2/6/25
Whitegate and the Test Hill of Doom on the Rans
Been feeling a bit down during the last few days as whatever household jobs I’ve been doing recently, there have been more lined up clamouring for my attention. Should I cut the grass while it’s dry? Naa, sod it, I’m going for a bike ride!
The Rans was the one I rode last so tools, pump and bits and pieces were still in the seat back bag ready to go.
A day of sunshine and cloud today. Still T shirt weather, so, nondescript trousers, shoes, mitts and cap and away we went. Once launched, everything felt comfortable so I settled in and headed for Swanlow Lane and the uphill traffic lights. Pressure of traffic caused me to go straight on rather than turn right but I turned in to a close on the right further on and came back to the lights to turn left. Downhill a little, then left again on a long downhill to the town centre lights and a long wait to go across to Grange lane. I was soon rolling along between the traffic calming squares and humps until they ended. I rapidly came to the right turn on this lane into the countryside, past a golf course, then downhill into a dip and up the other side. I was preparing to turn left into the steep access to the rail trail when two women came out. I didn’t need to stop, though I stuck my knee out to avoid the bar grip while turning slowly and sharply before getting up the steep ramp with no trouble.
I drank in the birdsong in the leafy sun dappled shade. The bike rolled easily on the gradual uphill slope. I was feeling better already. There were the usual dog walkers and family groups about but they were well spaced out.
I trundled on, across the high bridge over the Whitegate road and soon came to the narrow entrance to Whitegate Station car park. As I crossed the car park the front tyre pinged a piece of gravel sideways which thumped against the side of a horse transporter. There was a horse inside which whinnied and stamped its hooves. Sorry, horse. Didn’t mean to alarm you.
A little further on I stopped at the car park conveniences to inspect the plumbing. I can report that it was all in order.
I got back on the trail to avoid the rather sharp traffic humps in the car park. Once past the station I stopped under the station bridge to take a photo.
Should I press on and join the road further on? I decided to leave the trail at this end of the station, get on Clay Lane and cross the station bridge to see how this bike went on the Test Hill of Doom, aka Cinder Hill.
The traffic lights on the bridge were at red. There was a wide pavement on my side so I followed that. There was no traffic so I got on to the road on the other side and pressed on.
I came to the crossroads with Dalefords Lane where Clay Lane becomes Cinder Hill. It was level for a few hundred yards. I stopped in a field entrance, removed my cap and sat on it. I waited for several vehicles to get by and gave them time to get far enough ahead so that I’d hopefully have a clear run. The road surface wasn’t brilliant here last time I came this way. I hoped it hadn’t got much worse.
Then, off I went, gathering speed until I went over the crest of the dip, getting into high gear until I spun out, and let gravity do its thing. Inevitably, once I got to the beginning of the hill the wind was in my face but I was here now, so what would be would be. The road was gravelly and potholed and wound about a bit under the trees so I just gritted my teeth, avoided the worst and kept off the brakes until just before the junction at the bottom then finding it clear, began pedalling again to keep going as the road climbed again. During the last part of the descent there was a car close behind in my mirror, but he had the sense to drop back and give me some room as the speed increased.
I turned right opposite Whitegate church into Vale Royal Drive. I stopped to look at my Garmin, which showed 35 mph. The bike felt as if it could easily have done more, had I not braked briefly near the bottom but it was pushing the limits if a vehicle had suddenly pulled out. I need to find a longer straighter steeper better surfaced hill with good sight lines. (excuses, excuses). Still, the best yet of any of my bikes on this downhill.
I turned right into Sutton Field.
Here my attention was taken by the dour gaze of a helmeted knight in the garden of a house here. I stopped to take a picture, and of a plaque outside.
The last time I photographed this plaque I was on my now -sold Revolution steel tourer.
Then on to Mill Lane where I turned left up a steep sharp uphill. Easily over the top, then level followed by a long gradual downhill. At the far end I pedalled down a dip to get up the climb on the other side, making good speed to go downhill again past the old Bradford Mill on the right. The road levelled out alongside Pettypool Brook. A large SUV came up behind then hung back as I slowed to turn right across a narrow bridge over the Brook. I was still going well uphill past the Salt Mine and I’d gone past before I remembered that I’d intended to stop and take a photo there.
By this time I was going downhill again towards the lowered kerb and entrance to this end of the Whitegate Way.
A woman with two dogs was disentangling the leads where they had gone either side of the post by the barrier. I went through, and was on a decent surface under the trees.
I didn’t meet another person until I reached the Catsclough crossing and zig zagged across the road. Despite there being two sections of rail and old boards in the road I found it surprisingly easy to pass without putting a foot down.
From here it was level
then downhill to the barrier at Grange Lane. Note the additional temporary barriers.
Here I turned left, down a dip and up the other side. This dip had been potholed for a long time until it was resurfaced last year but it’s been noticeable that gravel has been accumulating so what initially was a straight run through has been getting trickier recently.
I was soon past the golf course, through an estate of houses and turning right towards the sports complex. I crossed the car park, then took a path between the playing fields to the exit barrier. Steadily uphill, through the barrier, up the steep lane then right uphill again along an estate road.
Then left on to Delamere St, asserting myself across the busy A54 roundabout and on to Swanlow Lane. Traffic was fairly steady. I rode on the pavement at one stage to let a large truck pass by before returning to the road. A short stop at Townfields Road lights then a rush downhill to get up my uphill turn off. The road was jammed with parked cars as it was school run time but I got through carefully without having to stop, then freewheeled through the lanes to my back gate.
A short ride, but quite life enhancing.
Distance 11.65 miles. Max speed 35 mph. Average 9.1mph. According to Garmin.
Ascent 388 ft. according to Bikehike.
