I had intended simply meeting up with a few of Wakefield Triathlon Club this morning, & help out on their beginners/'improvers' ride, before peeling off, to go up to Roman Ridge Road, to see 60103 'Flying Scotsman' come past, on a charter run
WTC plan was; Castleford > Barnsdale Road > Allerton Bywater cross-roads > Newton Lane > Fairburn village > over 'old A1 > Lunnfield Lane > Burton Salmon > Hillam > Birkin Café
But.... my own Club was departing from nearby (by Bridge Motorcycles), & they passed us on Lock Lane, at a fair lick as I was sat at the back, so I left WTC, & jumped across the 200 yards to 'FRC'
They were rolling along at a nice speed, along Barnsdale Road (A656), so I stayed, I did expect a charge up 'Mary Pannall', but no, as they turned off at the top towards Kippax
I carried on, past the remains of Ledston Luck colliery, passing over the roundabout at Peckfield Bar, where the (A63) Leeds - Selby turnpike intersects it (as some of the mileposts have it named on them!)
Eg; this is near Monk Fryston
Coming to Roman Ridge Bridge, there was 5 others there, already waiting
It was about 10 minutes late, so after smelling the steam & hot oil one last time, back on the bike
Up slightly further along Ridge Road, turn right into Micklefield, to get onto the old
Great North Road
Back south, along this famous route, rejoining the dual-carriagewayed (old) A1, at 'Boot & Shoe' junction (now just a roundabout, not the flyover, for southbound traffic - but the embankment is still there!!)
Down the A1, to Selby Fork, as it was known, when the A63, quite literally was that, as it left the A1
Over the new A1, & onto the A63
Over the 'Tadcaster Turnpike' (A162 Brotherton - Tadcaster), & into Monk Fryston, passing the gorgeous Hall, & the thatched cottage on the corner
Right turn, onto Water Hill, towards the back lanes & Birkin
A bit of effort, as I knew that I'd possibly intersect with WTC, at some point after the Cross Keys in middle of Hillam
I'd keep seeing odd riders in front, & managed to catch/pass a couple. but no group
However, just as I got into the village, I caught them, just as they turned off Roe Lane, onto Haddlesey Road
Felt quite pleased with myself, even though they were a slower group, as I'd gone a lot further, & waited a while at the bridge
A very busy café, with a lot of Clubs represented;
Barnsley Road Club
Ravensthorpe CC
Knottingley Velo
etc.....
even, one rider from my own Club!
I left them eating cake, & headed off, via Birkin Lane, towards Byram & Knottingley
Down the 'old' A1, to the Knottingley-Pontefract- Wakefield road (A645)
Through Pontefract, with that appalingly surfaced little drag, near PGI, into Featherstone
Off at Streethouse, through there, & onto the wonderfully named Hell Lane!
(used as part of the route of a Wakefield CC road-race)
Onto the 'conservation village' of Heath, as there was a classic car (& bus) show there
http://www.heathresidentsassociation.co.uk/
Then back home, in time for a bottle of SuperMalt
my usual jaunt down the lanes. Stopped and talked to a local cyclist from Mach who was standing on the bridge over the Dovey with his bike. He told me he had just seen a kingfisher going up and down the river. He said the flash of electric blue couldn't be missed, and that he had never seen one before. Neither have I, and i didn't see it today either. 
) and left again onto Milner Lane for that sharp climb onto the ridge past the stables where the paddock was full of 4x4's, caravans and tents today instead of the usual horses, then along the ridge with the breeze behind me, seeing no-one but a jogger and a cyclist heading the opposite way until I started to drop down into East Rigton, then Rigton Green and onto the old stalwart, Bramham Lane for the deserted swoop between the hedgerows. Just before the S-bend there was another cyclists heading the opposite way so a quick hello and it was back to the usual solitude, crossing Jewitt Lane and climbing up to Thorner Lane.
round the S-bends and then the lumpy but generally climbing wend back up to the A58 
A ride that was so enjoyable that not even my 'new' (purchased 1st June) Boardman gloves starting to come apart along the seam could take the shine off it.
. So I settled for my staple beans on toast . While sitting chatting my wahoo bolt bleeped to say only 13% charge I thought should be enough to get home .Non direct route home Wymwold ,Rempstone , Hoton ,Loughborough on to my commuting route home via Barrow ,Mountsorrel ,Rothley ,Cropston and Anstey . Climbing the last hill the wahoo bolt shut down ,oh dear I thought home plugged into charger and got message recoverying ride 
