Westward to Riccarton

We've enjoyed several days of unseasonably warm and sunny weather recently. Unfortunately, today wasn't one of them. It started out heavily overcast with temperatures in the low single figures, and it stayed that way the whole day.

Given the conditions, a turnout of twenty for today's ride was most respectable. It was especially good to welcome several newcomers and also to see a couple of old friends, including one person who last cycled with us back in 2008. (I hope she won't wait another 16 years before coming out with us again.)

Under Alan's leadership, we headed out on a familiar route across Bruntsfield Links and down to the Leamington Lift Bridge. On reaching Russell Road, it dawned on me that this would probably be the last time that the group  would be obliged to cycle along the busy Dalry Road and make the awkward right turn into Murieston Crescent. All being well, the new Roseburn-to-Canal cycle path should be open by the end of this month, which means that we will be able to avoid those difficulties. I hope we will be able to include this new link in our December ride.

For today, we followed our more usual route though Roseburn Park, passing Murrayfield stadium and on to the Pinkhill Path. On crossing Meadow Place Road, we continued through Gyle Park, then over the very busy Glasgow Road – taking three phases of the lights to do. After a short climb through North Gyle, we crossed Maybury Road to reach West Craigs. This is essentially a huge housing development, still very much under construction – not the most scenic location on  today's route but at least relatively free of traffic.

We then re-crossed the Glasgow Road, this time via the pedestrian subway next to Edinburgh Gateway station. Then came another not-very-scenic stretch through the car park of the Gyle shopping centre. But this was soon behind us as we headed through Edinburgh Park and along Gogar Station Road to our lunch break  at the Heriot-Watt campus in  Riccarton.

Steep-ish climbs

The afternoon leg started with a couple of steep-ish climbs through the back streets of Currie, but we soon reached the much pleasanter Water of Leith path. We took this as far as the narrow metal bridge and the short track up to Woodhall Road, and then via Bonaly to Dreghorn Loan. Then came a section that was new to many in the group: a narrow path through Dreghorn Woods, running between dense woodland on one side and a razor-wire fence on the other (presumably intended to stop errant cyclists from straying into Dreghorn Barracks).

After emerging from the woods, we were soon back in familiar territory: the Braid Burn path, Braidburn Valley Park, Hermitage Drive and Whitehouse Loan. On reaching the foot of Middle Meadow Walk, the leader declared the ride officially over. Thanks to Alan for organising another enjoyable ride with an interesting route. It would have been even better if the sun had put in an appearance, but you can't have everything.

Leader: Alan

Report and photos: Mike

November ride this coming Saturday

Our next ride will take place this coming Saturday (9th). We'll meet at our usual spot at the  north end of Middle Meadow Walk in time for a 10:30 departure. The ride will finish at or near the Meadows around the middle of the afternoon.

For this ride, Alan will be leading us on a tour of cycle routes in the west of the city, with a lunch stop at the Heriot-Watt campus at Riccarton. I don't foresee any particular difficulties along the way, apart from a few moderately steep hills and a couple of busy main roads to cross. The total distance will be about 22 miles.

Lunch arrangements

Please note that the catering at the campus is very limited. There is no cafe of any kind - only a small shop that sells confectionery, biscuits and similar snacks, with vending machines for hot and cold drinks. With that in mind, I strongly  advise you to bring a packed lunch.

Lighting up

With the end of British Summer Time, this would be a good time to check that your bike lights are in good order and have plenty of battery power. Saturday's ride should end well before dark (sunset will be at 16:15), but you might need lights to see you home afterwards, especially if you stop for a post-ride coffee.

Winter arrangements

Saturday's ride will be our last full-day outing of the year. As in previous years, our December run will be a half-day ride finishing around midday. This is partly because of the mid-winter weather and short daylight hours, and partly because of the difficulty in finding suitable lunch venues in the run-up to Christmas. Our January ride will also be for the morning only; we'll return to our usual full-day format in February.

I hope to see you on Saturday or on another of our rides. And remember, if you do decide to join us, you don't have to let anyone know in advance. Just turn up.

A Mortonhall Meander

After twenty years of 20-Milers rides, it can be hard to find fresh routes that we haven't covered many time before. Last month, we followed a well-worn path to South Queensferry, but the leader still managed to introduce enough variation to keep up the interest. For this month's ride, my aim was to repeat that example. Our goal was Mortonhall, and although much of the route was familiar to most of us, I was able to find several bits that we had never visited before as a group.

