Last of this summer's Extras this coming Saturday

We are planning to squeeze in one more of our Extra rides this summer. This will take place this coming Saturday (27th). Under Alan's leadership, we will be heading over the Forth Road Bridge and into Fife, with a lunch stop in Dunfermline. The route will be on a variety of roads and paths, including a couple of stretches on main roads that might be busy with traffic. There will be some long-ish climbs in the morning but no real killers (and some nice free-wheeling in the afternoon). The total distance will be 32 - 35 miles.

Please remember that these Extras go at a faster pace than our normal rides, with fewer stops. They are suitable for those of our riders who find our usual runs well within their capabilities. Those who are less fit or who haven't cycled for a while will probably prefer to skip this one.

Lunch arrangements

Our lunch stop will be in Pittencrieff Park in the centre of Dunfermline. This is an ideal spot for a picnic, so I suggest you bring a packed lunch. Alternatively, there is a cafe in the park, serving a soup of day and a good range of snacks and hot and cold drinks.

Meeting time and place

For this ride, we'll assemble at the Craigleith path junction (see here if you need directions). Please aim to get there in time for a prompt 10:30 departure.

Looking ahead, our next ride will take place on 11 October. As usual, I'll post full details nearer the time.

Dalkeith Delights

Our destination for today's run was Dalkeith. That's somewhere the group often ride to – we visited it as recently as last April. But this time, under Alison's leadership, we managed to add a little variety to the route with a couple of interesting variations.

Nineteen riders turned up, including three newcomers – all very welcome. The first eight or nine miles were on familiar territory: the Innocent Path, Bruntstane, Newcraighall and Musselburgh Station, then on the new-ish bike path to Monktonhall and then onto the River Esk walkway. We paused for the customary breather at the top of the stiff climb up to Cowpits, then on through Whitecraig and the bike path past the Dalkeith school campus and along Salters Road.

Normally we would head straight into Dalkeith town centre from this point. But this time we turned off the road just before the bridge over the South Esk, taking a pleasant path through Waterfall Park. After crossing the Maiden Bridge, we continued through the woods next to Newbattle golf course. This is really a delightful spot. We normally approach it on the return leg from Dalkeith. Seeing it from the opposite direction made a welcome change.

The final leg of the morning took us across the busy Abbey Road and so into King's Park for our lunch stop. A few of the group headed to the nearby supermarket cafe, while most settled for a picnic lunch in the park.

Up to now the day had been dry, sunny and reasonably warm. But as we saddled up for the return leg, clouds started to appear and a few drops of rain were felt. This continued as we cycled through Dalkeith town centre. By time we reached the entrance to Dalkeith Country Park, the rain was much more in evidence, so we paused in the Restoration Yard to give those who hadn't already done so a chance to put on their waterproofs.

Re-opened gate

When cycling through Dalkeith Country Park, we normally head for the gate in the north east corner by Smeaton Farm. This takes us onto a busy stretch of road towards Whitecraig. This time, we were able to avoid the traffic by turning left just before the gate, taking a winding route through pleasant farmland to another gate, at Old Craighall. Older members of the group will remember that this used to be our normal route out of the park, but that gate was closed in 2013 and remained closed until a few weeks ago. It was good to be able to go that way again, if only for the sake of variety.

From Old Craighall, we took a shortcut through a new housing development and were soon on the path leading back to Musselburgh Station. By now the rain had eased off and blue skies were again in evidence. For the rest of the ride, we retraced our outward route back to the Meadows.

Despite the rain, it turned out be a very pleasant run, made more interesting by the variations to the normal route. Thanks to Alison for planning the route (helped by Alan) and for stepping in at short notice to lead the ride (not for the first time this year).

Leader: Alison

Report and photos: Mike 

Rride to Dalkeith this coming Saturday

We've got our September ride coming up on Saturday (13th). Glenn will be leading us to Dalkeith - somewhere we have visited many times over the years. But this time, just to keep us on our toes, Glenn has managed to incorporate some interesting variations to the route - including one particular bit which I think will be new to most of us.

