Yorkshire Remembrance Challenge

May

Day 1
Friday 1/05/15 Set off at 7 am; nice sunny morning; rode to Kirkstall, then along the canal to Rodley & back home. Pics show bike in kitchen, heron sunning itself on far side of canal, the nasty gravel on towpath, and speedo.

Today's miles: 10.19

Day 2
Saturday 2/05/15 Set off at 7.20 am; weather overcast but dry; rode to Rodley, then along the canal to Apperley Bridge & then back home. Today's pics: ducks & cows, and a heron again!

Today's miles: 10.02; Growing total: 20.21

Day 3
Sunday 3/05/15 Rainy ride! Left at 8.20am; took more or less same route as Friday - Kirkstall, Rodley, home! Attempted to take pics en route but my wet fingers wouldn't make the phone camera work :-( So just pics of wet me, and speedo.

Today's miles: 10.11; Growing total: 30.32

Day 4
Monday 4/05/15 Late Bank holiday start - 10.30; to Rodley, then along towpath to Kirkstall, and back past Newlay Locks, up Pollards Lane and home. Lots of walkers & cyclists - including 3 trailers.

Today's miles: 11.25; Growing total: 41.57

Day 5
Tuesday 5/05/15 7.15 a.m. start; drizzle throughout. Nevertheless, lots of commuter cyclists going the other way along the towpath, plus one runner & dog, and a cheery Canal Trust worker, who told me the crow is always happy to pose! Other pic shows dripping leaves, and map, as I managed to recall my Strava password, and remember to switch it on at start of ride!!

Today's miles: 10.03; Growing total: 51.60

Day 6
Wednesday 6/05/15 7.30 a.m. start; bright and blustery. Cars queueing on Leeds Bradford Road. Lovely sense of tranquility riding by the canal. Pics show trusty Woodrup bike, patient horses, canal at Rodley & Strava map.

Later, added more miles to & from Choir. Today's miles: 20.00; Growing total: 71.60

Day 7
Thursday 7/05/15 Set off at 7.10 a.m; nice, sunny day. Pic shows my shadow at Newlay locks.

Today's miles: 10.20; Growing total: 81.80

Day 8
Friday 8/05/15 Started at 10.15 a.m. from Hove; weather overcast and gloomy, like the Election news.... Rode to Shoreham Port, then back to Brighton pier. Used nice borrowed carbon fibre road bike, hence inrease in speed! Pics show bike & route.

Today's miles: 9.80; Growing total: 91.60

Day 9
Saturday 9/05/15 Pedalled west through Brighton and out past Roedean, then climbed down the cliff steps to the Undercliff path, and battled back into the wind. Got back in tome to avoid the rain. Pics show the choppy sea, with Brighton in the background, and the route.

Today's miles: 10.30; Growing total: 101.90

Day 10
Sunday 10/05/15 Rode with son Francis, up to the hills N of Brighton, then looped round to Saltdean & back along the Undercliff path. Pics show me climbing a steep hill (I'd just got back on ;-), then whizzing along a trail, and the route and height profile; I've shrunk the horizontal scale so it looks more impressive....

Today's miles: 15.60; Growing total: 117.50

Day 11
Monday 11/05/15 Evening ride; through Pudsey to Calverley, Greengates then back along the canal. Pics show a rather dull road(sorry!), and the route.

Today's miles: 11.10; Growing total: 128.60

Day 12
Tuesday 12/05/15 Morning ride: Kirkstall, Rodley & home. Overcast, then rain for last few miles. Queue of cars on Leeds & Bradford Road. Cyclist stopped to check I was OK when I was on the towpath taking a pic - thank you, cyclist! Pics show horrid gravel on the towpath, and the route.

Today's miles: 10.01; Growing total: 138.61

Day 13
Wednesday 13/05/15 Morning ride; pleasant dry still weather. Went to Rodley, then towpath to Greengates & back. Strava version of the route & speed is a little fanciful, so I'm using the bike computer's figures!
Later, added more miles to & from Choir. Pics show a swan on its nest, its mate, a tree & reflection, and the 'route'.

Today's miles: 20.09; Growing total: 158.70

Day 14
Thursday 14/05/15 Afternoon ride, on tricycle. Rode to Kirkstall via Stanningley Road & Cockshott Lane, then to Rodley along the towpath. Had to do little loop near home to make up the 10 miles. Weather: overcast. Pics show trike by the canal, and the route.

Today's miles: 10.20; Growing total: 168.90

Day 15
Friday 15/05/15 Morning ride, without smartphone, so no Strava. Drighlington, Tong, Roker Lane, and home via the paper shop. Dull at first, brightening to beautiful sunny May morning. This was a Hilly Ride - will definitely post height profile when I do it again! Sole pic shows the mileage.

Today's miles: 10.18; Growing total: 179.08

Day 16
Saturday 16/05/15 Midday ride, with charged phone, so Strava and bike computer both working. Kirkstall, canal towpath to Rodley & home. Pics show nice tree in blossom, and route.

Today's miles: 10.20; Growing total: 189.28

Day 17
Sunday 17/05/15 Early ride, did little extra loop at start before Kirkstall via Stanningley Road & Cockshott Lane, then to Rodley along the towpath and home, but came in a shade under 10 miles. Lots of dog walkers on towpath, but fewer cyclists than a weekday. Pics show canal & locks at Newlay, and the route.

