The forecast promised a north easterly wind. And it was. So I thought I would do what I have read other riders do, ride into the wind on the way out, should have a tailwind on the return journey. And it was not warm.
Never mind the temperature, once across the Aire the road goes up to Oakwood and that warmed me up. More up, more warmth and then turn onto Red Hall Lane. A right turn right into the wind, or so it felt. Ride along Skeltons Lane next, this will be closed from the sixth of the month until sometime in August. Diversions may be interesting.
Descend Sandhills, there is a change, into Thorner. And ride up Church Hill out of Thorner on the way to Bramham. Oddly, the wind was not obviously slowing me, or maybe I just found the right gear for once. Turn left onto West Woods Road, just before reaching the village. The A1 M is to the right of this, must have soaked up any bad effects the wind may have had, pedalling was pretty much as normal.
Wattle Syke roundabouts next, left, first exit, onto the road with that name. Which could be translated as ‘stream with willows,’ though there does not seem to be a watercourse nearby, except the River Wharfe. Well, maybe. Riding, turn left to Collingham and soon a right turn onto the A659 again heading to Harewood. The road climbs, the wind is a real tailwind and I was lucky enough to be there in a quiet time, traffic wise. Reach a false crest and down in the dip is the left turn to East Keswick.
From here it is the ridge road, using various aliases, all the way to Slaid Hill. In the other direction this road is quick, even though to the eye it seems more or less flat. The direction I am riding today? Up, some of it short and sharp. Most of the rest, just up. Reach the traffic lights at Slaid Hill and the road has run out of up. For which I was truly grateful, from now on I can pretend, to myself, that I ride almost quick.
Shadwell Lane to Moortown, almost a ‘U’ turn onto Street Lane, Princes Avenue to the clock at Oakwood. Further down the hill to go back across the River Aire then I am almost home. Once there, after thirty one miles, the garthing told me 555 metres of going up, and very unusually, exactly the same downwards. In old money, about 1820 feet in either direction. Had to smile, it was a good ride.
Tyre tracks in three dimensions. Ish
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. The plan was to do another longish ride so I got the Raleigh out this afternoon and headed to do an orbit of Shrewsbury.
The other rider was only slightly faster than me and in Bicton met up with another rider and slowed so I overtook again. By the time I'd crested the hill and dropped into Montford Bridge they were nowhere to be seen.
but soon warmed up with the subsequent climb and the upward drag of the A661. After turning off that the leveller and slight downgrades saw a further pause to put the gillet back on and ended via yesterdays route via the A59.
