Out early(ish) on the Giant for a bash at a qualifying ride for the Half Century Challenge given the decent forecast.
The bike almost found it's own way to Coal Road, then Skeltons Lane and the descent into Thorner, which was quiet as the grave this morning. Onto Milner Lane and the sharp climb onto the ridge and along between the hedges to Thorner Lane and due east towards Bramham, passing a couple of horses and their riders - the first people I'd seen since leaving Thorner.
Through the dip and powering up the other side, a squirrel ran out about 20 yards in front of me. Then suddenly another one ran out - missing getting squished by my front wheel by millimetres
- that woke me up!
Onto Thorner Road for the gradual drop down to the A1(M) bridge and Bramham, skirting the village before turning onto Aberford Road and then Toulston Lane and back out into the countryside.
Along there through the ups and downs, crossing the county line into North Yorkshire and on to Garnett Lane, which I followed over the A659, then Moor Lane over the A64 and down to Stutton, where I took a left at the top of the village to ride down Fanny Lane for the first time this year then over a swollen Cock Beck and out to a deserted and silent A162 where it was right and up the hill to Raw Lane for the run down to Ulleskelf. Over the railway line and into the village, stopping for a photo outside the Methodist Church:
Back in the saddle and out of the village on Busk Lane, eventually passing Leeds East Airport and the skies were leaden - despite the forecast it looked like I was going to get a soaking. Into Church Fenton and at the last minute decided to take a small diversion down Church Lane for another photo:
Back on route and over the railway bridge and the straight run along Common Road to Barkston Ash, where I hit the first serious traffic of the day having to wait for 4 cars to go past before pulling out onto the A162
Along thee for a bit, then left onto Saxton Lane which took me all the way to Saxton, oddly enough. A quick wiggle along Main Street, then a slightly slower ascent of Coldhill Lane eventually led to the drop down onto Copley Lane and an uneventful run back into West Yorkshire and up to Lotherton Gates, where I stayed on the B1217 past the windfarm and under the A1(M), before taking a right onto the former Great North Road for a wind assisted push into Aberford.
Left on the ups and downs of Cattle Lane, over Cock Beck and the climb into and through Barwick, which eventually leads to the drop down to the Coronation Tree in Scholes. Onto Leeds Road and down the hill to cross Cock Beck for a final time, up the other side and then onto local roads (for local people) up to home.
32.56 miles (52.40km) in a reasonable
2h 23m at an average of
13.6mph with
1,430ft climbed and a brisk average temperature of just
2.8°C
All in, happy with that. It's the qualifying ride for the challenge covered off, it was great to be out on near deserted roads for most of the ride and the rain held off until I got home. Plus, being out early on the 1st January means that no-one else had set course times on
Map My Ride so for a very brief time, I'm fastest!
(Don't worry, it won't last!).
And best of all, the squirrel survived to tell the tale.
To end, the map and an update on progress towards 2018's target mileage:
)
