Yesterday.
Sunshine.
Out on the bike later than intended at 10.45 into a bright, cold morning. The intention was a long ride, a long ride up beyond Harrogate, and that's what happened.
Usual roads up to Wetherby via East Keswick then the road to Kirk Deighton. ( named after a starship captain and an author)
At Knaresborough I took a couple of snaps:
My plans after Knaresborough were kind of sketchy, in so far as I had no plans. I thought.............I know , 'Harrogate Greenway'. So I found the turn to it after a mile or so and after another mile or so connected.
The Greenway runs between the outskirts of Harrogate and Ripley. Well surfaced, and er? green (in summer) it makes a nice change from the road. Even at this time of year it's quite well used by cyclists, walkers and dog walkers. It makes progress a bit slow but peds have right of way and I've never been a fan of belting along skimming past people who are just out walking.
On the route atop a viaduct which crosses the River Nidd:
A mile or so further on the route passes close to the Nidd:
Once off the Greenway I rode into Ripley and past the castle and picked up the Nidderdale Greenway. Which was much the same but definitely more rustic, more hilly and much more muddy. Two miles further on the track ended at the bottom of Clint Bank where I turned for Birstwith. Having scanned the map the night before I knew it was a place I should be going through.
Birstwith came and went as did Darley.
It's a lovely area to ride in with little traffic and gentle rolling countryside.
Emphasis on the rolling. It's either up or down with very little in between.
So after Darley l came to a left hand turn to take me up Hargroves Hill in the direction of the US airbase, Menwith Hill.
Turing onto the hill disaster struck when my chain broke. Bad enough but it was a new chain with no more than about 300 miles on the clock.
When l bought it l added a magic link to make servicing easier and as luck would have it the chain snapped just two links away from it so 10 mins later l was on my way again. Had it snapped further away l would have been snookered 30 miles from home.
The offending bit of chain:
The rest of Hargroves Hill is a stiff climb and any second l was expecting the chain to snap again. Illogical l know but the idea was fixed firmly in my brain.
Of course all was fine and l eventually found myself skirting the airforce base where l crossed the A59 and made my way past Fewston and Swinsty reservoirs and up to the top of Norwood Edge.
A nice roll down the steep hill only to find a bit of a jam before the bottom.
A huge artic, complete with trailer, both laden with tree trunks had broken down coming up the hill. The tractor unit had been winched up by a large tow truck in an attempt to get it moved. It struck me that the tow truck was struggling to get it moving. I didn't stop and offer to push.
At the bottom of Norwood Hill lies Lindley Reservoir and it was brim full. Up the far side and eventually into Farnley where l stopped and called a pal who lives in Otley so l could drop in for coffee.
An hour later l was back on the road home and it was Leeds Road out of Otley, Bramhope, King Lane, Eccup and back home.
All in it was 58 and a bit miles and 3850 ft of up.
View: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/60312501
on a newish estate on the edge of town.
