Solo Ride - Piccadilly (Lancaster) to Leck House and back - 25 September

I wanted a hardish ride to get back around lunchtime. Since a northerly wind was forecast, I thought “north out – south back” would be a good idea and settled on Leck House, below Gragareth. It’s the most northerly piece of tarmac in Lancashire. Needing low gears, I took the hybrid.

Starting from Piccadilly and crossing the A6, I continued past Postern Gate to Caton and whizzed along the A683 to Burrow, where I turned left to Cowan Bridge and crossed the A65 (Note: the cafe is open). I then got into low gear and slogged up the country lane past Leck. The northerly wind proved to be a  nuisance for most of the ascent, trying to push me to the right; the ascent was a lot harder than I’d remembered (but I’d only ever walked it). I was glad I’d chosen the heavier and lower geared bike; The gears on the carbon bike would have been too high for my tiring legs. Approaching the farm I spotted that there was a gate, so I stopped a bit back on the layby. This was my highest point at 1320 feet.

Whizzing back down the hill, to turn left past Leck church to Ireby, was a high speed doddle.At  Ireby Green cafe I had my usual scone and coffee sitting outside in the breeze and passing sunshine. The wind helped a lot on my return, through Burton in Lonsdale, then down past Raven Close, Wray and back on the A683, through Caton and past Postern Gate back home.

42.5 miles and 3400 feet,  4 hours.

Mike Codd