cycling Archives - Page 2 of 2 - RAMBLING EXCURSIONS

HAREWOOD CIRCULAR

Nice local 19 mile ride. starting the directions from Adel church ride north past the church on your right and take a right past Headingley Golf Club and past York Gate Garden then left down Staircase Lane. A nice downhill until over the bridge theres quite an ascent past Adel Woods, great for mountain biking and dog walks. At the T junction with King Lane turn left and first right onto Alwoodley Lane. Gawp at all the weird and wonderful mansions all the way along this road until you meet traffic lights at the crossroads, where you carry straight on onto Wigton Lane otherwise known as millionaires row. At the T-junction at Shadwell turn left downhill and uphill turn first right.

This is a lovely quiet country road where I saw Red Kites and a Kestral. Carry straight on across the next two junctions through Scarcroft until you meet the A58 Wetherby road and turn left, ride along here for a short while and turn left at East Rigton, or you can turn sooner and go through Bardsey, making your way to Rigton Grange. At the T-junction turn right towards East Keswick. Nice pub at Bardsey incidentally, another “oldest pub in England!” The Bingley Arms. Oh and another in East Keswick too, The Duke of Wellington. After passing this pub at a right bend turn left up a quiet country lane. This eventually joins up with the A659 from Collingham to Harewood. This is the least pleasant bit of this ride as it can be a busy and fast road. However, once you reach Harewood, you will be riding off road through the Harewood estate. So at the traffic lights, straight ahead will be the gates of the Harewood estate, but don’t go through here, turn right and then second left, Church Lane, straight on through the village and straight into the estate. Muddy Boots cafe is well worth a stop.

This ride was done on my Volt Kensington pictured above. Below that is one of the stags that roam the area. follow the road until you meet a cross roads and carry straight on, over the cattle grid bear right and follow this until you reach the gate. Here, at the village of Weardly, turn left uphill. At the top follow the road round the left bend. The next uphill is a killer. I had to stop halfway and nearly fainted when I reached the top. Some fab views – see below.

This is Red Kite country. Click on the link to find out about the reintroduction of this bird, which had been driven to extinction in this country. They have spread all over the country but are most prevalent here. They are beautiful, majestic birds and I never tire of watching them soar over the county.

From here continue on the road past the New Inn , another that’s worth a stop, and keep on going straight until you arrive back where you started.

Dalby Forest most exciting ride so far.

Mike and I had a long weekend in the caravan on the edge of the Wykham Forest just north of the village of Sawdon. It would be the first time that I would ride my new bike off road on trails around the forest. We stayed on a Caravan Club CL site called Granary Farm. These are small sites that only take 5 caravans. They are very quiet and are cheaper normally. This site was basically just a nice field with electric and water, which is fine for us as we have all our own facilities in our caravan. Best of all was its position between Wykham and Dalby forests. I was excited to try my bike out “off road”.

First afternoon was a quick ride around Wkyham forest. The next day I had used my OS map app “Outdoors GB”, to plan a ride from where we were through Dalby forest down to Thornton Le Dale and back = 22 miles but boy did it feel like more than that!

So the footage is from my iPhone on the handlebars of my bike, the mount is not brilliant, hence the amount of shake lol! But it gives you some idea of what the tracks were like. My arms certainly felt the vibrations. There were lots of earthworks and tumuli, dikes and barrows. Didn’t have time to stop and examine though.

I reached a junction with a road from Snainton at Cockmoor Hall (farm) and searched and eventually found the track through and beside woods at Six Dikes. This is where the fun began and I came off the bike the first time. It was very muddy and there were deep ruts and here began a steep learning curve. I couldn’t decide whether to keep in the tracks/ruts or try to ride beside them or up on a bank of grass. So I tried all of them. When my bike went from under me I was glad to have my helmet on. Undeterred I carried on and ended up having to cross an extremely rutted muddy field.

You can see that my tyres, although quite fat, have none of the knobbly bits of mountain bike tyres, which is why I found it so slippy. My bike is a hybrid so its fine for the trails that have harder ground but probably not the best for this kind of terrain.

So after this field at Stonygate Moor I bore right and down a ridge into the Dalby forest. It was a great downhill ride.

Again I’m afraid its very shaky but again it gives you some idea of what it was like. then it was down the more substantial track to Ellerburn. Along the valley to Thornton Le Dale. I did a little detour in the town and then along the main road to Wilton and turned left at Allerston up a huge, like massive, long hill. Even with my power on high, I really struggle but didn’t get off until I fell off at the top! I then joined the route back the way I had come at the muddy field, where I fell off again LOL!

I was truly knackered when I got back to the caravan but really proud of myself.

When I think back I do wonder wether I was a bit foolish to go on my own as if I had hurt myself I don’t know how Mike would have been able to come and get me. Bur I really enjoy the freedom, solitary time and adventure.

Bolton Abbey and back via Storriths

So this is a 26.6 mile round from home round trip but I go picked up in Ilkley. I think I can safely say that this has been my favourite ride so far. The route it quiet most of the way and the scenery is stunning.

