Thanks for coming everyone.
Quite a good turnout and not a bad day for a ride either. We met at around 10 with Phil and Clare being the first to arrive. There was another group setting off from the same place so a couple of false alarms with regards to new faces wandering up.
Me, DCLane(David), Bokonon(Will), Mr and Mrs Uncle Phil(Phil and Clare), and Kevin ( who just browses here and turned up on spec)Kevin was on a swish looking recumbent and Phil and Clare had a sort of cross recumbent/tandem, Phil at the back in the stoker seat but steering with Clare sitting in the front seat in a recumbent position. Quite a machine which, of course, I forgot to take a photo of.
We waited for any latecomers until not quite half past and seeing as we were getting cold so we clipped in and set off.
A mile in and after the first climb we came across two riders at the junction of Slaid Hill and Shadwell Lane. The one repairing the puncture asked as I pulled to a halt at the lights ''Are you the CycleChat lot?'' Yellow Tim had made an appearance.
We waited at the other side of the lights while Tim got his wheel sorted. It took a while because the first attempt at inflating the tyre resulted in the valve blowing back inside the tube, so it was back to square one. The rider waiting with Tim was just a passing cyclist who had stopped to see if he could help and he said he would tag along anyway. I never did get the guys name so should you read this. Hello.
So another delay but we set off with David setting a more than brisk pace up the front. I managed to lose my frame pump so had to stop to fix that back on and found myself chasing. We came back together just before East Keswick.
After climbing up through East Keswick and dropping down to Collingham we stopped again because we had lost a member of the party. It seems the guy who stopped to help Tim had a puncture some mile or so back. David volunteered to go back and he reported that the chap was happy for us to carry on and he would continue his ride alone.
Through Linton, and into Wetherby we went off the roads and onto the cycle track that runs along the site of the defunct railway line. No problem there but it took some manoeuvring to get Phil and Clare's recumbent through the gate thingies that tracks seem to have.
Not much cycle track , maybe a mile or so and we were back on the road again coming into the north side of Wetherby. Stopping at a junction we had a man on an electric scooter crossing our path on the junction. No problem there but he scooter stopped dead in the middle of the carriageway, right in front of a car turning into the road we were on. Maybe the battery gave out but if it was that it happened pretty much instantly.
A minor bit of chaos ensued with bikes, recumbents, an electric mobility scooter and a car or two all littered about the junction at the same time. Being a helpful bunch a couple of our number managed to get the scooter onto the path and to free up the road. Mr Scooter rider seemed ok with getting off and fiddling with knobs and switches to get it going again, and either it was on a slope or he had his hand on the throttle but it set off without him on board. He was holding onto the right hand grip and a sort of a desperate moment played itself out with him hopping alongside whilst steering it around the corner and sort of leaping into the seat all at the same time. Off he went. Quite a lively invalid.
We were supposed to be heading out of Wetherby towards Thorpe Arch on the cycle track but I took the wrong turn, or more exactly I took the correct turn, didn't recognise it and we turned around and set off past the race course on the main road instead of the track. After passing the prison at Thorpe Arch we crossed the track we should have been on. So were back on course.
My turn for a puncture now so another delay and we finally pitched up at the DeliCafe in Boston Spa at something like 12 15. And who should be sitting waiting for us having arrived only 20 mins before? None other than Calum. He had been on a longer ride out around Harrogate and intended to meet up with us.
After a quite coffee and sandwich we set off again and passing through Clifford, Bramham, going through Thorner we cruised back into Leeds and up through Roundhay Park back to the start.
I have one photo of the group at the cafe and I'll upload it when I can find a flash card that fits the camera.
So thanks again to everyone who came along.
ps Tim said he was thinking of sorting a ride from Leeds in the not too distant future so keep your eyes peeled.
