After yesterday afternoon at the Bradford Beer Festival, I thought I'd better get a ride in today...the weather guesscast was for breeziness all day, with heavy rain from lunchtime, so it was out this morning.
Up onto Coal Road, where a group from Seacroft Wheelers were just in front of me. They also turned up Red Hall Lane, which is where I was heading
It was definitely breezy along here, breezy right in my face. Anyway, got to the A58 just as the peleton was pulling out, and followed at the next gap in traffic. A special mention too to the nice chap in the Kia faux by four who despite turning left, moved right over to the white line as I was filtering past him to turn right and then sat at the junction for as long as possible
Quick spin down past the pub and onto Whin Moor Lane for the turny stuff to Shadwell, where the peleton turned left (heading to Otley?) but I turned right down the hill through the village with the wind at my back. Up and across the A58 and then Carr Lane towards Thorner. A special mention too to the nice lady in the white pick up who pulled out of a driveway in front of me and making me scrub off all my speed on the descent into the village
Through the village and the inevitable climb back out, up Milner Lane today and onto the ridge for a wind assisted blast along to Thorner Lane then Thorner Road and on to Bramham where I turned right down the hill, pedalling into the breeze as I descended and then climbed up the other side towards the traffic lights. A special mention too to the muppet on the 'M' reg moped who decided to pass within a foot of my elbow
Stopped at the top for some Haribo and a few pics:
Yep, the bike is filthy, again.
Back in the saddle and with a swirling, buffeting head / side wind I took the shared use path that runs parallel to Paradise Way pretty much all the way down to the Bramham Crossroads. To be fair, although I'd been very much aware of the wind so far, it hadn't been too bad up to this point, but after navigating the crossroads and heading for Aberford down Main Street it was right in my chops and no fun at all.
This is a generally downhill section that on a normal day you can maintain a speed of high twenties mph fairly easily on. Not today, I was putting the effort in and getting high teens instead and was glad to get the shelter of the village as I dropped down the hill.
Right onto Cattle Lane after crossing the bridge for the familiar lumpiness to Barwick, which was thankfully sheltered from most of the wind. Sadly not so the steady climb from Barwick to Scholes which was hard work again, as was pedalling
down the hill from Scholes.
Local roads up to home, with a final loop around the block to push the mileage on.
20.15 miles (32.42 km) in a steady
1h 32m at an average of
13.1mph with
1,227ft climbed (needless to say, the average speed was m
uch more impressive over the wind assisted outward half of todays route
)
Good to be out there and a few close passes apart, the rest of the drivers were playing the game today. Loads of cyclists out too. Oh, and the biblical rain that was forecast for lunchtime? Well that still hasn't arrived, although it is even windier now than it was when I was out.
And finally a map, from Map My Ride for a change as Garmin Connect isn't playing ball today...
) @Supersuperleeds made the first break but had to slow for some horses he said 
A no pressure ride my other half was struggling a bit after our time in Spain but she finished the ride on a high, She got a few PRs on Strava that cheered her up a bit, Must say this has been one of the best weeks ever on the bike, Total mileage for this week is 248 miles. And still feeling good. Did a fair bit of climbing as well. 20,036 ft
That looks like a half decent route, which I may pick bits from. Not sure about the A329 bit on the way back, but then there's always New Mile Road and through the park.
.
.
and a protein hot chocolate
);
