EDINBURGH 20-MILERS

20th Anniversary Year

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Saturday 29 June 2019

An East Lothian drama


For this, the second 20 Milers Extra ride of the year, we were expecting a straight forward run through the delightful East Lothian countryside. What we got was one of the most dramatic rides for quite a while. No disrespect to the good folk of the town, but the words "Haddington" and "drama" seldom appear in the same sentence. On the outward leg we had a rider fall and cut his head. Fortunately, we had a first aider on the group who was able to deal with the situation. On the return leg, the backmarker had to relinquish the role when a serious mechanical issue stopped them in their tracks.

The weather forecast seemed to be constantly changing prior to the ride. A warm day was promised, but uncertainty remained as to whether or not we would have to endure showers, at what time and if they would be thundery. Never mind the forecast, we still mustered an impressive 17 starters at Fisherrow Harbour. As ever, it was great to see quite a few new faces in the mix. Following one of this leader's typically thorough and safety-orientated briefings, we rolled away onto the Musselburgh coast path. It was warm but overcast as we crossed the River Esk and made our way down Goose Green. The familiar route alongside the sea wall took us onwards to Prestonpans. At the end of the path, the leader gave a further safety briefing before we joined the main road through the town. We were split into groups of five and made to wait until the group in front was a good way ahead. The backmarker ensured that no group was larger than five or that they set off too soon after the one in front. The military precision paid off. Holding up of other traffic was minimal, and [most importantly] we all got along the main road safely. A rider was placed to indicate turns at junctions which worked perfectly. We were soon at the start of the Longniddry railway path; where we had a stop for sweeties. A reasonably smooth and wide path devoid of traffic should have presented no problems. Unfortunately, this was not to be. Back on tarmac and about to enter the underpass beneath the A1, disaster struck. A rider had hit an innocuous looking tree root and gone down, cutting their head in the process. Fortunately, our resident first aider, Ollie was on scene and knew exactly what to do. Some were further along the path, but the whole group stopped and waited. The leader made the decision that the majority would push on into Haddington and have lunch, whilst those who were actively involved would remain with the casualty. There was no need to call an ambulance and the casualty was able to walk the short distance into Haddington. They ended up being patched up in a pharmacy in the town. The decision was made to put the rider in a taxi with Barbara [and their bikes] to Longniddry station. From there they were able to return to Edinburgh.

The group reconvened after lunch to learn what had happened, and we began the homeward leg two riders down. Down to the river, over a bridge, along a path and we arrived at a quiet road. The leader told us it was a very quiet road, but we may encounter some light traffic so we should "be sensible". That comment inevitably led to smiles, laughter and wise cracks. It was pleasantly warm and sunny as we rode through the lovely East Lothian countryside to West Saltoun. Having survived the quiet roads and light traffic, we headed off-road onto the beginning of the Pencaitland railway path. Within 100 yards, disaster struck for the backmarker. They veered to one side and only just managed to stay on the path. Fortunately there was no injury. But close inspection of the bike revealed that the rear derailleur had sheared off. That could so easily have been a ride-ending issue. After a few moments of consideration, it was decided that shortening the chain and making the bike into a single speed would allow it to be limped home. The tools and know how were there, but some of the chain links didn't want to play. As is the case when the backmarker hits a problem, hardly anyone is there to help. Meanwhile, the main group had pressed on to their cake stop. The backmarker and the writer were left to try and sort matters. The chain links were being a real pain. Following a couple of phone calls, Jim was dispatched to help. It was good to see him, and even better that he had brought cake. The leader made the decision that the main group should press on and the other three make the repair and head home independently. The main group managed to outrun the rain and get to Fisherrow where the leader was relieved to be able to declare the ride officially over. The remaining three finally got the repair made and began the homeward trek. Unfortunately, several further stops were required to make adjustments to keep the wheels turning. These extra delays meant that the three got caught in a heavy shower. The backmarker finally threw in the towel and headed for Musselburgh station rather that limp back into town.

All in all, quite an eventful day's ride! The weather was kind to us - just, the route was a good one, lovely coutryside - but, it will be remembered for different reasons. Here's hoping the new riders don't expect all our rides to pack in so much drama. Thanks to everyone that helped keep the ride running smoothly. But mention in dispatches are undoubtly due to Verity, Ollie and Barbara. Verity for managing the logistics to ensure the ride ran smoothly despite everything. Ollie for putting her first aider skills to use when needed; and like Verity, wolfing down a hurriedly bought sandwich rather than enjoying a leisurely lunch. Barbara for volunteering to end her ride early and see that the fallen rider got home safely. She even managed to blag them a free ride on the train back to Edinburgh! Finally, here's wishing all the best from the group for a speedy recovery - hope to see you out again soon.

