NorthernDave
Never used Über Member
- Location
- The real Northern Powerhouse
With the horrendous forecast for yesterday and having being away with work for most of the week, I arranged other stuff for the day and in a true meteorological shocker the weather was nowhere near as bad as predicted...
So, I was chomping at the bit to get out on the bike this morning, for my first ride in 8 days.
It had stopped raining by just after 9am and I was out the door shortly after. It's safe to say it was a bit breezy though.
Less that half a mile from home I had my first unplanned change of direction as heading downhill I got caught in a gust of crosswind coming between houses, which at least made sure I was fully awake.
Onto Barwick Road and first near miss of the day as an Iceland van made what looked to be a last second decision to turn right across me at the traffic lights without indicating.
Anyway, down the hill to Cock Beck and then attacked the climb up the other side to Scholes, hoping the wind would assist me improving on my PB - sadly not as it proved to be more of a rear 3/4 wind that a tailwind so any push it was giving was offset by the way I was getting blown about all over the place.
Into Scholes and left at the Coronation Tree, having already decided on a change of route that would hopefully minimise exposure to the wind. Which meant cycling along Main Street firstly with a headwind and then a crosswind that was moving me about all over the place as it blasted between the houses. Fun it was not.
Over the former railway bridge and the road is more sheltered thanks to trees and drops down slightly heading for the A64, although another close pass, this time from a Renault Moron, sorry, Megane kept me focussed. To be fair it was one of those special close passes, where the driver moves out over the white lines after they've passed you...
As I got within 100yds of the A64 I started getting buffeted again and knowing how busy the 50mph York Road was likely to be, I did something I haven't done since I was about 14 and rode on the footpath down to the Thorner Lane turning , then dismounted and pushed the bike across the road, remounting on the other side.
A sizeable peleton was heading the other way and fair play to them for being out in the weather.
Down Thorner Lane and I took primary just trying to stay right in the middle of the lane such was the turbulence from the wind and I was getting a bit worried for my safety at this point. I had initially planned to drop down the hill into Thorner, then through the village and do a long loop round on the lanes, but decided enough was enough and turned left onto Skelton Lane and head homeward.
This meant I was cycling straight into the maelstrom and there was nothing for it but to drop down into the small ring at the front and spin it out. At first I was just keeping my speed in double figures, but as I went on I was getting slower and slower and at one point hit a low of just 5.2mph - on the flat!!!
Eventually I reached Coal Road passing the club ride I saw last weekend, all resplendent in red and black and fair motoring along with the wind at their backs, and turned left with a decent amount of shelter from the tall hedges along most of the road, then down onto local roads to home. Part of this is sheltered by factories so the crosswind wasn't too bad, but as I approached the end of them I could hear the wind roaring through the trees where it opens out again and I backed right off (I'd normally be doing 20-25mph along here), and just as well as it was blasting across the gap.
6.36 miles (10.23km) in 30m 20s at an average of 12.6mph and 351ft climbed.
Mr Garmin gives the average wind speed as 24mph, but on checking the Met Office site when I got it, it was gusting at up to 40mph. Maybe I should have cycled to York, then caught the train back..?
So, good to get out but just too windy to be safe today. Still, it's a cheeky 10k in the bag and there is always next time. Fair play to everyone else who was out in that on their bikes and I hope they all got home safely.
Sorry no pic today either as the phone would probably have got blown away too
But, here's a map:
So, I was chomping at the bit to get out on the bike this morning, for my first ride in 8 days.
It had stopped raining by just after 9am and I was out the door shortly after. It's safe to say it was a bit breezy though.
Less that half a mile from home I had my first unplanned change of direction as heading downhill I got caught in a gust of crosswind coming between houses, which at least made sure I was fully awake.
Onto Barwick Road and first near miss of the day as an Iceland van made what looked to be a last second decision to turn right across me at the traffic lights without indicating.
Anyway, down the hill to Cock Beck and then attacked the climb up the other side to Scholes, hoping the wind would assist me improving on my PB - sadly not as it proved to be more of a rear 3/4 wind that a tailwind so any push it was giving was offset by the way I was getting blown about all over the place.
Into Scholes and left at the Coronation Tree, having already decided on a change of route that would hopefully minimise exposure to the wind. Which meant cycling along Main Street firstly with a headwind and then a crosswind that was moving me about all over the place as it blasted between the houses. Fun it was not.
Over the former railway bridge and the road is more sheltered thanks to trees and drops down slightly heading for the A64, although another close pass, this time from a Renault Moron, sorry, Megane kept me focussed. To be fair it was one of those special close passes, where the driver moves out over the white lines after they've passed you...
As I got within 100yds of the A64 I started getting buffeted again and knowing how busy the 50mph York Road was likely to be, I did something I haven't done since I was about 14 and rode on the footpath down to the Thorner Lane turning , then dismounted and pushed the bike across the road, remounting on the other side.
A sizeable peleton was heading the other way and fair play to them for being out in the weather.
Down Thorner Lane and I took primary just trying to stay right in the middle of the lane such was the turbulence from the wind and I was getting a bit worried for my safety at this point. I had initially planned to drop down the hill into Thorner, then through the village and do a long loop round on the lanes, but decided enough was enough and turned left onto Skelton Lane and head homeward.
This meant I was cycling straight into the maelstrom and there was nothing for it but to drop down into the small ring at the front and spin it out. At first I was just keeping my speed in double figures, but as I went on I was getting slower and slower and at one point hit a low of just 5.2mph - on the flat!!!
Eventually I reached Coal Road passing the club ride I saw last weekend, all resplendent in red and black and fair motoring along with the wind at their backs, and turned left with a decent amount of shelter from the tall hedges along most of the road, then down onto local roads to home. Part of this is sheltered by factories so the crosswind wasn't too bad, but as I approached the end of them I could hear the wind roaring through the trees where it opens out again and I backed right off (I'd normally be doing 20-25mph along here), and just as well as it was blasting across the gap.
6.36 miles (10.23km) in 30m 20s at an average of 12.6mph and 351ft climbed.
Mr Garmin gives the average wind speed as 24mph, but on checking the Met Office site when I got it, it was gusting at up to 40mph. Maybe I should have cycled to York, then caught the train back..?
So, good to get out but just too windy to be safe today. Still, it's a cheeky 10k in the bag and there is always next time. Fair play to everyone else who was out in that on their bikes and I hope they all got home safely.
Sorry no pic today either as the phone would probably have got blown away too
But, here's a map:
and still people sign up and with the effects of storm Brian it was going to be a tough day on the bike . Out the door at 0745 facing 16 miles into the wind to the meeting point . Just outside Peckleton I spotted a rider in the distance who I recognised as I got nearer I starting sprinting as I passed 
.I think he knew I'd blow up and we were soon riding along chatting . Quick detour up a farm drive to regain a velo viewer square .Then over an exposed bit of road feeling the full force of Brian.We were soon at the meeting point to find 
who may have turned the corner in the wrong gear . Onto the first big climb of Priory lane at bit of a brute I think 
another lovely cafe found . After the break 
he hasn't riden as much as the rest of us and picked a tough first ride . So it's just me and 
Then I encountered the mud mentioned above. About 400 yards with a thick layer of the stuff on the road and it was flinging off the tyres in all directions. The newish mudflap did its job and kept the bottom bracket and the drivetrain clean.
then climbed up to Merrington where I found my second really muddy lane of the trip which managed to be even worse than the first.
if you see this Leonardo. Hope it lasted the couple of miles).
