18th March

Group training ride today but as it was Mother's Day everyone wanted to be home quicker so we were doing a shorter ride today.

Trouble was I was a bit late for picking up Richard and I had a soft tyre so we made a quick call to Mike to say we would meet them en route and we set off from Guiseley rather than Otley. My tyre only needed some wind so no problems there.

We rolled down into Burley in Wharfedale, along the bottom road towards Ilkley but then took the turn off across the river and waited for the others. No more than five minutes later Mike, Graham, Peter and a surprise, Phil came along. Phil had done the last Hamm ride but isn't doing this one.

So off we went past the Lido, cricket club and the golf course and then we hit the undulations. We have done this ride a lot of times so I knew what it was like. We soon got to Bolton Abbey where we usually stop for a drink and a bite to eat.

On this occasion though we stopped for a photo shoot and then back on our bikes and headed back again. Same route but when we were on the narrowest part of the country lanes an idiotic driver was speeding along and wouldn't give way even though there was nowhere for us to. He missed Richard by inches apparently. (I could tell by the swearing!)

We left the rest of the group at the bridge again and headed back towards Burley and then the long climb up to Menston and back to Guiseley. Fast ride and 26 miles done.