From Holt Park along Otley Old Rd, past High Trees garden centre to the traffic lights, straight across Harrogate Rd, pass the Chevin Forest Park on the right and down a massive downhill where you hit speeds of 40/50 mph easily. I needed to use the brakes on and off. At the T junction with Gay Lane turn left and follow the road through Otley to the traffic lights at the cross roads and go straight on. Continue over the bridge which crosses the Wharfe, up the hill turning left into Weeton Lane. You follow this road all the way to Ilkley.

Through Weston and Askwith, eventually riding alongside the River Wharfe into Ilkley. When you reach the cross roads after you’ve passed the Lido on your right and the rugby club on your left, cross straight over onto Denton Road, alongside the park. You will come to a small island in the road, carry straight on, bearing next left along Nestfield Road. You will pass the golf course. Keep straight on. At a T junction keep right (West Hall Lane), eventually reaching Beamsley. Carry on and you will eventually meet the A59. Here turn left. You can bear off left onto a cycle way if you ride a hybrid or mountain bike which eventually takes you under the road and over the old bridge into Bolton Abbey. Otherwise go to the roundabout and take a right. Here is a cafe with some nice butties. However my next stop for refreshment was a bit further along in Bolton Abbey itself. Where I parked my bike and sat in the sun.

If you have never been to Bolton Abbey it is a beautiful place and certainly worth pushing your bike to have a gander.

Bolton Abbey Map

From Bolton Abbey continue along the road to Barden Tower and just after bear right signposted Appletreewick. You will pass over a narrow old bridge and start to ascend a steep hill and you will need to take a sharp right onto a single track road signposted Storriths and Hazelwood. This is a fantastic ride although there are some mega steep climbs. The road basically runs alongside the Wharfe on the other side of the valley. With stunning views and a ford to whizz through. You will eventually meet the A59 again turn right and retrace your steps back to Ilkley, where I got picked up.

https://www.bradford.gov.uk/sport-and-activities/sports-centres-and-pools/ilkley-pool-and-lido/

GETTING INTO CYCLING

Last year I bought myself an electric, pedal assist, bicycle. I pre-empted lockdown and boy, was I glad I had. I could still get out and about, exercise and enjoy the freedom of the great Yorkshire countryside. At the time, I fancied a classic dutch style bike and fell in love with the Volt Kensington bike pictured below.

I try not to use the battery unless I have to but its great when struggling up hills and gives you the confidence that you’ll be able to make it home. I really enjoyed getting around on this, but after a while when I started to try to go off on bridle ways or along the canal, I found it a little bit of a bone shaker. So I started looking at mountain and hybrid bikes. I thought a full suspension mountain bike was going a bit far, so I did loads of research on hybrids and plumped for a Cube Kathmandu Pro. There are so many bike manufacturers now, but again the Kathmandu had very good reviews. So here it is.

The battery is supposed to last for 60miles, which i presume is on the low setting. There are five different levels and are pretty good, obviously you still have to pedal, which is why its actually called “pedal assist”. The motor is in the mid section of the bike, as this is more effective than on the rear hub. The motor kicks in at each power mode, when the three sensors measure the rider’s pedal power, cadence and speed over 1,000 times per second. This facilitates an organic interplay between you and your eBike.

I’ve been going out regularly, about every other day, unless the weather is foul. To start with I was doing 10mile each time, then upped it to 15ish then 20. I then managed to do 44 miles, but its averaged out at about 20 to 30 miles. Ive explored loads of areas around Bramhope, the Chevin, Otley,Ilkley, Bolton Abbey, Wetherby, Harrogate and had a great time on a ride in the Dalby Forest.

It wasn’t winter that halted the progress but a broken ankle. The occurred coming down off Ilkley Moor not riding but pushing my bike!! Just when I was getting really into it. So I’m now using the time to relive it all on my blog.

ALMSCLIFFE CRAG CIRCULAR

So this one goes from Adel church , Eccup Lane, past the New Inn, down to Weardly and hit the A659 to Harewood, on meeting the A61 to Harrogate turn left, over the River Wharfe and next left towards Dunkeswick. Lovely quiet country roads to Weeton. Arrive at the junction of Harrogate Road and cross almost straight over onto Gravelly Hill Lane. Again lovely quiet country lanes. Turn right onto the Sleights, at Crag Lane turn left onto Merrybank Lane. Along here you will come across Almscliffe Crag. Here is a good mid way stopping point. Continue along the road to Stainburn and onwards to Leathley. By the church hall turn right along this road until the left turning onto Cinder Lane. Going down this lane you will see the farmhouse, ahead and on right, that was used for many years as Emmerdale farm. Cross over the River Washburn and eventually meet the B6451 at Farnley by All Saints church. Turn left onto Farnley Lane towards Pool in Wharefdale. Turn right after crossing the bridge. At Harrogate road turn right onto the main Harrogate road until the roundabout at Pool. Here take a left through Arthington. Turn right after going under the railway bridge onto Creskeld Lane. There is a big hill here and I have to admit I needed my pedal assist on the highest setting. At the top turn left to Bramhope, which meets the A660 and home.

https://www.mapmyride.com/routes/my_routes