The total distance will be 22 - 24 miles, with no particular difficulties. We will mainly follow well-surfaced paths and quiet roads, apart from a couple of short stretches that might be a little rough and possibly muddy. There will be no overly busy roads and no killer hills.

For our lunch stop, we'll head to the King's Park in the centre of Dalkeith. This is a pleasant spot for picnicking, with plenty of seating. For those who prefer to eat indoors, there is a cafe in the Morrisons supermarket across the street (and also toilets). The cafe serves a range of snacks and light meals, or you can pick up a sandwich and take-away drink to bring to the park.

As always, we'll set out from our meeting point at the north end of Middle Meadow Walk at 10:30. And, as always, you don't need to reply to this email or to let anyone know whether or not you plan to join us.

Looking ahead

We are planning to squeeze in another Extra this month. This will be on 27 September. I'll post the usual details as soon as they are known.

Outrunning the rain

There are a few rides that we will always associate with a particular leader e.g. Mike and Harlaw Reservoir, Alan and Silversands Bay at Aberdour, Glenn and Fa'side Hill; but the one that springs to mind will always be Merryhatton and the late Logan Strang. Logan was one of the stalwarts of the 20-Milers [and a real character] who died while cycling with some of our group in 2017. He devised the route, and it has been ridden in late August most years. It has never been flagged as such officially, but it is the closest thing to a memorial ride the group has. Some eight years after his passing, the leader (who has led the ride since 2017) still considers it an honour to lead what will always be "Logan's ride". The route gives a taste of the variety of East Lothian: the coastline, quaint villages, delightful countryside and even a few hills - to dispel the belief that the county is flat.

Today's ride saw us trying to outrun the rain which was forecast to arrive between 3.00 and 4.00 pm. Unfortunately, it arrived just after 3.00. By then, we were between Cockenzie and Prestonpans, so not too far from the finish at Musselburgh. But, as most riders had to get back to Edinburgh, it was a soggy end to the day. A bright sunny morning with a light breeze greeted the 11 riders that set out from Fisherrow Harbour. We would have expected a larger turn out, but a smaller group is always easier to manage, especially on a longer Extra ride. Our first pause to regroup was on the Electric Bridge over the River Esk. One rider asked why it is called that. The leader (who has lived in Musselburgh for many years) explained how it was built in the late 1960's to transport the generators to Cockenzie power station. There was a further stop for a history lesson beside the blue arrow at Goose Green. The arrow dates from the early days of World War 2, and was an aid for RAF bombers doing target practice over the Firth of Forth. We pressed on beside the racecourse to Prestonpans where we joined the road through the town before taking the lovely cycle path into Cockenzie. We took the quiet backstreets past Cockenzie and Port Seton harbours. One rider said he had always stayed on the main road, and this was the first time he had seen the two harbours. It's always good to hear that someone has discovered something new on a ride. Beyond Seton Sands Caravan Park we re-joined the coast road [which was quieter than expected] towards Aberlady. For the last part of the run into Aberlady the leader gave the riders a choice of staying on the main road or meandering through the trees on a delightful path alongside. Not surprisingly, the majority opted for the latter. Leaving Aberlady behind, we took the A6137 to join the road to Drem. This is a deviation from our preferred route which would have taken us along the lovely quiet road past the Myreton Motor Museum. Alas, that road has been closed for over a year due to a sink hole. No idea if it will ever reopen. Being unable to find a viable diversion is the reason that this ride didn't happen last year. A further mile on the B1377 to Drem was a small price to pay. After Drem, quiet roads took us to the Merryhatton Garden Centre. The majority went into the café there, whilst the remaining few had their picnic in the nearby Athalstaneford cemetery.

