Blue skies and sunshine again! Remember the hat, ‘cos the hair does not cover the scalp anymore, and pedal off in the direction of away.
Easy said, and eventually done, but I left the house with no route in mind. Not even a village to aim for. As ever, the wander around Holbeck provided what could generously be called inspiration and a little right to left jiggle at the end of Water Lane had the bike pointing through Hunslet and towards the climb to John o’ Gaunts. Turn left for Woodlesford and the descent past the station, Garmin says 25 mph down there and on the fixed that is pretty good for me. Left again at the bottom to cross both canal and river and heave up the two step climb into Swillington. A bit more heave and then the drop to the Garforth roundabout which today had a queue on the way in, and decided me to ride around the northern side of the place. For a change and also missing Garforth Cliff. At the other side of the town is that enormous roundabout that straddles the M 1. I had decided to go right, onto the Castleford road ( A 656 if memory serves ) and it really is a long way around that bit of road adornment. Quiet enough though. Some way along is the left turn for Micklefield.
Once the village is reached, yet another left turn for Aberford but once the B 1217 crossroads is reached and to relieve the monotony, turn right to eventually reach Lotherton Gates. And yet another left turn. Yes, the visit to Aberford was only postponed for a few minutes of riding. I almost always ride this next bit home from the gates but of course it is different every time. Not many cars parked in Aberford which made it less of a dash turning right at the end of Lotherton Lane and easier for the left onto Cattle Lane. Further towards Barwick, I waved a bus past on the climb up to the maypole, and as I reached that monument there was a lot of nasty looking spillage along the road. I missed most of it, turned the corner and found a gutter cleaning thing dragging a tail of vehicles, bus included, in the direction I wanted to ride. The tail eventually passed the thing and so did I, happily, to continue along my way through Scholes to the A 64, where a left and a right onto Thorner Lane took me to Skeltons Lane and eventually to the A 58, followed by the traverse of Leeds and back home.
Thirty point six miles in just warm enough weather. A good ride for a Friday, or any other day of the week.
One map,
Though it'd be just right for pootling to and from the co-op... 
