Twenty nine damp and breezy miles this morning. The phone insisted there would be some rain about, and it was right. I had wondered about my motivation recently but I reckon this morning demonstrated enough of that.
Holbeck, on the way to Hunslet and the ride up to John o’ Gaunts. Proper breezy from roughly the average direction, south west or thereabouts, it became very noticeable just before the end of Black Bull Street, and by time I reached the top of the hill and the former pub at John o’ Gaunts it really was blowing. So was I. The gentle pedal along Holmesly Road and the descent past Woodlesford Station gave the legs some recovery time, all to the good really. Bottom of the hill turn left and cross the Aire and Calder Canal and then the Aire itself before starting the uphill bit into and through Swillington. Not steep but by ‘eck it goes on a long way.
Shall I, shan’t I? Garforth Cliff was the question and ‘I shall’ was the answer, so I turned right at the roundabout and rode through that bit of Garforth that lines the A 63. And pedalled threequarters of the way up the cliff. Better legs next time I hope. Things, and the road, level out after this. The wind was chucking rain at the right side of my face, keep on riding to Peckfield Bar and turn left onto the A 656 and the wind was no longer so cold. There is a right turn to Micklefield along here and I took that, turned left in the village to head to Aberford. This road rises gently but the wind was being kind. Cross the B 1217 instead of turning right, it is a shorter way to Aberford, and turn left on Cattle Lane to ride towards Barwick. Ups and downs and surface water, deep joy.
On to Scholes, again a village that is built mostly below the crest of a hill, more accurately a bridge that once crossed a railway line. A short stretch of A 64 leads to Thorner Lane, which in turn crosses the end of Skeltons Lane. The wind could have been a hindrance along here and Red Hall Lane, but it might have dropped a bit, or something. No matter, turn left onto the A 58 and that wonderful whizz down Boot Hill starts just along the road. And that, after park gates and Oakwood Clock, takes me around Leeds centre, across the river and up that last stretch to home. A pretty good ride, good enough to grin at the end.
The red line on the map looks familiar,
) and finding Sydney Avenue unexpectedly closed (tree felling so I waited patiently for them to allow me through)