Leader: Verity
Report: Glenn
Photos: Glenn
Map trace: David


Wednesday 26 June 2019

Haddington Extra this coming Saturday


Our second Extra of the summer will take place this coming Saturday (29th). Verity will be leading us into East Lothian, with a lunch stop in the delightful town of Haddington where there is a good choice of cafés and picnic spots.

Much of the route will be on bike paths, in particular the Longniddry and Pencaitland paths, both of which are fairly flat and have reasonably firm surfaces (albeit not tarmac). Other parts of the route will involve a few hills, especially in the afternoon, but nothing too challenging. There will be one short stretch on a busy main road where we will split into small groups for safety.

For this ride, we will meet at Fisherrow Harbour in Musselburgh, in time for a 10:30 start. The total distance (Fisherrow to Fisherrow) will be 33 miles. For those coming from central Edinburgh, add about eight miles each way.

The lunch stop will be relatively early, with most of the mileage in the afternoon. You may want to bring a biscuit or some fruit to sustain you on the return leg

Longer and faster

Please keep in mind that our Extra rides are longer than our usual "second Saturday" runs and go at a somewhat faster pace. Most of our regular riders find these rides are within their comfort zone, but it's something to take into account if you haven't cycled for a while or are unsure of your fitness level.

As I write, the forecast for Saturday is good, so this promises to be another enjoyable day.

Friday 21 June 2019

A midsummer night's jaunt



In choosing a route for this year's summer solstice ride, I claim no points for originality. After looking for inspiration in various maps, I decided we could do no better than repeat the very pleasant run that we had this time last year. And why not? It was an attractive route, with a good mix of water, greenery and views – too good not to do again.

Eleven of us gathered at our usual spot in Middle Meadow Walk. It was a lovely bright evening. We set off at 7 pm, heading west down Lauriston Place, past the Usher Hall and across Lothian Road to Festival Square. A bit more weaving took us through the West End. We crossed the Water of Leith by way of the Belford Road bridge, pedalled past the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art to Ravelston Dykes, then down Garscube Terrace to join the Roseburn Path at Coltbridge.


We stayed on the path only as far as the Craigleith path junction (familiar to most of us as the starting point for some of our Extra rides). We then freewheeled down Craigleith Hill Avenue into Inverleith Park. After pausing to admire the particularly nice view of the Edinburgh skyline in the evening light, we continued round the sides of the Royal Botanic Garden to rejoin the bike path at Goldenacre. A few moments later we were at Five Ways, and then on the Hawthornvale Path to Lindsay Road. We had a long-ish stop by the cruise liner terminal, where we could just about glimpse the Royal Yacht Britannia in the middle distance. It's a pity that the public can't get a closer view of this magnificent vessel other than by buying a ticket. (We might have got closer, but unfortunately the Ocean Terminal was in the way.)

Waterfront and Shore

The next leg took us along a stretch of the Leith waterfront and the Shore (sorry about the cobbles). We soon reached the Water of Leith path, with the river looking particularly peaceful in the evening light. We left the path at St Mark's Park, passing the site of the recently-demolished Powderhall refuse depot. And what an improvement there is to the landscape now that that unlovely building has gone (happily, the Grade B listed office building and former stables have survived and are being refurbished).

We continued along McDonald Road, across Leith Walk and on to London Road. We then followed Royal Terrace (more cobbles) and Regent Road to one of our traditional stopping points: the Stones of Scotland Monument. In the late evening sunshine, the view from here over Salisbury Crags and Arthur's Seat was particularly striking. We took advantage of the stop to share some nibbles. We then moved on to tackle the only noticeable climb of the evening: Calton Hill.

Changes

If you haven't been to the summit of Calton Hill recently, you may be agreeably surprised by the changes. The area around the Playfair observatory has been landscaped and remodelled, and although it is has been somewhat commercialised with the arrival of an up-market restaurant, it now provides better access to the south west side of the summit, with much more room to enjoy the views over the city.

And so to the final leg of our ride: down the hill to Waterloo Places, then left at the Bridges, right into Chambers Street, arriving back at the Meadows shortly before 9.30 pm. The weather had stayed kind to us all evening, and nobody had complained about the repetition of the route. Maybe next year we will do somewhere different. Or maybe not.

