Up early today with an errand to run first thing, but still managed to be out on the bike by 8am.
By 'eck it were 'ot!
So I decided to do a qualifying ride for the half century challenge. Well, why wouldn't you?
Up Coal Road and Red Hall Lane and onto the A58 - which has been surface dressed...
Fortunately I was only going a couple of hundred yards to the Whin Moor Lane turning, but it was far enough to get a couple of tarry chippings stuck to the front tyre. Pinged them off and carried on into Shadwell, left on Main street and up to Slaid Hill lights where it was right onto Wike Ridge Lane and through the dip, then right again onto Tarn Lane all the way across to Ling Lane, down past all the millionaires houses on what must be the worst surfaced road in the district. It made me glad I'd pumped my tyres back up to 110psi last night...
Back out onto the A58 and noticed that the surface dressing had got all the way to the Ling lane junction, but fortunately I was going down the hill into Scarcroft away from it all.
Rapidly down the hill and right after the lights onto the first Thorner Lane of the day, carrying on descending to the base of Scarcroft Hill where the climb up to Milner Lane kicks in. Huffing and puffing to the top and you're rewarded by an always enjoyable ride along the ridge top all the way to Holme Farm Lane and onto the East Rigton and then up onto Bramham Lane, which was nicely deserted again today.
Across Jewitt Lane and up onto another Thorner Lane, through the dip at warp speed 9 and up the other side and on to Thorner Road for the slightly downhill run to Bramham.
Just before the A1(M) bridge I was having such fun and the weather was so good that I decided to turn right onto West Woods Road and do an imperial half instead of a metric one. Well, what could possibly go wrong?
Before I knew it I was at Wattlesyke Roundabout, so straight across and the fast descent towards Wetherby, turning right just before the town on the A168 and then over the A1(M) at the next bridge, heading towards the race course. Past there and on to Thorp Arch, where I added a loop in before crossing the river and climbing up into Boston Spa and down Main Street heading for open country in a Tadcaster-ish direction on the A659.
After almost turning up a farm entrance, I did turn right to Toulston, crossing the closed Tadcaster-Wetherby railway line and steadily climbing, climbing, climbing before dropping down onto Toulston Lane, where a loop around three sides of the Tadcaster Grammer School grounds saw me cross the A659 again and drop down to the bridge over the A64 (very busy for some reason today...) and the long descent into Stutton beckoned.
As I needed the miles, and because I haven't done it for a while, I took a ride down Fanny Lane and through the village, crossing Cock Beck for the first time of the day and along the single track road out to the A162.
Up the hill and left onto Raw Lane, where I set a rapid pace heading for Ulleskelf. I was really going to pay for all these tailwinds at some point, but some times you've just got to take advantage haven't you?
Though Ulleskelf village and stopped for a drink, sustenance and some photos:
Did I mention it was hot? And feeling like it was getting hotter by the minute?
So, I set off again towards Church Fenton, taking a left just before the village to do a loop of the airfield. You can imagine my joy when after a few hundred yards I found that Brackenhill Lane has also been surface dressed. Fortunately it looks like it was a few weeks ago, but there were still some loose chips which stuck to my tyres with the melting tar and needed pinging off again. Anyway, I eventually crossed the East Coast Mainline and dropped down into Ryther, where it was left again heading for Ozendyke and into that wind. Nowt for it but to drop a couple of gears and spin it out, all the way back to Ulleskelf, before heading back to Church Fenton to complete the loop.
Through the village and up onto the railway bridge where I spotted a couple of photographers looking down the line - just as
Leander came into view hauling a charter train heading for Scarborough. Sadly I didn't have time to get my phone out for a snap, but it fair warms the heart to see a proper train on a line that is almost exclusively used by anonymous multiple units these days. The crew looked rather warm on the footplate though!
Anyway, heart gladdened it was back into the headwind for the long straight to Barkston Ash, a quick wiggle on the A162 and the climbing slog into the wind before the all too short drop into Saxton, where I took a left past the cricket club, stopping at Linda's Bench for a well earned breather in the shade of a tree and some more photos:
Back into the saddle and into the home straight now, heading away from the village and dropping down onto Copley Lane for the run to Lotherton Gates, passing lots of motorcyclists heading the other way, presumably to Squires at Sherburn.
Right towards Aberford, eventually dropping down the hill under the A1(M) where traffic was crawling along.
Through the village and the ups and downs (but mainly ups) of Cattle lane awaited, before the plunge down to Cock Beck and the long grind up the hill to Barwick in the blazing sun.
Eventually reached the village and a bit of respite along Main Street, before the climb continues almost all the way to Scholes and still into that wind, before dropping down to the Coronation Tree and the long straight of Leeds Road, still into the wind but finally down hill again to Cock Beck for the final time, back up the other side and then local roads to home. It's safe to safe I was absolutely cream crackered, but happy to have completed the imperial half.
51.15 miles (82.31km) in
3h 42m at an average of
13.8mph with
21.81ft climbed and an average temperature of
22.2°C (maximum temperature of 28.0°C)
So, a ride I really enjoyed although the last 10-15 miles into that headwind were hard work at times, especially as it just got warmer and warmer. That said, I now have some impressive tan lines
and it's another entry in the half century challenge.
Loads of cyclists out, unsurprisingly, making the most of it and the metal box drivers generally behaved themselves.
And to end, the map:
Garmin laughably states the wind was just 4mph - the BBC forecast a more realistic 15mph...
Now to rehydrate and carb load for tomorrows ride...