With lunch over, we made our way to Athalstaneford, where we paused to read the information panel about the origin of the Scottish flag. Leaving the village behind, we crossed the Haddington road, passed the Hopetoun Monument and turned left onto the A6137 for the toughest climb of the day. With the climb over, we turned right and headed towards another steep hill. This one was down. Our whizzing down at speed was spoiled by a car making its way up - the first time any of us could remember having met a vehicle on the hill. The leader jokingly suggested we should ride back up to the top, so we could descend again. Unsurprisingly, there were no takers. Lovely quiet roads took us back to the level crossing beyond Longniddry. A brief wait for a train to pass, and we were riding along the cycle path beside the busy A198 dual carriageway. Another steep descent and we were back beside the sea at Port Seton where we had a welcome comfort stop. We retraced our outward route from the morning, having to stop to don waterproofs just before Prestonpans as the promised rain began shortly after 3 o'clock. Instead of taking the path beside the racecourse, this time we took the path between the Lagoons and the sea to Goose Green and the Electric Bridge, where the leader declared the ride officially over.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the ride; just a shame the rain couldn't have held off a little longer. Thanks to Saqib and Alison for being joint-back markers.

Leader: Glenn

Report: Glenn

Photos: Glenn

Extra ride to Merryhatton this Saturday

We've got the fourth of this summer's Extra rides coming up on Saturday (30th). It promises to be a particularly pleasant run through some scenic East Lothian countryside.

Route and destination

The ride will start in Musselburgh. Under Glenn's leadership, we'll head east along the coast road, which is an A-road and therefore possibly busy with traffic. But it has the advantage of being reasonably flat - not to mention having excellent views over the Firth of Forth. We'll turn inland at Aberlady, after which we'll take mainly quiet roads to Drem and then on to our lunch stop at Merryhatton.

The return leg will take us through Athelstaneford ("birthplace of Scotland's flag") and past the Hopetoun Monument. This will also be on quiet roads, through attractive countryside. There will be a few hills on this part of the route, but only one that is likely to be at all strenuous. We'll eventually rejoin the coast road near Seton Sands before returning to Musselburgh.

Keep in mind that this will be a particularly long ride. The total distance from and to Musselburgh will be about 36 miles. Musselburgh is a further seven miles from central Edinburgh, so, depending where you start from, your total mileage might be nearer 50. As well as the extended mileage, the ride will go at a faster pace and with fewer stops than most or our rides. Please keep that in mind when deciding if your fitness level will be right for this event.

Lunch arrangements

Our lunch stop will be at the garden centre at Merryhatton. The restaurant there offers a range of sandwiches, baked potatoes, a soup of the day and other snacks, all at fairly reasonable prices. The eating area is entirely indoors: there is no terrace or other open-air eating space.

Those of us who prefer to bring a packed lunch will head to a quiet picnic spot about half a mile from the garden centre. Note that there is limited seating there, so be prepared to sit on the grass if necessary. Picnickers will be able to use the toilets at Merryhatton. There are also toilets at the meeting point, and we will have an additional comfort stop on the way home.

Time and place

Our meeting point will be Fisherrow Harbour in Musselburgh (see here if you need directions). Please be there in time for a 10:30 departure.

In memory of Logan

Long-standing members of the group will recognise the above route as "Logan's run". It's one that we aim to do every August, in memory of Logan Strang - one of the stalwarts of the 20-Milers who died while cycling with some of our group in 2017. This route is one that he often took us on and which was a particular favourite of his.

Before you set out

As always on a long ride, it is important for our bikes to be in good road-worthy condition.  So before you set out, please check that your tyres are properly inflated and free of stones or other fragments that might cause punctures, and that the gears and brakes are working smoothly. I know I don't need to remind you to bring a spare inner tube and whatever tools, if any, are required for removing your wheels in the event of a puncture.

There is no need to let us know in advance whether you intend to join us. If you plan to attend, just turn up at the appointed time and place.

The Lost Shore: Take 2

The plan for June's ride had been to head out to the Lost Shore surfing centre near Ratho. Unfortunately, heavy rain led to that ride being shortened and an alternative [more sheltered] route was taken by the six brave souls that did turn up. Today we did make it to the Lost Shore. The weather was kinder to us, but strong gusty winds made the ride harder than might have been expected in August. Perhaps it wasn't too surprising as it was just five days since Storm Floris had battered Scotland. With the Festival in full-swing, the Orange Order walk and Oasis concert taking place today, we were expecting to get caught up in one or all of them; but we were very lucky to escape largely unaffected.

