Yorkshire Remembrance Challenge

June

Day 32
1/06/15 Wet and windy evening ride; had intended to go to Calverley but at the fancy new junction on the A647 at Thornbury Barracks, turned right and followed the ring road down to the canal. The picture is the Cenotaph in Pudsey.

Route link: here
[A note on distance & time measurement: this evening I had two phones running Strava and a bike computer; they all gave different results!! Bike computer: 10.36 55.09; Strava a: 10.1 57:46; Strava b 10.8 56:45. I am opting for the first one, as I suspect/hope it is the most accurate! To save lots of cropping and pasting the daily routes, I'm just going to give a link to the Stava map etc, as above]

Today's miles: 10.36; Growing total: 347.49

Day 33
2/06/15 Dry and windy evening ride! Followed same route as last night. First photo shows a swan, still sitting on its nest; second shows barbed wire- a reminder of WW1.

Today's miles: 10.36; Growing total: 357.85; Route link: here

Day 34
3/06/15 Pre-breakfast ride, sunny and windy. To Armley by Tong Road, then joined canal towpath in Viaduct Road. Helped another cyclist with a puncture - very pleased when he introduced himself as one of my students from 10 years ago! Took pics of duck + ducklings, plus the dangerous gravel on BOTH sides of bridge 221.

Today's miles: 10.91; Growing total: 368.76; Route link: here

Day 35
4/06/15 Afternoon ride, lovely & sunny, testing a bike I'll soon be passing on. Went down Stanningley Road, then Canal Road, & then on to the canal towpath. Lots of people walking or cycling by the canal. Passed workmen sweeping uo gravel - hooray! Helpful cyclist stopped to check I was OK when I was investigating a slight, regular wheel-speed 'click, click..' - couldn't find cause!! Pics show ducks (well, actually, drakes...) & bike. I did cross-country MTB races on this machine- in the last millenium - removed mudguards for that ;-)

Today's miles: 11.50; Growing total: 380.26; Route link: here

Day 36
5/06/15 Early morning ride - along the ring road, left on to Whitehall Road, down to Armley Gyratory and onto the canal towpath. Despite early hour, it was very warm. Plenty of cyclists and runners on the towpath. Thought about photographing the Leeds city skyline, but opted for some bridges instead!

Today's miles: 13.03; Growing total: 393.29; Route link: here

Day 37
6/06/15 No ride - away in London for the day

Today's miles: 0; Growing total: 393.29;

Day 38
7/06/15 Early morning ride, similar to Friday's but left towpath to ride up Pollard Lane, so a bit shorter. Very few other cyclists - no commuters on Sunday! - but anglers were in situ taking advantage of the lovely sunny morning. With the fast ring road, and shorter canal section, this was my second fastest ride - 13.2 mph, only day 8 has been quicker (that was all on road, on v nice lightweight bike). I have noticed in the last few days that the transmission of my Woodrup bike is getting a bit worn - may have to replace lots of it (chainwheels, rear cogs, chain) quite soon. I fitted it in 2002, so it has done well!! Photo is a view of Leeds city.

Just heard Bradley Wiggins has taken the hour record today - 33.88 miles; my overall average is currently 11.2 mph - so he cycles more than three times quicker than me ;-)

Today's miles: 11.26; Growing total: 404.55; Route link: here

Day 39
8/06/15 Early morning ride, intended to be away from the traffic, & straightforward - and it was, until I got a puncture after 5.7 miles. Which would have been fine, except that I'd left my pump at home... still, it was a pleasant day, so a nice walk back! I've used the bike computer data, as the Strava info is a little inaccurate - it has knocked about half an hour off the time!!
Photos show bike and the pothole that may well have caused the pucture, and a close-up of the deflated tyre.

Today's miles: 11.40; Growing total: 415.95; Route link: here

Day 40
9/06/15 Early morning ride in sunshine. Did much the same route as yesterday, but riding all the way, so a great deal quicker!! The nesting swan is still nesting, so egg(s) not hatched yet.
Photo shows route 66 sign, but it isn't the one that 'winds from Chicago to L.A.' ;-)

Today's miles: 11.99; Growing total: 427.94;

Route links: here

Day 41
10/06/15 Another early morning ride in sunshine. Went along Stanningley Road, through to the canal in Armley, and hence to Rodley. If you know the area, you will see that the straight line Strava route from Rodley to Swinnow is a little fanciful!! Picture shows the patient heron, who posed long enough for me to stop, take off a glove, get out the camera & take the photo!
In the evening, rode into town for Leeds People's Choir, & came back via the canal. Goggles kept the midges away from my eyes, but I had to make sure I kept my mouth shut.... ;-)

Today's miles: 10.9+4.9+7.22=23.02; Growing total: 450.96;

Route links: Morning ride
Going to Leeds
Riding back

Day 42
11/06/15 No ride :-(

Today's miles: 0; Growing total: 450.96;

Day 43
12/06/15 Set off before breakfast, on the similar route to Wednesday (day 41). Loevely sunny morning. I think Strava is sneakily reducing my mph somehow - I'm sure it had my av speed as nearly 12 mph; will check with bike speedo when I'm next home. Luke tells me that trees etc prevent the GPS fom being as accurate as it might be... Pic shows pylon etc near canal at Kirkstall.

Today's miles: 10.1; Growing total: 461.06 - very nearly halfway!!

Route: here

Day 44
13/06/15 No ride :-(

Today's miles: 0; Growing total: 461.06;

Day 45
14/06/15 Late afternoon ride, to Armley on Stanningly bypass, then back along towpath. Am noticing the wear in the transmission - chain jumped off at one point :-(
Have exchanged post cataract op goggles for sunglasses - rather nicer & more comfortable! Pics show gravel free towpath & selfie (with sunglasses;-)

Today's miles: 10.90; Growing total: 472.08 - now more than halfway!!

