Today, having had a busy busy week last week with it being the last week of the uni term and not really stopping all weekend with work work, I decided to have a bit of a day off. I jumped on my bike and went to visit a good friend of mine a good 3 or 4 miles away. I then cycled back in the dark with only my cycle light and a head torch to guide me along the canal although I did have my 4D and my new AA Maglite LED.

Now a while ago I was looking at buying some lights for my bike and they were all about £100, if not more. However when I gave the LED maglite a go, that cose me about £16, it was great lit things up really well. So I think I'll buy a couple and strap them to my bike or helmet some how...money saved!

I also walked home from the pub which was chilly! 

Well, this isn't anything out of the ordinary but with my lectures cancelled today and with me feeling rather guilty about not spending a great amount of time either swimming, cycling or going on walks at the minute I decided to take advantage of a nice day and bike it into Leeds. I went the usual route via Rothwell and into the city down the canal.  It was rather cold, judging by how all the puddles had turned to ice, and how at one stage of the ride I was on three inch thick ice on a tarmac road....rather amazing actually. I do have pictures which I will add at some point!

Anyway cycled there and then got the train some of the way back, as it was getting dark and late and I had report work to do!  I'm looking forward to the next adventure, I feel that once this week is out of the way I will have to try a ride further afield. 

On my way home I was not that bothered about the amount of time I took as long as I was back before it was pitch black. So instead of getting off the canal and going home through Rothwell I went an alternative route that took me past the Rothwell sports centre, Royds School and then through Owzlewell Green. I haven't measured the route but I imagine I might just hit the 20 mile mark with todays two journeys. 

Now, it's not entirely practical cycling to uni. While it doesn't take that much time now that I have found a better route and it isn't that physically taxing that I'm half dead when I get there I am excising and thus do, unfortunately perspire. Well ok, it's a necessity but it is unfortunate when I then have to sit in lectures and the like for hours on end - hence why I only do it on days with a light time table. What would be very useful is a shower at uni, which I could do at the sports centre or one of the gyms, but then I would have to carry a bag with my clothes in and if I cycled in every day I would have to carry notes and the like - something I avoided today by just locking them away at university.

I am going to try and cycle to uni at least once, if possible twice a week but it really does depend on the time table. I am yet to attempt cycling to uni in the morning to get there for 9AM. Technically it shouldn't take me much longer, as the speed of the traffic matters less to me as a cyclist that while driving or on the bus. I might give it a go at some point next week but the same issues remain.

I'm going to have to have another think and see if I can reach a solution. 

Lofthouse -> Outwood -> Lofthouse ->Hunslet (where I jumped onto the Canal) -> Cross Green (where I jumped off the canal) -> Leeds City Square -> the University of Leeds campus -> Leeds Train Station -> Halfords Leeds (for new rear brake pads) -> Leeds Market (for lunch) -> The Royal Armouries (where I got on he canal) -> Woodlesford -> Methly (where I got off the canal) -> Ouzlewell Green -> Lofthouse.

I had quite a nice day out on the roads around Leeds although I did it alone this time as John, my usual riding partner, was snowed under with work from university.... Oh and by the way I didn't break any bearings on my bike last ride I think I must have just been short of a spot of lubricant. =P.