Unfortunately, the weather was not great: a chilly breeze and a thin drizzle which later turned to heavy showers. Despite that, around a dozen riders turned up - not a bad turnout given the conditions.

After the usual briefing, we set out, first to Holyrood Park and the Innocent path, then through Niddrie and the bike paths in the Bioquarter (including the delightfully-named Wellbeing Walk).  

Next came a twisty route through the back streets of Moredun. I have to admit to being a little nervous about navigating these unfamiliar roads, but I managed to get the group through without any wrong turns.

Ellen's Glen

Cake stop

After crossing Gilmerton Road, we took a somewhat more familiar path towards Burdiehouse Burn Valley Park. This forms part of our standard route to Roslin. But this time, instead of turning left into the park,  we turned right for a steep climb up Ellen's Glen Loan. Pausing for breath at the top, our efforts were rewarded with a wonderful round of cakes kindly produced by Iain. I can't answer for the rest of the group, but this gave me the energy boost I needed to get through to lunchtime.

Cake stop over, we saddled up for another twisty section, this time through the Gracemount area, from which we emerged at Howden Hall Road. This was very busy with traffic but we eventually got safely across. Up to now, we had been cycling on quiet roads and well-surfaced paths. But the next section, which took us along the edge of the Mortonhall Crematorium grounds, was more of a footpath than a cycle path. It was just about cyclable at first, but it soon deteriorated into a rough, muddy track. We had no choice but to dismount and walk, but happily only for a short distance.

Picnic at Mortonhall

And so came our lunch stop, which was the garden centre at Mortonhall. The rain had eased at this point, so about half the group opted for an al fresco picnic while others made for the restaurant. Unfortunately, after about ten minutes, the rain returned with a vengeance, causing the picnic group to pick up their sandwiches and thermos flasks and make a dash for the meagre shelter of the bike shed.

Afternoon leg

The afternoon leg started off with the least pleasant part of the day: half a mile or so in heavy rain along a very busy Frogston Road. It was a relief to turn off onto the quiet road through the Winton Estate which we followed as far as Biggar Road. Next came another unfamiliar section, along a residential road through New Swanston. At a road aptly named Caiystane View, we paused to view the Caiy Stane. This great lump of Neolithic rock is thought to be 5,000 years old and sits somewhat incongruously amidst south Edinburgh suburban housing.

Next came another new bit: the very pleasant Fairmilehead Park. This was followed by a nice downhill run to the foot of Greenbank Crescent, where we joined a more familiar route through Braidburn Valley Park and the Braid Estate, and so back to the Meadows. 

Pausing to view
the Caiy Stane

At less than 18 miles, it was not a particularly long ride, but I hope everyone enjoyed seeing some unfamiliar places. One member of the group told me that, despite being a long-standing EH10 resident who lived a few metres from the route, we had taken him to places he never knew existed. It's always gratifying when that happens.

Leader, report and photos: Mike

Next ride this coming Saturday

 We've got our October ride coming up on Saturday (12th). I'll be leading us on a tour round the south of the city, taking in the Bioquarter, Mordun, Ellen's Glen, Mortonhall, New Swanston and Fairmilehead Park. The route will include one or two places that we have not visited before as a group.

This won't be a long ride: just under 18 miles. But don't get complacent. There will be several fairly steep hills, and at least one very rough path where we will probably need do dismount for a short distance. Apart from that, we will be on mainly well-surfaced paths and quiet roads, with only one short stretch on a main road that might be busy with traffic.

Lunch

For our lunch stop, we will visit the garden centre at Mortonhall. There is a spacious cafe there, offering a good selection of snacks and light meals. There is also space to sit outside for those of us who prefer to bring a packed lunch.

Meeting time and place

This is the same as always: 10:30 at the north end of Middle Meadow Walk. The ride will probably end fairly early in the afternoon, but that will of course depend on progress, punctures and other factors.

And as you don't need me to remind you, all our rides are free, with no advance booking.

Other points

Talking of punctures, may I remind you to bring a spare inner tube suitable for your wheel size, along with any tools that might be needed to remove the wheel. That way, should you be unlucky enough to suffer a puncture, we should be able to help you back on the road without too much delay.