Route: here

Day 46
15/06/15 Early afternoon ride: pleasant weather, went down to Wickes, then up to Tong, Drighlington & back by the ring road. Hilly! But I think easier this way round, anticlockwise, than the other way, which I did on a wet day in May - you get most of the climbing done in the first 4 miles. Pic shows the climb up from Wickes, Swinnow Lane.

Today's miles: 11.03; Growing total: 483.11; Route: here

Day 47
Tuesday 16/06/15 Pleasant afternoon ride mostly on canal towpath; didn't manage to record it with either smartphone!! Lots of commuter cyclists going home. Pics show swans - still no sign of signets...

Today's miles: 12.52; Growing total: 495.63; Route: not here :-(

Day 48
Wednesday 17/06/15 Evening ride: to Kirkstall, then a mile further towards Leeds along towpath, & back. The transmission on my road bike is now seriously worn - chain slipped yesterday 3 times, and it was same today. Have ordered replacements, and will be using mountain bike for next few days. Pic of canal boats in marina at Kirkstall.

Today's miles: 10.40; Growing total: 506.03; Route: here

Day 49
Thursday 17/06/15 Afternoon ride; fine but windy weather, to Leeds & back for some shopping, using my mountain bike. Pic of canal boats at Fallwood Marina. Later on, I was in Leeds again, so took a few photos of the War Memorial outside the Art Gallery.

Today's miles: 14.5; Growing total: 520.53; Route: here

Day 50
Friday 19/06/15 Afternoon ride; initially overcast & windy, but brightened up on the way home. Foolishly set off with low phone battery, which died when I tried to take a pic at the halfway mark. Rode mountain bike, but with just 3 gears as my attempt to replace the gear cable resulted in a tiny, weeny but vital part of the gear shifter falling out, and so far, I haven't found it!!

Today's miles: 12.2; Growing total: 532.73; Route out & back

Day 51
Saturday 20/06/15 Afternoon ride, more or less same route as yesterday. Lots of recreational cyclists, walkers, & canal boaters. Took pic I couldn't take yesterday - a signpost - one of a thousand on Sustrans bike routes paid for by Royal Bank of Scotland; (I'm sure that the money they spent on that wouldn't have paid for a computer system that didn't forget to send money to its customers). The other picture shows two swans, a signet & a goose. The swans used to look after this goose & another (see here, March 2013,) I suspect my posts for the next couple of weeks will be a little brief - I'm doing GCSE maths marking, which takes a lot of time!!!! I'll take pics but post them later.

Today's miles: 12.5; Growing total: 545.23; Route here

Day 52
Sunday 21/06/15 Late morning ride; as I'd found a passport in my front garden, I pedalled to Pudsey Police Station to hand it in - but there is no desk for the public anymore! Went round ring road then on to canal towpath, cunningly avoiding barrriers - inconvenient with a recumbent trike.... Alas, no pics today :-(

Today's miles: 11.2; Growing total: 556.43; Route here and here

Day 53
Monday 22/06/15 Went to collect parcel from PO depot in Bramley. Parcel contains replacement chainrings, rear sprockets & chain ;-) Then headed down to the towpath, & back to Rodley. Lots of commuters whizzing the other way. Photo of the 2 swans, but I can't see an egg :-( Also pic of old & new chainrings.

Today's miles: 11.10; Growing total: 567.53; Route here.

I'm afraid GCSE marking is affecting the quality of my daily reports!! Here are days 54 to 57:

Day 54 11.3mi 1:00:06 Route here.
Day 55 10.1mi 48:30 here.
Day 56 9.0mi 1:19:35 Two little trips: 2.2mi 12:20 here. & 6.8mi 1:07:15 here.
Day 57 10.29 00:52:23 here.

Day 58
Saturday 27/06/15 Early morning ride from Clun, Shropshire in sunny weather. Now if you're thinking, huh! he's in Shropshire now, and it's not long since he was in Scotland & before that, Brighton; what's all this about a Yorkshire Remembrance Challenge, I just say, look, if the Tour de France can start in the Netherlands (this year) or Yorkshire (2014), then the little Yorkshire Remembrance Challenge can pop out of Yorkshire once in a while! But I digress....
I just did a straightforward out & back ride, which Strava recorded as 9.4miles in 36:25 - 15.5 mph! but I think the bike computer was a bit more reliable at 10.14 miles in 47:38, a more realistic 12.8 mph. I took a couple of pictures - (displayed in a bigger than usual large size, a feeble attempt to compensate for the lack of pics this week) - of a horse, and a nice view with a field, sheep & a church.

Today's miles: 10.14; Growing total: 618.36; Route here.

Day 59
Sunday 28/06/15 An early morning ride through the damp Shropshire countryside near Clun; pics show the view when I turned round at 5 miles, and a then little war memorial at Purslow. There were 26 names from WW1, 5 from WW2 and one from the Gulf war, 1991.

Today's miles: 10.04 ; Growing total: 628.40; Route (with exaggerated speed!) here.

Sorry; back to minimal posts again!!

Day 60 10.70 miles; 639.10 done; route here.
Day 61 13.43 miles; 652.53 done; route here.
(but I have now fitted a new 22t chainwheel, so I'm hoping slipping chain will be a thing of the past! And tightened up the nuts & bolts for the other chainwheels, which had somehow become loose since last week's installation #shouldhaveusedtorquewrench)

Give here!!

Links to other pages: Remembrance May July