Wednesday Ride
Double socks day for a -1°C (feels like -6°C!) start to a glorious wintry ride out! The announcement didn’t take long as all 11 riders agreed to take on Mike Winterhalder’s amended Route 225, though sadly without him as he opted for a warm lie-in! Good progress made to Leadhall Lane when suddenly I realised I wasn’t actually changing gears… so I diverted off-piste for a praiseworthy pit-stop at Prologue then wove my way back up through the roadworks on Cold Bath Road, and floated up the smooth newly tarmacked Pannal Ash Rd to Burnbridge. Swiftly on through Kirkby Overblow and Sicklinghall to Wetherby to join the side of the noisy A1(M)! In need of peace, I went off-piste again down icy Rhodes Lane (photo) & Willow Lane to Clifford and picked up the road to Bramham then along Rudgate to join most of the group at the Thorp Arch café – I’d just missed Bob J, Howard & Derek leaving but the rest were still awaiting their food, so time for a warming brew. Then off along the Railway Path back to Wetherby, where Steve B, Sally & I kept a steady pace in the face of a bitter wind but with the sun on our backs through Little Ribston and up the sad snowless ski slope. Mike Wills and Liz P turned left at Little Ribston while Colin, Peter and Roger swept right towards Knaresborough, though an inaccessible chain tension issue in the bottom bracket meant that Roger unfortunately finished his ride back to Bilton on foot. Well done riders for getting up and out there for a fine ride in pleasant company ! Stats with my déviations : 45 miles & 2,657 ft. Yvonne