Today's miles: 9.90; Growing total: 199.18

Day 18
Monday 18/05/15 Rain at times. Rode into Leeds the quick way, & back along the towpath. In Leeds, dropped phone, & broke glass :-( So there may be a dearth of Strava soon! Coming home, met some horses (two tethered, one not) on the road by the canal at Kirkstall. Fortunately it is 'no cars' there, & equally fortunately, the horses were friendly!! Pics show one of the horses, and the route.

Today's miles: 14.40; Growing total: 213.58

Day 19
Tuesday 19/05/15 Early morning ride: sunshine on wet roads when I set off, but rain after a couple of miles. I'd intended to do a nice flat ride along the ring road, but got stuck in traffic at the Ford Ringways roundabout, so peddled up the A58 through New Farnley to Drightlington & then Tong. The A58 goes up, so along with the rain, I had a hill and a headwind for the next few miles!! I was surprised to find a cemetry with Commonwealth War Graves in New Farnley - see pic. Other picture shows route.

Today's miles: 11.50; Growing total: 225.08

Day 20
Wedesday 20/05/15 Sunny. Set off before breakfast, riding my mountain bike in an attempt to negotiate the towpath gravel more easily. It didn't feel very easy (though one 10 minute section was just 14 sec slower than my fastest time). Discovered the gears on the mountain bike are jumping from time to time - not good!!(8.6 miles) Headed for home a bit early, having taken nice pics of the canal, & the bike.

In the evening, went to & from choir. (10.01 miles)

Today's miles: 18.61 Total miles done: 243.69

Day 21
Thursday 21/05/15 No miles at all! Was just sorting out my cycling gear when St James Hosp phoned to offer cataract op appointment today, due to a cancellation. All went well, but I'll be off my bike for a little while :-(

Today's miles: 0 Total miles done: 243.69

Day 22
Friday 22/05/15 No miles at all - see above!!

Today's miles: 0 Total miles done: 243.69

Day 23
Saturday 23/05/15 No miles at all - see above!!

Today's miles: 0 Total miles done: 243.69

Day 24
Sunday 24/05/15 Back on the bike ;-) Evening ride through Pudsey to Calverley, Greengates & back along the towpath. Wore goggles to protect cataract-free right eye! Pics show War Memorial at Calverley, canal near Apperley Bridge, and route.

Today's miles: 11.24 Total miles done: 254.93

Day 25
Monday 25/05/15 Set off late morning, fairly grey weather; rode through Pudsey, Thornbury, Greengates & back along the towpath. Took photos of War Memorial at Greengates, and there is a route map.

Today's miles: 11.70 Total miles done: 266.63

Day 26
Tuesday 26/05/15 Set off at 8:15, rode down to Armley, then back along the canal. Stopped to help commuter cyclist with puncture - my pump eventually got some air into the tyre. One section of the towpath has had its horrible gravel removed - I do hope the rest will go soon!! No photos as phone not behaving nicely, but there is a route map.

Today's miles: 11.60 Total miles done: 278.23

Day 27
Wednesday 27/05/15 Had breakfast before starting on very similar route to yesterday. Have made up for yesterday's dearth of pics: a view of the goggles I'm using, post cataract op; the canal at Kirkstall, looking east & west, showing the vanished gravel (yes I know an oxymoron when I see one), and my trusty Woodrup. And finally, a route map.

Today's miles: 11.80 Total miles done: 290.03

Day 28
Thursday 28/05/15 Set off at 8.15, on a slightly new route - down Swinnow Lane to Tong Road, towards Holbeck. Round the Armley Gyratory (easy when clogged with rush hour traffic) then on to the canal towpath and back home. Just one photo, St Anne's Ings lock, plus the route map.

Today's miles: 11.70 Total miles done: 301.73

Day 29
Friday 29/05/15 Afternoon ride a few miles N of Glasgow: Kirkintilloch to Twechar & back along the Forth & Clyde canal towpath. Rode borrowed mountain bike. The towpath was mostly surfaced with tarmac - nice to ride on - ie Not Gravel!! Pics show bike & plaque at Twechar, and the route map.

Today's miles: 10.90 Total miles done: 301.73

Day 30
Saturday 30/05/15 Morning ride with Luke and Amelie (in trailer): Kirkintilloch to Lennoxtown, then up to Lennox Castle, a disused psychiatric hospital, now in ruins following a fire in 2008. We mostly followed a cycle path on an abandoned railway line. I rode Luke's Carrera road bike - a bit highly geared for me - no granny ring! Pics show Amelie & me at Lennox castle, Luke & trailer, and the route map.

Today's miles: 13.60 Total miles done: 326.23

Day 31
Suday 31/05/15 Late afternoon ride in sunshine & showers, again riding Luke's road bike; just pedalled westwards along the Forth & Clyde canal towpath & back. Saw two swan families, & thought I'd photograph them on the way back - but they'd gone, so no cute Scottish cygnet pics alas! Pics shows the bike & a self-explanatory sign, and the route map.

Today's miles: 10.90 Total miles done: 337.13

Or see the Strava page

Give here!!

Links to other pages: Remembrance June July