Our first 20-Milers Extra of the summer this Saturday

The first of this year's Extra rides takes place this coming Saturday (7th May). This promises to be a particularly pleasant ride, heading out along the coast for a picnic at Blackness Castle, returning via an inland route. For the most part, the route will be straightforward, although there might be a couple of rough paths, and there will be one killer hill - just after lunch.

Length and pace

At 30 - 35 miles, our Extra rides are longer than our standard second-Saturday runs. We leave earlier, get back later, and go at a slightly faster pace. So please think carefully about whether this ride is right for you.

If you find our usual runs well within you capabilities, then you will have no problem with this one. But if you feel that our standard runs are at all demanding, then you might prefer to give this one a miss. Join us instead for our normal 20-mile ride the following week.

Place and time

For this Extra ride, we will start from our alternative meeting point at the Craigleith path junction (see here for directions). We will leave at 10 am - half an hour earlier than usual. I can't say for sure what time the ride will end, but I would expect it to be around 4 pm.

Lunch arrangements

There are no cafés, pubs or restaurants in Blackness, so be sure to bring food for a picnic lunch. There is a small souvenir shop there, and this sells hot drinks, ice cream and a limited range of confectionery, but nothing more substantial. There are also toilets there.

Depending on progress and other factors, we might have an optional coffee stop near the end of the ride.

What if the weather is bad?

Light rain or a chilly wind won't put us off. But if the weather is particularly bad, we might opt for a shorter run with lunch in a café. We'll make that decision on the day.