First ride in 8 days, due to a combination of injury and work.
Decided to take it steady and head out on the hybrid with the more upright riding position, sticking to a loop where I'd never be more than a couple of miles or so from home just to see how I got on.
Slight diversion heading out as yet another street is being resurfaced, then under the Windmill Roundabout and out onto the shared path that runs parallel alongside the Ring Road and on to Limewood Approach.
From there it's pretty much downhill all the way to Easterly Road, brief pause at the traffic lights and a right left wiggle onto Wetherby Road and on past the car park and up to the park gates, taking the shared space / NCN R677 alongside the lake, past the cafe and up to Barrans Fountain where I stopped for a stretch and a drink with 3 miles done.
There were lots of joggers around several of whom who seemed not only quite grumpy, but appeared under the impression that the park belonged to them.
Sorry guys, it's a shared space (part of the National Cycle Network), and I'd moderated my speed to not much more than walking pace so I'd done my part.
I've since found out that there is a Park Run there on a Saturday morning slightly later on (so it hadn't even started when i was there!) - although some participants in this one clearly don't share the cheery air of the Park Runners at Temple Newsam.
I retraced my route back along the lake towards Wetherby Road and it was busy again, with joggers, dog walkers and general meanderers, meaning most of this stretch was just freewheeled, taking care to give everyone lots of room - I must remember that while it's a nice ride, it isn't one for a Saturday morning in future.
Perhaps part of the problem is that there are virtually no signs indicating that this is a shared space so people are just unaware that there will be anything other than pedestrians here? Something for the powers that be to consider perhaps.
Down to the car park and back onto Wetherby Road for a hundred yards or so and onto the Wyke Beck Way (WBW). Unlike the park section, this was almost deserted but suffering from encroachment by nature from both sides and above - stinging nettles almost meeting in the middle of the path in a couple of places and a low hanging tree branch or two to contend with.
Out across Easterly Road and down the WBW to North Parkway, where I joined the road and cycled back up to the Windmill Roundabout. Having a bit left in my legs, I added a long loop up Coal Road and back down Sherburn Road, with a final loop around the block to push the mileage on.
8.08 miles (13.0 km) in
45m 38s at an average of
10.6mph, with
492ft climbed. Not my greatest ever ride, but it was just good to get out on the bike. The level of huffing and puffing suggests a notch of fitness has gone with the last week, and I'm feeling it the effects of it now, but you've got to get out there haven't you?
Roll on tomorrow.
. One of my Skyride Social riders
.
