The forecast for today was good (but we all know about weather forecasts and good intentions don't we?), so I was pleasantly surprised to get up and find it was not only dry, but sunny and almost breeze free!
Given the floods, my first job was to check which roads were open before setting off.
A58 at Collingham and Linton Road at, well, Linton both closed - right, well that rules that corner out.
A61 closed at Pool Bank, right, I won't go to Otley as it's likely all the bottom road down to Pool will be affected.
Roads shut at Tadcaster - OK, not there either.
So, off up Coal Rd (traffic lights still not detecting bikes...) and out on Skeltons Lane towards Thorner. By heck it was chilly, but it was an absolutely glorious winters day.
Had to watch out for standing water at the road edge (and more) plus run off / debris in the road all the way round today, but with one exception car drivers were all quite sensible, either giving plenty of room, or hanging back until I was clear.
Down the hill into Thorner, where the ford was as full as I've ever seen it. Fortunately I didn't need to ride through it!
Cycling through the village there was the lovely smell of woodsmoke in the air and the church bells were ringing. Lovely.
Stuck to the main road out to Bramham since Collingham was a no-go, rather than dicing with unclassified country lanes, given the previous problems with mud and the like. Through the dip at Wothersome, a bit slower than usual given the water in the road, then laboured up the other side and the downhill run to Bramham.
Left onto West Woods Road and I noticed that my handlebars weren't quite straight any more. Hmmmm...stopped and tightened them up and got on my way.
Just before Wattle Syke roundabout the road was flooded out to the white line, so I avoided that and then got onto the cycle path for the fast run down into Wetherby.
Right at the roundabout and over the River Wharf, which was even higher than it had been a few weeks ago - put it this way, you wouldn't have been walking on the riverside path today.
Right again at the next roundabout and over the A1(M) for the run out towards Walton, before taking another right down to Thorp Arch village. There was a lot of standing water here and the road surface was badly broken up. So naturally this was the only place a driver simply had to force his way past me as I maneuvered through it...
Still in one piece it was down the hill and back over the Wharf which was as high as I've ever seen it, so i stopped for a couple of photos:
Excuse the thumb
Talking to a local, I was told that the river had actually dropped a couple of feet from it's peak.
Anyhow, back in the saddle and up to Boston Spa, left towards Tadcaster and in the dip there had clearly been a lot of floodwater overnight. The road was covered in debris and the fields were still under water. Up the other side and right again into bar lane, for the run down to Clifford. Just before the village the road was covered in flood water and I couldn't tell how deep it was. Two options. carefully pick my way through, or retrace my steps up the hill and back around to Boston Spa...
Fortunately it was only 3 or 4 inches deep and I was soon out the other side.
Left onto Windmill Lane and up the climb
(new PB
), then across the top of Bramham and onto NCN66 towards Aberford.
There were a lot of female runners on there today - I don't think it was an official event, but anyway I moved back onto the road to leave them to it and continued down Paradise Way to Bramham Crossroads, then the quick descent into Aberford.
Left onto Cattle Lane toward Barwick. Although there was still standing water in the fields the floods had receded a lot since yesterday. Through Barwick and on to Scholes, then on to home, where I noticed the handlebars were slightly out of line again....hmmmmm!
On a happy note there were a lot of cyclist out there today, FPK / club roadies in speedy peletons, smaller social groups, solo riders and families on MTBs, which was great to see.
Todays totals,
27.36 miles in 1hr 56m at an average of 14.1 mph with 1005 ft climbed. Not a bad couple of hours work.
Now to warm my feet up...
