Cold winter miles

otley-2

Cycling in the cold doesn’t have too much to recommend it, especially if you are 61kg and 190cm. Or in old money – 9½ stone and 6 foot 3″ (135lbs for American visitors). On Friday I went out with the temperature hovering just below 2 degrees. I didn’t enjoy the ride at all. After a few miles, I did a u-turn and went back home. When hands are freezing to the handlebars, I don’t worry about trying to take any photos; but today the weather was a little more clement and it made a big difference.

road-dark

I rode out towards Knaresborough and Harrogate because the forecast in the East was drier than in the West. But, despite the lack of rain, I still got wet cycling over a lot of small lanes covered in wet greasy farm manure. You just have to surrender to getting wet and dirty this time of the year. Still it was a mistake to take only one pair of legwarmers up north (originally colour of white) road-windmills

Roads are permanently wet at this time of the year.

rainbow-golf-balls

This is the road from Pateley Bridge to Otley, via Norwood Edge. The golf balls in the distance are a secret listening post used by the military.

crossroadsA junction with low sun creeping through the clouds.

sun-sheep-windmill-

An interesting view from just above Otley. A lone sheep, a lone windmill and Arthington Viaduct in the distance.

5 thoughts on “Cold winter miles”

    • don’t tell anyone though.

      It’s like the tall Post Office Tower in the centre of London was covered by official secret act – not allowed to be put on maps or mentioned in House of Parliament or something like that.

      Reply
  1. I still convert pounds to stones even though I’ve been in the US for 24 years now. I live near Seattle, which has weather like the north of England. I like the weather here because it reminds me of home and, like England, the roads are damp from October to April. I don’t let the weather stop me from riding. I love your photos. They remind me how beautiful England is, especially on a bike.

    Reply

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