An absolutely glorious day for a bike ride, so it would have been rude not to bag my first point in the Half Century Challenge.
On the Giant and well wrapped up (it might have been sunny but it was blinking cold!). Local roads to Barwick Road, then across Cock Beck for the long straight drag up to Scholes. Right at the Coronation Tree and more up, before the long descent through Barwick and down to cross Cock Beck again and climb up Cattle Lane for the lumps and bumps to Aberford.
A wiggle along Main Street and left onto Lotherton Lane and under the A1(M) and the climb up the hill, which felt like hard work today. Eventually I reached Lotherton Gates and bore left on the B1217 which after a few hundred yards of up crosses the county line into North Yorkshire and starts to drop down into the valley for the best part of a mile to the Crooked Billet pub.
Shortly after there it was right again up the sharp rise of Dam Lane into Saxton, before heading back out into the countryside on Headwell Lane with views across the expanse of the Lower Aire Valley stretching out in front of me.
A short sprint along London Road and into Barkston Ash, where once through the village it's the dead straight mile of Common Lane all the way to Church Fenton.
Over the railway bridge and through the village, getting passed by a couple of old cars, including an absolutely mint looking gold Fiat X1/9.
Right again onto Brackenhill Lane for the rural run along the bottom edge of the airfield, where i didn't see another soul until I was just about to cross the bridge over the railway line. Down the other side and more quiet lanes all the way into Ryther, where I saw the first car since Church Fenton, and stopped by the river next to the Christmas tree for a Snickers and a photo:
Back in the saddle and on towards Ozendyke, crossing the railway again and enjoying the near deserted road.
Into Ulleskelf and left again, heading to complete the circle back to Church Fenton and finally getting a push from the breeze
From Church Fenton I simply reversed my outbound route back to Barkston Ash and onto London Road, but pushed north a bit longer into the wind now and then left onto Saxton Lane for the run into the village. Through there and out on Coldhill Lane, climbing past Linda's Bench, before eventually dropping down onto Copley Lane for the run back to Lotherton Gates.
Down the hill to Aberford and then back along the ups and downs of Cattle Lane, across Cock Beck and the long climb through Barwick towards Scholes, eventually dropping down onto Leeds Road and the final crossing for the day of Cock Beck and then local roads up to home.
32.1 miles (51.66 km) in
2h 32m at an average of
12.6 mph with
1,378 ft climbed and an average temperature of
6.0°C, although if definitely felt colder today despite the sunshine.
Always good to get a first ride in the bag and a point for the challenge nice and early, especially with the "Beast From The East 2" supposedly forecast to bring the snowpocalypse any day now.
Plus using MapMyRide, getting out early meant I was the fastest person on every course I crossed today - it won't last but I'll have that while it does!
It was great to be out on quiet roads too, even if there were less cyclists out than I'd expected to see.
And to end, the map:
. Not a fast time but it didn't matter: 
Tomorrow will be the first cycle commute of the year so a chance to ride the Charge which has sat looking dejected for a month or two 
lots of it at 14% it was a bit of a brute . 
