Easy like a Saturday (!) morning. Steady ride out to Dearnford Lake for lunch before my gig in Manchester tonight.

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I had a spare few hours this morning and the weather was good for cycling so I decided to head out to Dearnford Lake for lunch on a short 41 mile ride from home. I used to visit all the time but have not been for ages as it’s a bit too close to home for my preferred ride length, but will be perfect today.

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I set off on the usual route via Great Bolas, Stoke on Tern, Hodnet and Tilstock and was soon at the cafe. It felt a bit weird with a cafe stop after only 18 miles of riding but time was short today as I had to head off to Manchester for my gig later (the excellent Brothers Osborn and The Cadillac Three at the Academy).

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As I arrived I spotted some bikes and saw some Raiders inside so went in to order my food and have a chat. Love the ‘tart of the day’ here – always home cooked and always delicious.

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After lunch, I headed back on my usual route via the gorgeous Brown Moss Nature Reserve and Market Drayton to home.

Once home I had a quick shower and headed off to my gig in Manchester, which was excellent.

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Route: click here