Ignoring the weather forecasters promises of the coming of the apocalypse this morning, suitably layered up and out on the Giant just before 9am.
Yes, it was a bit brisk, but I reckon I'd got the clothing just about right today as by the time I turned off Coal Road onto Skeltons Lane I was warming up.
Down Sandhills into Thorner, through the village and up onto Milner Lane along the ridge to East Rigton then onto Compton Lane. Despite the recent rains, the roads were nice and dry, which was a big improvement given the usual mudfest along here.
At the end of Compton Lane it was down Jewitt Lane into Collingham, across the A58 onto the A659 and right towards Linton over the bridge and then the ups and downs of the village, before heading to Wetherby.
Through there and out over the A1(M) bridge, past the racecourse. I was cycling into the breeze here and it felt harder work than it should have done, but it was soon time to turn towards Thorp Arch, where a loop up Long Causeway brought me to All Saints Church where I stopped for a stretch and a couple of pics:
Back on the bike and down to the bridge over the Wharfe, where despite me being clearly established on the bridge (well over half way across), someone in a Fiesta drove over the give way and right to the very start of the single track section forcing me to slow to manoeuvre round them...
Up the hill and left then right to Clifford, dodging a suicidal launch from a side street by a Peugeot driver, up Main Street and down the hill to Collingham, where I tackled Cote de Town Hill and headed back out into the countryside on Toulston Lane, back into the 'breeze'.
Right again, over the A659 and then across the bridge over the A64 before plunging down into Stutton, across Cock Beck and up the A162 London Road towards Towton, getting the closest pass of the day by a numpty in a Honda Jazz
before sprinting through the village and briefly crossing routes with
@Spiderweb (above) before turning up past the battlefield site then dropping down into Saxton. I had intended to stop in the village for another photo but it was a bit busy, so I headed out on Coldhill Lane and stopped where Linda's Bench used to be instead:
Back on the bike and a little bit of up before dropping down onto Copley Lane for a slightly wind assisted scoot to Lotherton Gates and then the lumpiness that shortly drops down under the A1(M) and into Aberford.
Through there and onto Cattle Lane for more wind assisted ups and downs (I know it was wind assisted as I discovered I'd set a PB on there when I got home
), before dropping down to the bridge and the inevitable grind up into Barwick.
Through there and more up nearly to Scholes, before dropping down to the Coronation Tree and more down on Leeds Road, crossing Cock Beck for a final time and local roads up to home.
34.24 miles (55.10km) in
2h 32m at an average of
13.5mph with
1,768ft climbed and an average temperature of just
2.5 degrees C 
So, all good. A great day for a ride in the right attire and in the sheltered spots (not that there were many) it even felt
almost warm
Lots and lots of cyclists about and I'm not letting a few numpty car drivers take the gloss off that. Plus it was nice not to have to start cleaning the bike as soon as I got home.
And another ride in the bag for the Half Century Challenge, which is never a bad thing.
And to end, the map:
then I had that easterly wind behind me all the way to Minsterley which made for some nice easy riding. Shame about the cycle path between Pontesbury and Minsterley still being strewn with thorns - I think the Marathons have shrugged them all off this time though.
.
