Ok – so i’m not much a fan of bikes BUT today, or at least since Christmas I have been pestered to partake in a group cycle tour around Halkyn mountain.
As the dreaded day loomed, all I could do was hope for the best. Under the instructions from Farmer H, this was supposed to be a jolly tweed and flat-cap wearing jaunt however, the day itself unravelled to be somewhat challenging for my mood, clothing, borrowed bike and the weather.
What was thought to be a small group cycle turned out to be somewhat bigger with elderly chaps morphing into wizz-kids cycle demons!
The first half of the day was not my greatest moment or one to be proud of. It constantly poured down and I predominantly remained at the back. I was regularly spotted to be moaning as the so-called ‘group cycle’ turned into a catch up with the ‘speedy chaps in caps’. This resulted in myself and two others making the best decision and skipping out the first meeting point (Caerwys) and headed straight to the Black Lion pub in Babell (some would call this cheating but I call it strategic manoeuvring!).
After an hour of drying out, the remainder of the group arrived and we all dived into delicious local food – I opted for the Welsh Beef Burger (yummy). This delightful meal accompanied by scrummy cider lighten up my mood and I was ready to cycle once more around the hills of North Wales. Finally, the rain having conveniently stopped, we trundled onto our next stop, the community run pub – the Fox Inn in Ysceifiog. This time, with a bit of noggin, my comrade (Abi) and I decided to head off a wee bit earlier to ensure we we’re no longer at the back of the group. After dodging cows on the road and successfully making the best efforts of sightseeing, we safely reached our destination. I haven’t a clue how to pronounce the village name but I can strongly recommend that this beautiful quaint location is one place worth a visit. This shorter cycle was accompanied by a somewhat large class of warm red wine.
After a few longer than anticipated stops, it became clear that the light was disappearing and it was time to head back to the Bluebell in Halkyn. Having made a quick stop, I was fooled by the group once more to find all but one having disappeared and abandoned the concept of group cycling. Not to make it easy, I am convinced that the route chosen was somewhat further than necessary. However, it did have its benefits and we all enjoyed fabulous sunset views from the top of Halkyn mountain whilst dodging loose sheep, hens and cars!
If you do live locally or happen to be visiting the area, I suggest you all give these fabulous local pubs a visit. I want to add that, at the time, I totally forgot to take some pics to share with you today but I will try remember when next visiting to take some snaps (I cannot promise the bike with be included).
Happy reading x
