NorthernDave
Never used Über Member
- Location
- The real Northern Powerhouse
Cold but bright this morning with a noticeable breeze, so Roubaix bib tights, overshoes and three layers on top. And for the first time in an age, my proper winter gloves.
With the direction of the wind I'd ruled out heading east to Aberford and beyond, as it would be in my face on the way back, so it was up Coal Road again.
For a change I turned left onto Red Hall Lane, the wiggle on the A58 to the pub and onto Whin Moor Lane for the scenic route to Shadwell. From there it's up, down and then up again to Slaid Hill lights.
It wasn't meant to rain today, but it was starting to drizzle as I approached the lights and with a grey skies and rainbow visible in the distance ahead of me, I decided to head no further west and turned onto Wike Ridge Lane which is closed again at the Tarn Lane junction so I turned along there to drop down through the top part of Scarcroft on Millionaires Row and down the A58 again to the lights with another right turn onto the first of todays Thorner Lanes.
After keeping it fairly flat last weekend, I'd decided to add a couple of hills in to see how I coped, and what better then "Hellwood", the twisty climb up Scarcroft Hill. Hard work today but with the granny gear engaged I ground it out to the top. From there it's a familiar breeze long the ridge on Milner Lane, eventually arriving in East Rigton and onto Compton Lane. Lovely and quiet on here again, seeing no-one but a couple of dog walkers and then left at Jewitt Lane and down the hill to Collingham.
Regular readers might remember these lanes were a mud fest last week - today with it being dry they were a little better in most places but I think it's what you'd call "marginal gains". Past the building site on the fringes of Collingham there is still a lot of mud on the road and if it had been wet it might have been a different story. Good to see the council are on top of it - not...
Anyhow, School Lane then across the A58 again with a sprint on the A659 before heading for the bridge to Linton and the lumpiness through the village, followed by a loop of Wetherby town centre before dropping down to The Wilderness for a breather and a couple of photos:
As I put my gloves back on I remembered the joy of winter gloves - they were now cold and damp inside and a struggle to get back on
Back in the saddle and the steep climb back up the hill, before taking Walton Road out across the A1(M) and on past the race course.
I ignored the first turning for Thorp Arch for a change and kept on the road to Walton, turning there instead past the prison and the training grounds, onto Long Causeway and then dropping into Thorp Arch.
Down the hill to the bridge, where a nice driver gave way to me, and climbed up the other side into Boston Spa where a couple of hundred yards along Main Street took me to the turning for Clifford.
Climbed through the village before plunging down into Bramham, where the only option was to climb back out on the other side and across the A1(M).
From there it's a simple job of the gentle climb up Thorner Road, then onto another Thorner Lane, through the dip and while I managed the climb up the other side I had to stop for a couple of minutes to get my breath back.
I realised that with a bit of extra mileage I was on for a metric half, so turned down Jewitt Lane when I reached it, then onto Bramham Lane - I had half expected this to be another mudfest, but apart from the first 100 yards or so it pretty OK but again, the road being dry probably helped. This is another lovely quiet lane and after steadily climbing for most of the way (no wonder I normally ride this in the other direction!), this eventually drops down into East Rigton again.
From there I retraced my outbound route along the ridge, this time dropping down into Thorner and along Main Street as far as the pub, where another right put me onto Carr Lane for the climb back out of the village and out to the A58. This was hard work as not only is it mainly climbing but it was into the wind today and I was starting to tire. Granny gear again for the last climb and before I knew it, it was time for a the final visit of the day to the A58 then Coal Road and the last climb of any note, before just spinning along the straight, flat section and dropping down onto local roads to home.
31.67 miles (50.96km) in a steady 2h 31m at an average of just 12.5mph with 1,666.66 feet climbed and an average temperature of 5.4°C.
I'll take that - I'm still suffering with the after effects of the dreaded lurgy and that started to show later in the ride with the bit of extra climbing I'd added. The main thing though is that I got out there and got another ride in - with bonus that it's another point for the Half Century Challenge.
I think I got the layering about right, although a bit of cold was definitely creeping into my toes and finger ends on the longer descents - fortunately my glacial pace on the flat and uphill allowed me to warm up again
Lots of cyclists out today which is always good and despite being on busy roads at times, todays drivers were all playing nicely.
And to end, a map:
With the direction of the wind I'd ruled out heading east to Aberford and beyond, as it would be in my face on the way back, so it was up Coal Road again.
For a change I turned left onto Red Hall Lane, the wiggle on the A58 to the pub and onto Whin Moor Lane for the scenic route to Shadwell. From there it's up, down and then up again to Slaid Hill lights.
