Finished off last night what we started a week or so ago. 45 minutes of crawling through the Leeds rush hour and 20 miles on one Britain's busiest stretches of Motorway did nothing for the enjoyment factor, but once past all that and far from the madding crowd I was back at the point where I'd come a cropper with the exhaust. This was pitch black the last time I "saw" it.
It didn't help I'd left all my maps at home in the morning!
I'm going err, that-a-way!
A few minutes in and I'm heading sharply down the valley side - the photos flatten everything here - this is one of the steepest lanes I've ever ridden down...the canal in the valley bottom leads into Standedge Tunnel, under the Pennines - built in 1811 and over 3 and a quarter miles long, it's still in use today.
I'd to stop the front wheel against the barrier here and lean the leggies against the wall...putting it on the stand meant it just rolled off forwards!
I doubt we'd have tackled this in the dark had we even found the top of the lane last week - had we done so, riding down here without the knowledge of it, would have been bloody dangerous.
This is the same spot, and shows the angle of the road better
High above Holmfirth, just past one of Yorkshire's few vinyards.
There were lots of banners/flags up everywhere welcoming the upcoming Tour de France, and loads of cyclists out, trying out the newly laid TDF tarmac...and farmers advertising parking in fields near the route for £20/£30 a time!
Only 10/12 miles from home at this point, but still another 70/80 miles to go to the end.
I'd to call on the memory banks now as I traversed south Sheffield - lots of built up stuff to negotiate, but I managed to hit most points right, without the maps - sadly though I was back in human being territory, and soon the 4-wheeled idiots were reminding me why I like open countryside better.
Near the M1 south east of Sheffield - Pebley Reservoir in the trees - the southernmost tip of Yorkshire by road - that's all the 4 compass points ticked off.
Just got to negotiate 35 miles of lanes now up to the start/finish at the Green Tree pub in Thorne, near Doncaster, then get back home before midnight.
Shame my 2 pals weren't there to feel the satisfaction of completing, despite it being in 2 chunks...hopefully though this is just a recce for a full assault on it in 24 hours soon.