Out with an hour or so to kill before the shop opened, I decided a tootle around some local roads would be the thing to get my old legs working.
You'll be pleased to hear that I managed to replicate the chain falling off fault within half a mile of home...
As it was downhill I thought I'd freewheel to the bottom, making full use of all that free gravity. It was going well until two doofus dog walkers just wandered into the road and I had to slam on.
Anyhow, chain back on, and through Cross Gates and a little mile long sector out into the countryside that I created ages ago but haven't ridden on the road bike for months. I fair flew along there but by heck did I know about it on the way back - the wind today was something else wasn't it?
The weather forecast had said 12 mph, but it felt like at least twice that.
However not to be too downhearted, I rode up to Leeds Road and set a new PB up the hill into Scholes with the wind at my back.
My original plan had been to do a long loop through Scholes and on to the bike shop, but when I got to the Coronation Tree there was the sign that cyclists dread most:
Yep, Main Street has been "surface dressed" from just beyond the Coronation Tree as far as the eye could see and the chippings were an inch or deep so at the roadside, as well as being scattered all over the first 20 yards or so of Leeds Road.
So, that Scholes loop plan was abandoned - it genuinely feels like I'm being boxed in by stone chippings at the moment - as well as here in Scholes, York Road and Wetherby Road have also been effectively put out of bounds for cyclists this week and they're not being stingy with the amount of razor sharp jagged chippings they're putting down either.
It's particularly annoying in Scholes as this was on Stage 2 of this years TdY route (and included the sprint), so a lot of cyclists will want to ride it this summer, yet they've chosen the least cyclist friendly way of resurfacing the road.
Back down Leeds Road, into the wind now and knowing all about it, before a loop through Cross Gates to discover that Austhorpe Road is also closed for roadworks, so over the Ring Road and onto the Cycle Super Highway for a downhill saunter.
Got to the shop 10 mins before it opened but had a nice chat while waiting with a guy in Saxo Tinkoff kit who was there with his grandson to buy him a bike.
Fair play to
Halfords they sorted the problem there and then with no arguments and I was on my way in just under half an hour. Good work Lester.
I decided to give the bike a road test to ensure it was OK and not fancying tackling the stonechipped Highways to Hell, decided to head down Foundry Lane and then towards Roundhay Park via Oakwood Clock.
Blimey, we have some shocking road surfaces round here - Foundry Lane after Wykebeck Valley Road is appalling - it was like being off road such was the state of the tarmac. Whats annoying is that the road here really does need resurfacing, but the council have instead stone chipped other roads that were in a much better state.
From there I turned up Oakwood Lane past the leisure centre, which wasn't a great deal better and it was into the wind again which really slowed progress.
So, changing plans again I turned into Dib Lane, then took a turn through the Fearnvilles where I haven't been on a bike in 30 years. Not much has changed to be honest, there are just more cars parked outside the houses.
Over the beck and onto the Wyke Beck Way, then onto North Parkway for the long climb up to the Ring Road, made much easier by being wind assisted
Onto the CSH, passing a neighbour on her way to work. She said hello back but I'm not sure she realised it was me on the bike!
Under the Ring Road and then up Coal Road before looping back towards home, with a final once around the block to round the mileage up.
15.01 miles (24.15km) in a moving time of
1h 9m at an average of
13.0mph with
711ft climbed. Enjoyed the ride today and don't feel knackered so that's an improvement on yesterday, plus the indexing / chain issues seem to have finally been resolved
And as the weather is so nice (our back yard is nicely sheltered from the breeze), it's BBQ for tea!
and hello's, mostly from kids out playing and a chap and his daughter out for a spin.
x
. Then went towards Naphill and turned left through Braddenham Woods another nice decent towards West Wycombe then the long drag upto Stockenchurch hard on the legs after the Fnrttc. However worth it for the amazing decent down the A40 to Aston from there to Watlington through to RAF Benson and then the nasty road up to Nettlebed 
wind was picking up headwind of course 
.
