Two rides planned for September

We've got an interesting ride planned for next Saturday - see below for full details. We've also got one of our Extra rides scheduled for the following weekend; there are brief details of that at the end of this post.

Monthly ride: 10th September

For our September run, Glenn will be leading us into East Lothian, on a route that takes in parts of the River Esk Walkway, the Peniciuk Railway Path and the Pencaitland Path. The high point of the morning will be the summit of Falside Hill (144 metres above sea level). Now, if you've ever cycled up Falside, you'll know that it is a long steep slog to the summit from Tranent or Prestonpans, and even more of a grind from Whitecraig. But don't worry. Glenn has come up with an interesting route that will get us close to the top with only a very gentle ascent. I recently cycled the route myself, and can assure you that it works as advertised.

But be warned. While much of the route will be on tarmac, there will also be some sections that are very much off-road. These include a mile or two on rough paths that might also be muddy, and a particularly narrow stretch where some riders might prefer to dismount and walk. There will also be a short flight of steps to negotiate.

The total length of the ride will be about 26 miles.

Lunch stop

For lunch, we'll head to one  of our regular stops: the Premier Inn near Whitecraig. This offers basic pub food at reasonable prices. It's by no means gourmet fare, but it should provide us with the calories we need. As always, you have the option of bringing your own food for a picnic lunch.

Because most of the mileage for the ride will be in the morning, with a relatively short afternoon leg, the lunch stop might be on the late side. So adjust your appetite accordingly.

Logistics

The ride will start from our usual meeting place at the north end of Middle Meadow Walk. As the route will be a little longer than usual, we'll aim to set out sharp at 10.30. We'll probably arrive back at the Meadows some time between 3.30 and 4.00 pm (but don't hold me to that).

Remember, all our rides are free and open to all. You don't need to book in advance - just turn up on the day.

20-Milers Extra: 17th September

For our second ride this month, Julia (Richardson) will be taking us on a rare excursion into Fife. This will be one of our longer and faster runs. I'll post more details nearer the time, but for now, note the date, and also that we will be starting at 10 am (half an hour earlier than usual), from our alternative meeting point in Craigleith.