No ride yesterday due to the inclement weather, and time limited today but at least I got out.
What happened to the temperatures? After last weekend's tropical heatwave it was back to longs, layers, full finger gloves and shoe covers.
And it was still a bit brisk getting underway.
What was more noticeable was the wind - the forecast said it would be breezy, but I think they'd under estimated it by a notch or three.
Straight into it up Coal Road to find the traffic lights not detecting traffic again, but at least that gave me a rest.
Onto Red Hall Lane then the A58, before left onto Whin Moor Lane and out of the wind. Until I reached the open stretch when it reappeared as a bit of a blowy crosswind...
Anyhow, into Shadwell trying to plot a route in my head that would keep me out of the worst of it / give me an easier return leg. So down the hill through the village and up again to the A58 and onto Carr Lane.
This meant that I had a crosswind at every gate / gap in the hedges and so I was taking it steady, but at least I wasn't cycling into it. Into Thorner and back out again up Milner Lane and along the ridge mercifully mainly sheltered from the wind now.
Rigton Green and then Compton Lane, before a tight right onto Jewitt lane and up over the crest before what should have been a wind assisted and mainly downhill run back to Thorner Lane. It was mainly downhill, but I didn't detect any assistance, so I'm not sure what had happened there?
Anyhow, left at the end and through the dip, then a straight run to Bramham, taking care at gaps and gates again.
Over a surprisingly quiet A1(M) and down the hill and up the other side onto Paradise Way.
Due south now, so I was expecting a good push from the wind, but I didn't feel it - in fact it felt like harder work than usual in places. Round Bramham Crossroads and on towards Aberford.
After the first few hundred yards this drops steadily towards the village and at last I got the benefit of the tail wind
All too soon the fun was over though and it was right onto Cattle Lane for the lumps and bumps to Barwick, again with that pesky crosswind at every opening.
Up, then down to Scholes, another drop down Leeds Road and with a few minutes still on the clock a loop around Manston and Pendas Fields, before heading up to home.
24.83 miles in
2h 6m at a steady average of
11.8 mph with
1,312 ft climbed and an average temperature of just
9.0°C
All good, but I hope the better weather returns soon. Glad to get some miles in, but it's a bit different when you're cycling
down hills where it doesn't normally take too much effort to top 30 mph to find yourself grafting to keep your speed in the mid to high teens.
That said, I'm sure it's character building, or something...
Despite the weather, there were still a fair few cyclists out. Sorry no pics today, being up against time I didn't stop anywhere.
And to end, the map:
. We parted company at Kirby Muxloe leaving me to extend my route home to get 72 miles in ( current Eddington 71) . 
if the sun broke through it was warm but never really warmed up . A great ride with great company at a fairly brisk pace I averaged 16.5mph for my distance
