Twelve days since my last ride! It is all my fault, I broke the rule. The rule that says
Don’t
Involve
Yourself
The kitchen looks better for it. Honest.
So take out the fixed and find out if I can still ride it. This is yesterday, and the weather was a bit yuck in the morning, with promises of being less yuck in the afternoon. I believed the promises and was not disappointed, by the weather anyway. The usual chug around Holbeck took rather longer than expected, who would expect a traffic jam there on a Saturday afternoon? Escape through Hunslet and climb the awkward hill to John o’ Gaunts. The mileage just ticked to five and a half as I rode past the front door of what was once the pub of that name. Pedalling becomes easier, through Woodlesford and across the waterways with an all too brief glimpse of green fields. Then up the two short climbs and into Swillington. The road tends upwards again, according to my map there is a brickworks to pass before the descent to Garforth.
Around the northern side of the town, fields on the left and housing on the right then urban stuff almost all the way to the roundabout over the M1. Ride away on the B1217 towards Lotherton Hall, being passed ( nicely ) by a couple of minibuses and two full size versions apparently going to the Mint Festival. I like live music, usually go to a couple of gigs a week. Spending the weekend in a muddy field? The band would have to be good, these days. Keep pedalling, no choice on this bike, reach the gates to the hall and turn left onto Lotherton Lane. The breeze has a few hedge openings along here which remind you, me anyway, that I have been enjoying a tailwind. Which still helped a bit along Main Street in Aberford.
The road out stays sort of close to Cock Beck, but higher, until crossing the beck at the bottom of the hill up to the maypole at Barwick. Turn left, more rising road leads out of the village until a bit of a drop towards Scholes. A quiet place on a Saturday afternoon. Cross the Beechinged railway on the way to the A64 and once there turn left and then right onto Thorner Lane. The next left reaches the A58 after a mile or so, as I turned left onto that road there were sirens. They were travelling in the opposite direction, I am still wondering where they were going to. Anyway, down that big hill, still spinning out at twenty eight. Turn right to head towards the Oakwood Clock and then down to the Fforde Grene junction. Named after the pub that once adorned the crossroads which has been replaced by a much more complicated junction that is less than easy to negotiate on two wheels. More downhill, heading to cross the river at Crown Point Bridge. Which leaves me with a short ride further to reach home. Just over twenty eight miles, an encouraging moving average, for me, and a smile ‘cos I beat the yuck weather. Marvellous!
The garthing provides a scribble
) before giving it up as lost. Rode home, not willing to continue on because of the risk of being stranded sans tools, pump, inner tubes etc.
