Only my fourth ride since mid December and a second run out from home on one of my local routes. The first ride I did back in February, round my usual Cockfield village and fell route had many sections that were extremely swampy so I gave that way a swerve this time, opting for a run down the fairly dry Scotland Lane and along the muddy railway path onto the fell for a loop round and back. A mere 5.5 miles but about 250 feet of climbing. It was only about 6 degrees for most of the half hour I was out, a bit of a contrast to last weeks ride out in mid teens temperatures. I took the Univega, now with trendy flared gravel bars which I'm sure I didn't have on last time I posted on here. The riding position is good on the hoods but a little low on the drops as the frame is a bit on the small side for drops riding. The gate to the railway path, the paved bit being relatively dry compared to the bit across the fell which is still in winter plumage.
The cattle creep under the long gone railway, the path down through here and up the other side seemed pretty dry but I didn't chance riding it as there were a few big rocks on the usual line, which I shifted. Maybe it'd been icy recently and the sheep had been curling with them.
Peering out of the odd little brick shelter across the fell with the Slack bank road behind the red brick building in the distance.
