Some great rides reported already today, so here's my contribution:
To be fair, we'd planned stuff for today the idea being to leave the rest of the weekend free for me to get out on the bike. But that was before we saw the weekend weather forecast...
The ever wonderful Mrs ND suggested that we bin this afternoons plans off so I could get out on the bike - what a woman!
So, out just after 1pm on a glorious warm sunny, if a bit breezy, spring day. So warm in fact that the bib shorts made their first appearance of the year.
Out on local roads and up to Scholes, then straight on to Barwick, right onto Long Lane for the quick descent down to Garforth with the wind now right in my face. Just after crossing Cock Beck there are double solid white lines on the road and a cautious car was hanging back behind me as we rounded the bend (fair enough), but somewhere behind him, some herbert had found that his car had a horn and was honking away for England. Anyway, the cars passed as the road straightened out, and what I presume was Honking Harry in his Seat Leon passed far too close whilst his passenger bravely shouted out of his open window. Poor lad seemed to be suffering from Tourettes, so I suppose we should feel sorry for him.
Anyhow, over the M1 which had 3 lanes of barely moving traffic heading for the A1/A64 and up into Garforth. Up the A642 without incident and back over the M1 (more of the same queues) and the quick run down to Aberford. Left into the village and a quick sprint down the hill, fast enough to set off the 'Slow Down' sign with the wind behind me
Right towards Lotherton hall and under the A1(M) (lots more slow moving traffic) and up the hill, past Lotheron Hall where the entrance queue was almost back onto the main road and then the road to Sherburn, which is still more suitable to a 4x4 than a road bike given the number of potholes and craters.
But then, whats this? At the boundary line stretched out in front of me was fresh, smooth tarmac - so new it hadn't even been whitelined yet. Bliss!
Up the hill towards saxton, where I stopped just short of the village at Lindas Bench for a drink, a photo and to take a layer off, such was the temperature:
Refreshed and back on the bike it was through the village and up the Saxton Summit climb to the B1217 (new PR and 2nd in KoM
)
Right towards Towton on a busy bit of road, but with all the drivers playing the game which was nice.
Left in Towton, where I was passed by a green Mondeo that did that slow pass / wrong gear thing, but with plenty of room, followed immediately by two police traffic cars, then half a dozen other cars. As we left the village the first traffic car lit up the lightbar and pulled out round the Mondeo and then pulled in tight in front of him as the second car closed the gap at the rear and put his lights on. This caused a bit of a queue as other drivers had to wait for gaps in oncoming traffic to get round and as we queued a third traffic car pulled up alongside me. Honestly, it was like being in a episode of Traffic Cops just without Jamie Theakston...
Round 5-0 and their perp and down the hill, before taking the left into Stutton. Straight through the village and up the hill, over the A64 (more queuing traffic heading east) and the Garnet Lane Climb (another new PR), eventually turning left towards Bramham. Wanting to make sure I got my 50km in, I took a right on the edge of the village and rode down the infamous Windmill, hitting a top speed of 40.4mph
on my way to Clifford where a very nice Arriva bus driver waited for me to get past a line of parked cars up the main street, before giving me a cheery wave as I acknowledged him.
Down the hill back into Bramham, where I tackled the Col de Town Hill in what felt like a fast time but when I checked it was only my 4th best up there - that said, the HIIT sessions I've been doing are paying off.
Back round and onto NCN R66 / Paradise way for the run down to Bramham Cross Roads where guess what - loads of slow moving traffic on the A1(M) heading north - why do they do it?
The normally rapid run from there down to Aberford was tempered slightly by having the wind in my face again and from there I decided to retraced my earlier route down to Garforth, then back to Barwick up Long Lane (another PR!), before the drag up the hill towards Scholes, where the descent to the Coronation Tree was spoiled by the wind - I hate having to pedal down hill. The run down Leeds Road from there was similarly wind effected, combining with now tiring legs to slow progress. Then local roads up to home, sheltered from the worst of the wind.
So,
34.8 miles (56 km) in just under
2 hrs 24 m at an average of
14.5 mph with 2007 ft climbed and 4 new PRs. Well pleased with that, especially for an unexpected bonus ride.
And (according to Garmin) an average temperature of 13.4 degrees C, although it felt a lot warmer at times.
The forecast does not look good for the rest of the weekend (40+mph winds tomorrow, then rain Sunday / Monday), but at least I've got one decent ride in the bag ahead of next weeks Vale Vélo
. The route took me from Southampton, up to Fort Nelson, then into Denmead, followed by Winchester, Upham, Fair Oak, West End, Thornhill, then down to Weston, Woolston, over the Itchen bridge, and home.