On another point, we always appreciate feedback on our rides as well as suggestions for future rides. A good place for that is the comment feature here on the blog. Just click the "Post a comment" link (or similar wording) at the foot of the page. (You can comment anonymously if you wish.)

Finally, you might like to know that our group received a brief mention in a Financial Times article on 17 September. It was written by Robert Orr, a journalist who came on our ride to Roslin in March. The article is available on line, but you need a paid-for subscription (or sign up for a free trial) in order to read it. (Thanks to Iona and Steve for telling me about this.)

That's all for now. I hope to see you on Saturday or on another of our rides. In the meantime, happy cycling.

Variations on a bike ride

When planning our rides, we try to avoid too much repetition: heading many times to the same old places by exactly the same routes. But often, by introducing a few subtle changes to a route, we can refresh an otherwise over-familiar journey. Today's outing was a case in point. Our goal was South Queensferry, a place we have visited dozens of times before, including as recently as last May. But this time, our leader, Yaz, made the outing that much more interesting by adding a few variations to the route, including to places where some of the group had never ridden before.

Nineteen riders mustered at the meeting point. The day was somewhat overcast but warmer than of late, with only a moderate breeze. In her briefing, the leader welcomed several newcomers and then gave us an overview of the route. On setting off, we almost immediately came to Variation No. 1. Instead of heading down Middle Meadow Walk and across Bruntsfield Links in the time-honoured way, we turned into the Quartermile. We passed the splendid new Futures Institute, which many in the group were seeing for the first time after the removal of the builders' hoardings around the site.

We exited the Quartermile into Lauriston Place, and then continued via Lady Lawson Street, Festival Square and Rutland Square to Shandwick Place and the West End. Unfortunately, the lovely new segregated bike path in Melville Street was blocked off by road works and we were forced into the road, where contra-flow traffic lights were operating. When completed, these works should result in a greatly-improved street layout around  the junction of Walker Street, especially for cyclists. For now, they were a nuisance, albeit a minor one.

Another first

The next part of the route was another first for many in our group: the CCWEL. This segregated bike path, which runs through the city centre, was opened just six months ago. It took us quickly to Wester Coates, where we joined the well-worn Roseburn Path. The next eight miles were in familiar territory: Craigleith, Barnton, Cramond Brig, Chapel Gate and the village of Dalmeny. Then came Variation No. 2. Instead of our usual route by the sports centre and Roseberry Avenue, we dropped down to the bike path that runs alongside the railway line. This took us onto the delightful Ferry Glen Path, a well-surfaced high-level path that offers a fine view of the Forth Bridge and the Firth of Forth. 

Leaving the path at the Co-op, we headed down The Loan and into the old part of Queensferry for our lunch stop. One or two of our riders made for the Little Bakery café. The rest of us made ourselves comfortable at our usual picnic spot on the steps overlooking the firth.

 

 

As picnic sites go, this is one of the better ones, with take-away hot drinks available from a nearby shop and public toilets just across the street. Two of our riders – both newcomers to the group – mentioned that this was not only their first visit to South Queensferry but also the first time they had seen the Forth Bridge close up. It's always satisfying when we can introduce people to places they had not been to before.

We had made good time through the morning, and by 1 pm we were on our way again. And so came Variation No. 3. Often on our Queensferry runs, we would head east at this point, along the cobbled main street and into the Dalmeny Estate. But to avoid the very rough – and possibly muddy – paths in the estate, this time we headed west, passing the harbour and then tackling the climb up Hopetoun Road. Where the road passes under the Forth Road Bridge, we turned back along Stewart Terrace and through the Hewlett-Packard Estate (that's not its official name, by the way, but it's what many people call it). Once again in Dalmeny village, we retraced our outward route via  Cramond Brig and Barnton. As is often the case, several members of the group peeled off at Craigleith. The rest of us continued on the Roseburn Path and the CCWEL. The only difficulty of returning by this route is that Lady Lawson Street is one-way, with no exception for cyclists, forcing us to dismount and push our bikes. Fortunately, this is only for a short distance. Almost immediately after mounting up again, we were back in the Quartermile. At that point, our leader declared the ride over – fortuitously, right next to the Caffe Nero, which is one of the usual coffee stops after our rides.

So many thanks to Yaz for leading us on such an enjoyable ride, and especially for finding those clever variations that added so much interest to what is already a very pleasant route.

