Four counties 100k ride

Keen to build on the small amount of cycling fitness gained during the trip, this was perhaps the first time I've ever ridden to Whitchurch from home. I took the usual route through Rossett to Holt with a slight tailwind, feeling very comfortable indeed. Then the lanes through Tilston to Malpas, but continuing along similarly quiet lanes - very possibly new to me - all the way to Whitchurch (and therefore Shropshire). From here I should have gone south to Hanmer but instead took the road towards Bangor. This was busier than I'd expected so I retreated to the lanes north to Tallwrn Green. The problem with these lanes is that they rarely go where you want them to! I used distant Hope Mountain as an unlikely navigation tool and eventually emerged between Worthenbury and Bangor - more familiar territory which will, for me, always be associated with my 50 mile covid lockdown solo ultra. As with that day, I stopped at the little shop for a sarnie, then continued further south into the English Maelor past the racecourse with a sharp climb to Overton (now the headwind came into play). The road was closed at the Dee bridge near Erbistock but I was allowed to pass and then quite enjoyed the little climbs to Ruabon. From here I rode into Wrexham and then out to the north on an extension to Dodleston and Broughton, in order to tick off my first 100k ride of the year. Almost exactly four hours/100k/1000m elevation. A really enjoyable spin in decent conditions, not too hot but with a nagging moderate westerly.