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.
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) 
Roads are permanently wet at this time of the year.
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.
A junction with low sun creeping through the clouds.
An interesting view from just above Otley. A lone sheep, a lone windmill and Arthington Viaduct in the distance.
Secret listening post ? Not any more ! 🙂
Besides, they weren’t even camouflaged.
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.
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.
Thanks Tejvan, who needs to head off to Majorca for the Winter when one has roads and scenery like this.
Apparantely it’s been snowing in Majorca too!