Although strong winds were forecast and there had been rain earlier, it was bright and sunny as we met at the start. A turnout of just 12 riders was far from impressive for an August ride. A combination of the festival, holiday season and the weather probably all played a part. Our leader, Alan did point out that it made for a more manageable sized group. Every cloud has a silver lining? With the briefing over, we rolled away from Middle Meadow Walk towards Leamington Terrace. The improvement since the road was resurfaced has to be ridden to be believed. One rider said they were having to get used to not swerving all over the road in an attempt to avoid the worst of the potholes. From there we headed to South Gyle station via Roseburn Park, Carrick Knowe and Broomhall. The road bridge beside the station has restricted access forcing us to squeeze along a narrow section shared with pedestrians, before taking a detour to arrive at South Gyle shopping centre. By looping around the outer edge of the car park, we avoided the worst of the Saturday morning shoppers traffic. Through Edinburgh Park, out of the subway and on to Ratho village via Gogarbank. A combination of some quite steep hills, a lack of shelter and strong gusty winds made this section the hardest part of the ride. It was a relief to arrive at the Lost Shore for lunch and a rest.

We enjoyed our picnic lunches in a spot which offered some shelter from the wind with views of the surfers tackling the waves. With lunch over, we took the back path away from the surfing centre to the top end of Ratho. With the wind behind us, we whizzed down through the village, over the M8 motorway, past Gogarburn Golf Club and on to Roddinglaw where a short off-road section took us to the road back towards Gogarbank. We were delayed briefly by traffic lights on the narrow bridge across the railway. As we have found on previous rides, the lights will recognise a single car [and change promptly], but not a group of cyclists. With everyone safely across the bridge, we soon found ourselves back at Edinburgh Park. Going via Bankhead Drive, Broomhouse Drive, Stenhouse Drive and the cycle path alongside the tram line we were soon riding past Murrayfield Stadium. Fortunately, it was too early for us to get caught up in throngs of Oasis fans. Yes, there were a few milling around, but not enough to delay us at all. After that, we followed our outward route from the morning back to the Meadows where Alan declared the ride over.

It's always good to complete a ride that didn't happen on the planned date. Everyone enjoyed the ride, despite the gusty winds that had made some sections more challenging than expected, and it had stayed dry. Thanks to Alan for leading (and having gone out on his own mid-week to check the situation with the South Gyle station bridge), and to Mike for back marking.

Leader: Alan

Report: Glenn

Photos: Glenn

August ride this coming Saturday

This is to remind you that we have our August ride coming up on Saturday (9th). This will be our second attempt to visit the Lost Shore surf resort near Ratho, after our planned visit in June was abandoned because of heavy rain. Let's hope for better weather this time.

Under Alan's leadership, we'll be heading west out of the city, taking mainly quiet roads with good surfaces. There will be a couple of steep climbs towards the end of the morning, but otherwise fairly easy gradients. The total distance will be about 22 miles.

Lunch arrangements

The Lost Shore is an ideal place for a picnic. There are benches and picnic tables on the terrace as well as informal seating by the side of the lakes, all with nice views over the water and the wider countryside.

The centre also has a spacious bar-cum-restaurant. However, this mainly serves full meals rather than quick snacks and the service is slow, so you might be hard pressed to have lunch in the time available. It is also quite expensive. For those reasons, I suggest you bring your own food for a picnic if at all possible.

There is a separate counter where you can pick up a hot drink. And an ice cream van is sometimes (not always) parked within the centre.

Logistics

We'll gather at our usual spot at the north end of Middle Meadow Walk in time for a 10:30 departure. We'll aim to finish the ride at or near the Meadows around the middle of the afternoon.

There is no need to let us know in advance whether or not you plan to attend. If you'd like to join us, just turn up. The ride is of course free and is open to all.

August Extra

Our next Extra ride will take place on 30 August. This will be our traditional ride to Merryhatton in East Lothian. I'll post the usual details in good time.