Westhoughton, once again misery has found a friend, at least I have the comfort of going at my own pace. The nearer I get to home, the harder the rain comes down and once again it will be a strip off in front of the washing machine a la 'sometimes we get wet' on my facebook page. Report by Tony Bowles