Today seemed a good chance to get the November ride in for the Half Century Challenge, so out just after 9 on the Giant.
A touch warmer than yesterday, but a l
ot windier and within a mile of home I was trying to figure out a route that wasn't going to involve too much battling into it.
Coal Road, Skeltons Lane and the A58, the Whin Moor Lane to Shadwell where I stopped to try and locate an annoying click. I couldn't find owt so got on my way, but it reappeared at random through the rest of the ride.
Up to Slaid Hill lights, then a quick squirt through the dip on Wike Ridge Lane, before turning onto Tarn Lane along the top to Scarcroft.
Down Ling Lane, then the long descent on the A58 through Bardsey and into Collingham giving it full beans as I was being assisted by the wind.
Left in Collingham and round to the bridge over the Wharf into Linton, which was as lumpy as ever but my mind was distracted by three separate close passes by 4x4 drivers
Into Wetherby and a loop around the town centre with yet more motorised morons and kamikaze pedestrians to the point that I abandoned plans to stop at the Wilderness for a break and carried on straight up Walton Road over the A1(M) and past the racecourse.
I'd been largely wind assisted by this point, but as I turned for Thorpe Arch past the prison I got my first real push back from the wind. Blimey, it was a bit blowier than I'd thought but fortunately this bit is mostly downhill.
A bit of road rage was unfolding at the Dowkell Lane junction where a van driver was stopped in the middle of the road giving his expert opinion to a sports car driver. I slowed down wondering how up to speed my diplomacy skills were, but on seeing me he drove off.
Up the ramp to the church, then down into the village and down again over the bridge getting a clear run across and up the other side into a rather busy Boston Spa, where a dogleg on Main Street saw me onto Clifford Road and then Clifford.
Up through the village and down the other side into Bramham, then the climb back out again, before stopping for a Snickers and a stretch at the bench by the A1(M) bridge. It was busy here today, lots of cyclists and motorcyclists out, no doubt making the most of the dry day.
I was starting to feel it a bit now and that wind wasn't letting up so I started thinking of the shortest route that would bag a metric half and avoid too much more fighting the weather. I had initially thought about taking Paradise way due south to Bramham Crossroads, but that would have been straight into the wind, so elected to head over the bridge and head for the Thorner, taking the long way round.
It gently climbs up along the boundary wall of the Bramham Park estate and at every gate I was buffeted by a stinker of a crosswind, so I was glad to reach the relative shelter of the wooded area.
Across onto Thorner Lane and powered through the lesser of the Wothersome dips, before the steady incline to Jewitt Lane where I turned right, got a good lick up dropping down to the junction then had to scrub off all that lovely speed as there were a couple of horses approaching. I slowly passed them and slowly climbed up the other side, but at least I was now enjoying a push in the back from the wind.
Left onto Compton Lane, mainly sheltered from the weather by the hedges and just before Rigton Green realised that I hadn't taken any pics today, so stopped at the bench:
It would have been a lovely day if it wasn't for that pesky wind!
Anyway, back on the bike and down to the junction, then an almost U turn onto Bramham Lane and what is one of my favourite normally deserted lanes all the way back to Jewitt Lane, where another right turn saw me climb up onto Holme Farm Lane, then onto Milner Lane and down off the ridge into Thorner.
Through the village and staying on the Main Street to the foot of Sandhills where there is no option but to grind your way back up the hill.
Skeltons Lane again, slightly helped by a 3/4 wind from behind, then back into it for Coal Road and local roads down to home.
As I turned into my street I saw I was just short of a metric half, so a long loop around the block sorted that.
31.40 miles (51.53km) in
2h 33m at an average of
12.3mph with
1,627ft climbed and an average temperature of
9.9°C
All good, although I'd argue that the forecast wind speed of "13mph" was sorely underestimated
Really glad to get the November ride in for the Half Century Challenge too, as you never know what the weather has in store at this time of year.
An to end, the map:
Sore, but hopefully a gentle high street ride tomorrow will see it good as I hope to get the imperial century ride done Sunday....
and kept on switching direction. Which meant that I was riding with a crosswind or headwind whichever way I went. 
You know it's going to be a tough one when you're going downhill (well, what passes for hills here) and you're on the small chain ring... 
After the overnight frosts, the roads were a bit slippy in places, especially in the shade. And Parson's Lane had been gritted (primary school and quack's surgery down there) so not only was the road wet, it was salty as well...
Plenty of cyclists out and about today, most on hybrids / city bikes doing shopping and stuff. I was the only one on a roadie, but down Station Road, encountered cheerful chap riding a recumbent that had a bright orange aerodynamic fairing. Never seen one of those before... 
