Apologies - this is yesterdays ride today (again)
The weather wasn't great yesterday morning, so it was after 1pm before it had dried up enough to get out. Out on the trusty mudguard equipped Road Comp for the second weekend on the bounce, but with plans to do a longer ride than last time.
The good news is that I'd sorted last weekends annoying rattle (front mudguard), so off we went, warming up on local roads before the climb up Leeds Rd into Scholes and on to Barwick, taking the right towards Garforth on Long Lane. I remembered why I normally go out first thing - the roads were a lot busier and not everyone seemed to be aware of what a reasonable gap is...
Climbing up into Garforth under the railway bridge there was a terrible grating / grinding noise, so i changed down to the small cog at the front which fixed it but only for a minute and then it was back, so I stopped in the little car park by the traffic lights for a look see. I was on the verge of turning for home when I suddenly realised that the pump was catching on the front mech - I've got a Topeak Pocket Rocket which twists and locks in the closed position, but going over a bump must have unlocked it allowing the barrel to drop down! Sorted and back on my way up the A642 and over the M1 at the roundabout, then on towards Aberford but instead of turning left and going through the village I stayed on the road under the A1(M) up to Lotherton Hall and then down the hill past the Crooked Billet and taking the sharp uphill towards Saxton before dropping down into the village.
Out to Barkston Ash and then on to Church Fenton, where there was a set of seemingly unnecessary temporary traffic lights atop the railway bridge.
Through the village and onto Brackenhill Lane along the southern side of the airfield heading for Ryther.
A lot of this is effectively single track (although there are no signs to that effect!) with drainage ditches along both sides, so with a car in the distance heading my way and one a little way behind me I was getting a wriggle on to get to one of the infrequent field entrances over the ditches so I could pull in.
As it happens I timed it just right so was able to let both motorists get through before carrying on.
Over the railway line and into Ryther, where I turned left, recrossing the railway line and heading through Ozendyke into Ulleskelf, before heading back to Church Fenton and completing the circle, the retraced my steps back to Saxton, where just past the village I stopped for a drink and a couple of photos in the fading light.
Back in the saddle and loaded with Haribo I was off down to Copley Lane and then Lotherton Hall, through Aberford and onto Cattle Lane for the rollercoaster ride to Barwick. Really felt the long drag up into the village from the bridge at Cock Beck and the climb continues all the way to the descent to the Coronation Tree in Scholes. Along Leeds Rd and the descent down the hill that never seems as steep going down as it does going up, before heading up to home on local roads.
I'll admit that last mile was blooming hard work, but I got it done just as the light was finally going.
33.6 miles (54.07 km) in a reasonable
2h 22m at an acceptable average of
14.1 mph, with a total of
1292 ft climbed. After a week off the bike I'll take that and it's my half century ride in for the month which is another plus
I wore my new Agu overshoes from Planet X for the first time, as recommended by
@Donger in the Found a Bargain thread a few weeks ago. Getting home without having feet like blocks of ice is something I could get used to, so cheers for that!
I saw that slice and thought That's not big enough for 2 slices but surely too big for one .You proved me wrong . You don't now how near you came to that not being there but I had a big breakfast . You had done the milage to justify it . I would not have made it home if I'd gone for it
) then reversed my lap of the lake at a similar comfortable cruising speed.
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