July's ride to Dalkeith

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Fifteen 20-milers braved the climate for Ken's outing. Their courage and/or foolhardiness was well rewarded - the sun broke through and shone down on the whole run. From the usual starting place at Middle Meadow Walks, we ran down Queen's park past Dynamic Earth, then a quick uphill puff to Willowbrae Road and the Piershill cemetery.

Pausing to honour the Craigentinny marbles, we then returned to the Fishwives Causeway and on to Portobello promenade and so to Musselburgh, where a quick whizz along the West bank of the Esk took us along the Inveresk paths behind Mus. Golf club. From there we spun along Cowpits Road to Whitecraigs and then on into the Dalkieth Country park.

A very pleasant Lunch ensued in the Stables Bistro in the Park, after which Ken took us past the famous play area and along some rarely trodden tracks around the interior of the Park, emerging to rejoin the Innocent near Old Craighall and a breezy return ride back to the tunnel, where folk went their separate ways.

No punctures, and sunshine throughout, provided that is that you cycled home reasonably quickly, unlike your scribe who spent too long at the Canal Festival afterwards and had to dodge the lightning bolts on the way home.

Cheers and hope to see you all next run (13Aug)

Ride led by Ken
Report by Jim

30milers to Jupiter Artland

A dozen people decided they didn't have anything better to do this fine sunny day (so different to June's weather!) and came along on the 30 mile ride to Jupiter Artland, near Ratho.

We started off heading out of town along a novel route - not involving the canal - to Harrison Park and Shandon, then wiggled our way through Stenhouse to the cycle path along the new tram route (lots of rusting rails...), into Edinburgh Park briefly and under the bypass then out to Ratho and beyond along the canal. We got as far as an aqueduct then carried our bike down some steps and then cycled up the first hill of the day, through some quiet country roads and arrived at Jupiter Artland around 12 - superspeed!

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We enjoyed an excellent lunch in the sun, and some people took a few minutes to wander around the "public" areas (i.e. the bits by the road you don't pay to see!) and enjoy the sculptures.
After lunch we headed back to town, along route 75 for a fair distance (Long Dalmahoy Road) - we had to climb hill 2 to get there though, through Heriot Watt and then along Donkey Lane and across the West Coast main line (not something I'd want to do with a much bigger group - although we had it fairly swift and efficient, people did get bunched up on the "railway" side a couple of times and we had to slow the flow). Then up the third (and trickiest) hill of the day - it was quite a rough surface and we were tired (well I was anyway)! and then it was downhill all the way by the Water of Leith and the canal.
We were back in the centre around 3pm - just goes to show that smaller groups move faster - we've been considerably later than that on a 20miler ride.