20-Milers Extra this coming Saturday

We've got the first of this year's Extra rides on Saturday (23rd May). As you probably know, these rides are longer and faster than our usual runs - but the pace is still sociable and unpressured. If you find that our normal rides are well within your capabilities, you should have no trouble with this Extra. But if you are in doubt about your abilities or fitness level, you might prefer to give this one a miss.

Route and destination

For this week's ride, we will heading out along the John Muir Way. We'll take in South Queensferry, the Hopetoun Estate and Blackness. The return leg will consist of a longish stretch on the canal towpath, then back to town via Winchburgh and Kirkliston.

The total distance will be about 35 miles. A lot of the route will be on paths, and these may be rough and muddy in places. There will also be a couple of stretches on busy main roads. There will be one killer hill, just after lunch.

Lunch arrangements

For lunch, we will have a picnic at Blackness Castle. You can buy drinks and confectionery at the castle shop, but there are no cafés or pubs in the vicinity, so be sure to bring your own food.

If the day is slightly wet or showery, we'll go ahead as planned. But if the weather is really foul, we'll do a different, shorter run, with a café for lunch.

Meeting time and place

For this ride, we'll meet at our alternative meeting point: the junction of the Roseburn, Telford and Blackhall paths in Craigleith. If you're not sure where that is, see this blog post for detailed directions.

We'll start at 10 am, which is half an hour earlier than usual. The ride will probably end a little later than usual - about 4 pm or so, depending on progress.

So, to summarise the important points:

• Meet at Craigleith, not the Meadows.
• Meet at 10 am, not 10.30.
• Bring a picnic.