Leader: Yaz

Report and photos: Mike

20-Milers: 20 Years

The very first 20-Milers bike ride took place on 11 September 2004 - twenty years ago today. So let's look back over some of the highlights of the last two decades.

By Mike Lewis

A grand total of three riders turned up for our first ride: Chris Pearson, myself and one other. It was a dreary day. We got as far as Musselburgh, but by then the rain had set in, so we took refuge in the Brunton Theatre café. By the time we had finished our coffee, the rain had got worse so we abandoned the ride and went home.

After that, things rapidly improved.

2005. By now we are attracting more riders – well into double figures for most of our runs. Darren Mirfield comes up with the name "20-Milers".

2008. We are now on a more organised basis, with a dedicated email address (how did we manage without it?), a blog and a Facebook page (all this is thanks to Livia Marchant). In May, we see a record turnout of 27 riders.


2009. Several members of our group take part in Pedal for Scotland, an annual charity ride from Glasgow to Edinburgh which at its height attracted over a thousand cyclists.

2010. In July, we have the first of our Extra rides. These longer runs quickly become an established part of our programme.

2011. Our first half-day Christmas ride, now very much an annual tradition. Seven riders turn up on that first Christmas morning; the turnout increases rapidly in subsequent years.

2012. To mark the summer solstice in June, we have our first evening ride. This too becomes an annual event for a while. Our August ride attracts a record turnout of 34 cyclists.

2013. That record is broken in June, when 38 riders turn up for a ride to Dalkeith Country Park. Such large numbers are welcome but not easy to manage, so we decide that from now on at least two potential leaders should recce every route. That way, we can split the ride into two groups when necessary. This happens several times over the next few years.

2014. Our busiest year ever. In May, around 30 of us cycle to Blackness as part of a national event to celebrate the opening of the John Muir Way. In June, twelve of us take part in the annual Lepra charity ride to St. Andrews. July sees our first weekend away: a circuit of the Forth, with an overnight stop in Stirling. And on 20 September, the highlight of the year: a ride and lunch to celebrate our tenth anniversary. As part of that celebration, we launch our distinctive red T-shirts and sweatshirts (organised by Ken Roxburgh, with a logo designed by Glenn Brearley).

2015 to 2020. Many more Extras, weekends away, summer solstice rides and Christmas morning rides.

April 2020 to August 2021. Covid-19. Along with all other local cycling groups, we are off the road for the sixteen months of lockdown.

2021 to present. In August 2021, we resume our full programme of rides following the lifting of lockdown. And in September 2024, another milestone: a ride and lunch to celebrate our twentieth anniversary.

During the twenty years since our first ride, I reckon we have organised more than 300 rides of one sort or another. I can't begin to estimate how many cyclists have taken part, but it is clearly a very large number. Many friendships have been formed within the group, including at least two marriages. Some of our members regularly get together for cycling weekends or longer holidays, and we've enjoyed many social events over the years.

Many people have contributed to the success of our group in many different ways: planning and leading rides, backmarking, taking photographs and writing reports for our blog, providing mechanical support, and much more. If, thanks to their efforts,  we have introduced just a few people to the pleasures of cycling and encouraged them into a more active lifestyle, it will all have been worthwhile.

Do you have any special memories of riding with our group? Feel free to post a comment (below) to share them with the world.

South Queensferry this coming Saturday

For our ride this coming Saturday (14th), Yaz will be leading us to South Queensferry. This is a familiar destination for most of us, but this time Yaz has cleverly managed to find a couple of interesting variations to the route, which should make for variety.

The total distance will be just under 20 miles. The route will be mainly (but not entirely) away from traffic and mainly (but non entirely) on well-surfaced paths and roads. I can't promise that it will be flat, but at least the hills will all be reasonably gentle.

Lunch

With the closure of two of the cafes in South Queensferry last year, the choice of lunch venue isn't as good as it once was. The Little Bakery and the Ferry Tap both serve light meals, but they tend to be busy at times and therefore the service is often slow. Many of us prefer to bring a packed lunch, and there is a nice picnic spot where we can eat it, overlooking the Forth. Another option would be to pick up a sandwich at the co-op, which is fairly close to our stopping point. There is also a shop nearby that does take-away tea and coffee.

Logistics

As always, we'll gather at the top of Middle Meadow Walk in time for a 10:30 departure. We'll aim to get back to the Meadows around the middle of the afternoon.