May's ride to the South East

Thanks to everyone who came along today. We were lucky with the weather as the wind only seemed to be against us when we were going downhill!

May's ride to South East Edinburgh

A quick plug for the free cycle maps available from Edinburgh Council - you can download them here or if you want a "proper" one, then phone their helpline and they'll send you one. I recently got in touch with them for a "Bike to Work" day at our office and they sent us several hundred copies, free!

Anyway, today's route led out towards Musselburgh on Route 1, then ducked under the bypass before the Queen Margaret College and went along some quiet country roads (with great views of the city) to Danderhall. A beautiful route through the Edmonstone Policies park turned out to be a bit of a faff as some unkind people had dragged logs and branches across the path (presumably trying to discourage cyclists or perhaps motorcyclists) - well the 20 of us made it through without too much grumbling. Then we went through Gilmerton and into the Burdiehouse Valley Park which had less broken glass than sometimes, and to Mortonhall for lunch (some went to the Garden Centre and some went on to the Stables Bar). A short hike over the hill (just one gate to lift the bikes over) and then we again had some fabulous panoramas of the city as we came down to Liberton Brae, then along the Braid Valley Burn into the Hermitage - some beautiful lush greenery at this time of year: very picturesque. Finally we came down Braid Avenue and then through the Astley Ainslie into Grange and back to our starting point.

View 20Milers to SE May2010 in a larger map