After yesterdays mini-ride, I set off this morning with intentions to get a bit more distance under my wheels today.
With the Leeds Festival ending, this pretty much ruled out familiar routes around Bramham, Wetherby and Boston Spa as the normally quiet roads were likely to be chocker with muddy cars as people headed home.
So - Otley it was then. This meant heading into the wind, but it was only forecast at 10mph and at least I'd have it behind me on the way back, eh?
Up Coal Road and into the wind, which was probably nearer double the forecast but I had a word with myself and pushed on. Up Red Hall Lane and had to wait a couple of minutes for a gap in traffic on the A58 (presumably people avoiding the festival traffic), then a quick right and left onto Whin Moor Lane for the undulating road into Shadwell. Left on Main Street and the run to Slaid Hill lights, again with the wind in my face.
Right then left onto Wigton Lane, getting a welcome breather at the temporary traffic lights, before descending down to the A61 at Alwoodley Gates and climbing up Alwoodley Lane, which again was harder work than I'd anticipated.
Eventually reached King Lane and the lumpy descent to the climb past Golden Acre Park up Arthington Lane, before taking Kings Rd for the descent down to Otley Road, where I turned right and followed my nose into the wind all the way to the traffic lights at Pool Bank.
Here it was straight on for the long descent down the A660 into Otley, where despite being into the wind I maintained good progress, only to get called a 'ducking fickhead' by some big man in the passenger seat of his mums Clio as they passed. The irony, which sadly I never got to explain to him, was that he hadn't been stuck behind me, he'd been stuck behind the driver of the 4x4 and trailer that had chosen not to pass me all the way down the hill, despite having ample room to do so if they'd wished to.
Still, I've been called worse - only the other week some lads in a Corsa mistook me for the Health Secretary (well I think they called me Jeremy Hunt as they passed..).
Anyhow, straight on at the roundabout (not literally) and on into Otley, through the town noticing that Weegmans was shut and thinking of all the customers they'll be missing out on today. Down to the river and over the bridge, accompanied by a procession of Hogs (motorcycles, not swine), then right onto Farnley Lane, stopping at Wharfemeadows Park for a drink and a bite to eat by the weir:
Refreshed and back on the bike and up Farnley Lane for the long climb to Farnley Hall, turning left at the junction for the up, down, up to Farnley itself, taking the right hand fork for the lovely and almost secret descent down to the River Washburn, with the sharp climb up the other side, where I met a cyclist heading the opposite way - the first time I've ever seen a cyclist on here and goodness knows why as it's a great little lane. Eventually popped out onto the B6161 for the long descent into Leathley (the reward for all that climbing), then along the valley bottom to the A658.
Normally I'd head straight on here, but my legs were starting to feel empty - I'm not sure if it had been the pig of a headwind on the way out, or a hangover from last weeks 80 mile sportive, but combined with the knowledge of what was ahead on that route (Weeton Hill, then Kearby Cliff) and what the roads are Wetherby were going to be like, I turned right over the river and into Pool-in-Wharfedale, taking the left at the roundabout along the valley bottom to Arthington.
This inevitably led to the mountain that is Black Hill Rd and while I attacked it with everything I had left, it defeated me again and I had to complete the walk of shame up part of it...
I could blame this on the higher gearing of the new bike (lowest gear is 36/28, compared to 34/28 on the old one), but the reality is that the fault lies with the power unit, not the bike.
Anyway, I got back in the saddle as soon as it stopped being vertical and heading along the undulating lane back to near Golden Acre Park, then retraced my outbound route as far as Shadwell, at last with a bit of a tailwind!
As I reached the A58 there was standing traffic Leeds bound as far as the eye could see in both direction - not only the festival traffic, but of course Roundhay Rd would be closed for the Carnival (as
@Old jon discovered). So, instead of trying to filter around that lot all the way up to Red Hall Lane, I headed away from home down the hill and eventually turned right onto Coal Road for the climb back up to civilisation.
From there it was wind assisted local roads all the way home, noticing that traffic on the A64 and the Ring Road seemed to be at a standstill too. Who'd be a car driver, eh?
32.11 miles (51.67km) in a leisurely
2hrs 17m at an average of 14.0mph with
1,853ft climbed. I'll take that when all is considered - that headwind, the climbing and my empty legs - it was good to round the month out with another metric half. Lots of cyclists out, barely a nobber driver to be seen (one Clio excepted) and glorious sunshine and blue skies.
) which must have been boiling!
.
. I didn't think I was going particularly fast and so not sure if I hit a patch of fuel, gravel or my tyres have seen better days? It wasn't an enjoyable moment though!
I continued on home, along the old canal path, Sundorne Rd and the cycle paths, heading straight for some vinegar to put on the sting. There is a nice red lump on my back and a puncture site, so something has left its mark on me. A very enjoyable ride up until then, but that took the edge off it a bit.
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Wouldn't surprise me with my luck!!
over 10000 ft of climbing 
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