It wasn't meant to rain today, but it was starting to drizzle as I approached the lights and with a grey skies and rainbow visible in the distance ahead of me, I decided to head no further west and turned onto Wike Ridge Lane which is closed again at the Tarn Lane junction so I turned along there to drop down through the top part of Scarcroft on Millionaires Row and down the A58 again to the lights with another right turn onto the first of todays Thorner Lanes.
After keeping it fairly flat last weekend, I'd decided to add a couple of hills in to see how I coped, and what better then "Hellwood", the twisty climb up Scarcroft Hill. Hard work today but with the granny gear engaged I ground it out to the top. From there it's a familiar breeze long the ridge on Milner Lane, eventually arriving in East Rigton and onto Compton Lane. Lovely and quiet on here again, seeing no-one but a couple of dog walkers and then left at Jewitt Lane and down the hill to Collingham.
Regular readers might remember these lanes were a mud fest last week - today with it being dry they were a little better in most places but I think it's what you'd call "marginal gains". Past the building site on the fringes of Collingham there is still a lot of mud on the road and if it had been wet it might have been a different story. Good to see the council are on top of it - not...
Anyhow, School Lane then across the A58 again with a sprint on the A659 before heading for the bridge to Linton and the lumpiness through the village, followed by a loop of Wetherby town centre before dropping down to The Wilderness for a breather and a couple of photos:
As I put my gloves back on I remembered the joy of winter gloves - they were now cold and damp inside and a struggle to get back on
Back in the saddle and the steep climb back up the hill, before taking Walton Road out across the A1(M) and on past the race course.
I ignored the first turning for Thorp Arch for a change and kept on the road to Walton, turning there instead past the prison and the training grounds, onto Long Causeway and then dropping into Thorp Arch.
Down the hill to the bridge, where a nice driver gave way to me, and climbed up the other side into Boston Spa where a couple of hundred yards along Main Street took me to the turning for Clifford.
Climbed through the village before plunging down into Bramham, where the only option was to climb back out on the other side and across the A1(M).
From there it's a simple job of the gentle climb up Thorner Road, then onto another Thorner Lane, through the dip and while I managed the climb up the other side I had to stop for a couple of minutes to get my breath back.
I realised that with a bit of extra mileage I was on for a metric half, so turned down Jewitt Lane when I reached it, then onto Bramham Lane - I had half expected this to be another mudfest, but apart from the first 100 yards or so it pretty OK but again, the road being dry probably helped. This is another lovely quiet lane and after steadily climbing for most of the way (no wonder I normally ride this in the other direction!), this eventually drops down into East Rigton again.
From there I retraced my outbound route along the ridge, this time dropping down into Thorner and along Main Street as far as the pub, where another right put me onto Carr Lane for the climb back out of the village and out to the A58. This was hard work as not only is it mainly climbing but it was into the wind today and I was starting to tire. Granny gear again for the last climb and before I knew it, it was time for a the final visit of the day to the A58 then Coal Road and the last climb of any note, before just spinning along the straight, flat section and dropping down onto local roads to home.
31.67 miles (50.96km) in a steady 2h 31m at an average of just 12.5mph with 1,666.66 feet climbed and an average temperature of 5.4°C.
I'll take that - I'm still suffering with the after effects of the dreaded lurgy and that started to show later in the ride with the bit of extra climbing I'd added. The main thing though is that I got out there and got another ride in - with bonus that it's another point for the Half Century Challenge.
I think I got the layering about right, although a bit of cold was definitely creeping into my toes and finger ends on the longer descents - fortunately my glacial pace on the flat and uphill allowed me to warm up again
Lots of cyclists out today which is always good and despite being on busy roads at times, todays drivers were all playing nicely.
And to end, a map:
.
. Quick check of the GPS and onto Knipton and to Croxton Kerrial where I rejoined my route but travelling in the wrong direction which I took a while to figure out so I climbed a hill for nothing 
about turn . Harston ,Denton ,back to Croxton Kerrial where I had a visit from the puncture fairy 
. Quick pit stop easily found the thorn so new tube and I'm back up and running as this ride I had remembered my pump. Cursing the farmer who was hedge trimming a mile half a mile before the puncture 
. Saltby ,Sproxton ,Coston ,Garthorpe ,Saxby ,Wymondham . Then a few hills to Little Dalby ,Great Dalby ,Gaddesby . Rearsby ,Thrussington ,Cossington ,Cropston and home . 77.3 miles a few holes in my Veloviewer max cluster filled in .A chilly 
which made visability hard work at times .Lovely cup of soup 
when I got in to warm up
