I'd arranged to meet a mate for todays ride, to take advantage of the "warmer than Spain BBQ weather".
It was foggy and 2.0 °C when we set off...still, at least we were out.
We'd sort of planned to do an imperial half, which would have been my first of the year, but more on that later.
Up Coal Road onto Skeltons Lane and then the long descent into Thorner, followed by the sharp climb up Milner Lane onto the ridge and along between the hedgerows wondering if I should have put two pairs of socks on.
Into Rigton Green, finding a large cock in the road (and several hens) so avoided them and onto Bramham Lane for the quietest of quiet country lanes, where we raced a rabbit as it ran along the verge.
At the junction with Jewitt Lane I got out of the saddle for the short climb just as Tim shouted "I've got a flat"...
So stopped and off with his rear wheel. Neither of us could find the cause of the puncture but the tube was definitely deflated, so after checking the tyre again it was on with a new one. He's never used a CO2 canister before, which probably explains why he vented it's entire contents into the air rather than his newly fitted inner tube.
I lent him my Lezyne pump and we were soon back under way.
Thanks to the two cyclists who asked if we were OK / had everything we needed as they passed. Not so much to the one who purposefully looked the other way and stared at the hedge.
Onwards through the dip towards Bramham, skirting the village and heading out on Toulston Lane, then Garnett Lane across the A659 and then the A64 and into a surprisingly stiff headwind. That's odd - foggy and a headwind..?
Anyhow, down the hill and through Stutton and then the climb up the A162 before taking Raw Lane towards Ulleskelf.
We're both riding the York-Leeds-York Sportive in a couple of weeks, which will be along here. Into Ulleskelf and back out again and carrying on east towards Ryther, still battling against the wind.
Through the village and towards Cawood, passing a group of about 20 cyclists heading the other way, before it was time for a break and refreshments and into Mrs B's Lakeside Cafe at Cawood for some sustenance.
Turns out we'd timed it right as the large group we'd passed a few minutes earlier had just left there.
(Yes, you're right I should have asked for the bacon well done, but it tasted nice enough).
Anyway, fed and watered it was back out to the bikes.
Due to the wind and the enforced pause earlier in the ride Tim was getting short on time, so we abandoned plans for an imperial half and headed back towards civilisation.
What had been a head wind on the way out was now a cross wind
, but we were soon back in Ryther and then on the quiet lane through the countryside and then around the perimeter of Leeds East Airport and into Church Fenton as the long promised sun finally came through.
Through there and then on the dead straight road to Barkston Ash, the long way round into Saxton and out again past Linda's Bench before dropping down onto Copley Lane for the run up to Lotherton Gates
Down the hill into Aberford, before the ups and downs of Cattle Lane took us to Barwick, then more up towards Scholes before the descent into the village and down Leeds Road, before local roads up to home.
39.28 miles (63.21 km) in
3h 9m at an average of
12.7 mph with
1,686 ft climbed and an average temperature of
7.2°C
My longest ride of the year to date, but blimey it was hard work at times, especially into that unexpected wind and I really felt it on the last few (uphill) miles.
I really do need to make more effort to regain some fitness though as I'd normally have done the extra mile or so to get 40 miles in, but really didn't have it in me today.
It's another point for the half century challenge too, so all good in the grand scheme of things.
Lots of cyclists out too, although I suspect most of them were also slightly disappointed by the weather.
And to end, the map:
misty at the start but once the sun fought its way through it was very warm, had no set route in mind as I did not wish to put Karon under any pressure as her first ride I could tell she was feeling a little apprehensive 
..lol
