With
Snowmageddon III forecast for tomorrow
I decided to see about banking Aprils half century early.
Out just before nine into the greyness, but at least it was dry if a bit chilly. Once again the bike found it's own way up Coal Road, but I wrestled with the bars to take Red Hall Lane and then the A58 dash before taking Whin Moor Lane into Shadwell, then left and mainly up to Slaid Hill lights and through the dip on Wike Ridge Road, before cutting back across the top on Tarn Lane, then the appallingly surfaced Ling Lane before dropping down the A58 and taking the right to descend into Hellwood and the climb up that hill.
Along Milner Lane between the hedges and then Holme Farm Lane to East Rigton, before the mudfest that is Compton Lane all the way to Jewitt Lane and the long drop down into Collingham. Close pass of the day from a person in a 3-series
on the A659 just before turning right and the road to Linton, which I've ridden through loads, but which never fails to surprise me with it's lumpiness. A decent sized group ride appeared to be heading out from the hotel in Linton, but I left them chewing my dust. Or they turned off at the next junction and headed for Sickinghall - you decide.
Into Wetherby and through the town centre before dropping down into The Wilderness for a break and some Haribo:
After saying hello to some very friendly poodles who were out for a walk with their owners, it was back in the saddle for that sharp climb back up the hill and out over the A1(M) bridge and past the racecourse, before taking another right and finally getting a bit of wind assistance on the run down to Thorp Arch, where I added a loop around Long Causeway in.
Down and over the bridge and back up the other side, before heading down Boston Spa Main Street and out into the countryside to Barr Lane, where I turned almost back on myself to drop down towards Clifford. All that down then had to be turned into up through the village (Clifford's main street is over half a mile long and all up hill...unless you're heading the other way of course...
)
You are rewarded with the fast drop down into Bramham, but then immediately made to pay with the climb back out and, in my case, across the A1(M) bridge and onto Thorner Road which is in a shocking condition, breaking up at the edges something terrible, resulting in a rough surface and some very dodgy water filled potholes meaning that I rode quite a bit of this out near the centre of the road. At this point it started to rain, which was nice (and not forecast!).
Onto Thorner Lane, where the surface isn't much better, through the dip and the next half mile is slightly up hill, making you appreciate the slight drop as you approach Milner Lane.
Then it was another wind assisted shove back to the drop down into Thorner, through the village and onto Carr Lane for the least worst climb out of there, eventually reaching the A58. As I still had the wind at my back I stayed on there rather than climbing up Coal Road, and soon turned onto Red Hall Lane and then it was left down to Coal Road, then local roads heading for home.
As I got to the end of the street I noticed I was going to come up just short of a metric half, so a long loop around the block was added to push the distance on.
31.50 miles (50.69km) in
2h 24m at an average of
13.1mph with
1,722ft climbed, with a chilly average temperature of just
1.5C
Still, all good and it's April's half century in the bank nice and early. Despite the weather there were a lot of cyclists out and about, mainly in ones and twos though rather than group rides - possibly burning some calories to offset against all those Easter Eggs?
Edit to add: today's ride put me past 500 miles for the year to date, which isn't a huge amount compared to many, but it's a chunk of my target mileage done.
And to end, the map:
)
