We cycle every week on Mondays, weather permitting and in the past year have managed in excess of 40 rides with an average of 10 riders.  We aim to cycle about 12 to 15 miles plus any distance to our meeting point.

This year we have introduced  some new rides as well as old favourites. In April we took the train to St Michaels, cycled thro’ the festival gardens to the prom along to Otterspool park and then to Sefton park where he Marie Curie ‘Field of Hope’ daffodils were in full bloom, returning after coffee by the same route. An alternative route from St Michaels involves turning right at the prom, cycling to the Pier Head for coffee then picking up the canal at the Eldonian village locks and following it back to Maghull.

One route by train to Hunts Cross offers an interesting ride back along the old Cheshire Line, diverting to the National Wild Flower centre for coffee, then rejoining the track to Aintree.

Another we have used involved taking the train to Ormskirk then cycling on tracks and quiet lanes to Scarisbrick Marina for coffee and following cycle route 91 to Clieves Hill then to Aughton  Lydiate and Maghull.

On Whit Whit Monday this year our outing coincided with the Cunard Queens visit to Liverpool. We went to Crosby Marina via the canal, Rimrose Park and Cambridge Road. We just had time for coffee before Queen Mary 2 came into view. We cycled to the front in time to see her turn round and take up station right in front of the marina and several hundred spectators. Soon the other 2 Queens came into view and sailed slowly past with QM2 following behind. 

We have 15 active cyclists but fortunately not everyone can make it each week. This does mean that we can’t take any new members at the moment as the group is already a little too big for the train.

John Ramsden