Out on the Giant and with no plan, so I started with part of last weekends metric half route, up Coal Road to Red Hall, then the A58 for the mainly downhill run through Scarcroft and Bardsey all the way to Collingham, then over the river to Linton for the usual lumpiness and into Wetherby.
Up the road to Kirk Deighton, then North Deighton and Little Ribston, before taking the left into the near deserted countryside for much enjoyable riding all the way to Cowthorpe, where I took a small diversion off route to look at the historic St Michael's Church:
I didn't go in though - not really dressed for it - and was soon back on route and through more gently rolling countryside to the crossroads and a left onto the Roman Road and due south past the airfield, where today it was "Car Chase Heroes" day. From the road I saw a Starsky and Hutch Gran Torino and an American police car driving about, but I had riding to do so pushed on to Rudgate Crossroads, where it was straight across and the gentle descent towards Walton, passing a photographer taking photos of the crops in the fields.
Through Walton and a wiggle across the main road to head down to Thorp Arch, the plunge down to the bridge over the river and back up the other side and left in Boston Spa and down Main Street.
Where now? I had enough in the bag that a simple ride home would give me a metric half, but I was feeling good, the sun was shining and I had as long as I wanted, so I carried on to Newton Kyme, then at the last minute took the road towards Toulston.
I haven't ridden up here for a while and I forgotten just how lumpy it is - and how narrow some of the lanes are! Fortunately I only met one car all the way along and eventually popped out onto Toulston Lane, where a dog leg around the Grammar School grounds saw me onto Garnett Lane heading over the busy A64 and the descent to Stutton.
Through there and out to the A162 for the climb up the hill, before a left onto Raw Lane for the run down to Ulleskelf, where it was time for a Snickers and a couple more pics:
Loads of cyclists passed when I was having a break, from a club ride at great speed to a couple on a tandem. Back in the saddle and on to Ryther, before taking the right onto Mill Lane, then Moor Lane towards Church Fenton round the airfield.
Into the village and for a bit of variety, a left at the roundabout onto Ash Lane for the long straight road past the Gypsum factory and into Sherburn-in-Elmet, where they were getting ready for the wedding themed village fete, then onto Sir Johns Lane for the rolling run towards Lotherton, stopping for a final time at the Coldhill Pond for a last pic:
Up the hill and onto familiar territory as Coldhill Lane took me to Lotherton Gates, then the long way round to Aberford via Hook Moor and the straight and slightly down hill run into the village where the "Slow Down" sign might have been set off...
From there it's very familiar roads to Barwick, then Scholes, before the descent of Leeds Road and local roads up to home
51.72 miles (83.23km) in
3h 33m at an average speed of
14.5mph with
2,047ft climbed and an average temperature of
17.2°C
That was about as perfect as a ride gets - warm and sunny but not
too hot, virtually no wind and some lovely and generally quiet lanes through rolling countryside. What more can you ask for?
And it's put me through 1,000 miles for the year and bagged another two points in the half century challenge.
Edit to add: forgot to mention, this was the first ride with the new colour co-ordinated green valve covers, which were worth at least 0.2mph on my average speed...
And to end, the map:
The venue was terrible but I think it made everyone enjoy the event more as there was a kind of Dunkirk spirit. They moved to a new venue the following year and it wasn't nearly as fun.
. I couldn't be out for too long so rather unimaginatively did the reverse of yesterday's ride, with the exception of going over Lyth Hill early on.