Leader, report, photos: Mike

Monday 17 June 2019

Summer solstice ride on Friday evening


This coming Friday (21st June) is the summer solstice: the longest day of the year. We will be celebrating the event with our traditional mid-summer evening bike ride. Like all our rides, this one is free and open to all. I hope you will be able to join us.

This will be a leisurely ride, taken at an easy pace and with a few interesting stops along the way. Our route will mainly follow bike paths, quiet roads and parks around the city, and will take in the Leith waterfront, the Royal Yacht, the Stones of Scotland monument and the summit of Calton Hill. That last bit will be the only noticeable hill of the evening, with the rest of the route being reasonably flat.

We will meet at 7 pm, at our usual spot at the north end of Middle Meadow Walk. The ride will last about 2½ hours. There will be no café or pub stop during the ride, but if anyone wants to go for a drink afterwards, that can easily be arranged.

Although the ride should end before dark (sunset on Friday is at 10 pm), it would be advisable to bring lights in case we get delayed and also to see you home.

Remember, there is no advance booking for any of our rides. If you fancy joining us, just turn up at the appointed time and place.

Saturday 8 June 2019

An early lunch


Today's ride could be summed up as, a low turnout; better weather than the forecast suggested; a relatively quick and trouble-free ride except for a puncture and arriving at our lunch stop very early. For the last few days the forecast had been telling us to expect a day of continual heavy rain. Perhaps that had frightened off a number of riders. Either that, or the lure of the Edinburgh World Naked Bike Ride had been too great! As it happened, the weather was nothing like as bad as expected. There was some rain at lunchtime and immediately after, but it could have been much worse. Even so, it was far from what we would expect in June.

A total of just eleven riders mustered at the start. It may well have been a record low for a June ride; more the sort of numbers we would associate with a winter's ride in bad weather. Once again, there was no need to consider splitting into two groups. After the obligatory leader's briefing, we left the Meadows and set off in the direction of Dalkeith. Taking the familiar route of the Innocent Railway, we soon left the Meadows behind. The pace was a little faster than some 20 Milers rides, but it presented no problem for those present and we made very good time. A smaller group meant we were all able to get across at traffic lights, so having to wait and regroup wasn't necessary. We were even able to cross the busy road through Newcraighall without delay, something that is almost unheard of. We then sped along the cycle path to Musselburgh station where we stopped as cakes and sweets were passed round. Perhaps we didn't really need them, but it's a long-held tradition of our rides. We pressed on and joined the River Esk path (known as the Grove to the locals) to Whitecraig. There followed a short stretch on the busy A6094 towards Dalkeith. Leaving that far-from-pleasant road behind, we were soon heading along a quiet road into Dalkeith Country Park. Past the impressive "big house" - Dalkeith Palace, and we left the country park to emerge on Dalkeith High Street. A short ride through the town and we arrived at our lunch stop at 1155. It has been a long time since we arrived so early to lunch. Three riders headed off for a picnic lunch, some went into the pub and the remainder decided to risk al fresco dining despite the sky looking rather grey. Lunch was eaten outside; but as the rain got heavier, everyone retreated inside.

Although not too heavy, the rain was the sort you wouldn't want to stand around in, as we headed away from lunch. A few minutes later we were standing around in the rain as one unfortunate rider had suffered a puncture. Typical! Following a damp delay, the puncture was fixed and we were rolling again. As we took the cycle path towards Whitecraig, the rain became lighter before stopping completely. From Whitecraig, our return route was almost identical to our way out in the morning. The one exception being that we wheeled our bikes up and over the bridge at Brunstane station, rather than riding round via the road and path. Back at the Meadows, the leader declared the ride over as the rain began again. It was just after 1430. Thanks to Jim for leading a ride that everyone seemed to enjoy. We had made good, smooth progress despite the puncture delay and the weather had been better than any of us had dared hope. Here's hoping for better weather and a better turnout for July's ride. Come on summer, we're still waiting for you!




Leader: Jim
Report: Glenn
Photos: Glenn
Map trace: Jim


Wednesday 5 June 2019

June 20-Milers this coming Saturday


We've got our June ride this Saturday (8th). Jim will be leading us to Dalkeith. It should be a straightforward run of about 20 - 24 miles, with a few hills but no killers. For lunch, there is a choice between a picnic in the King's Park (bring a packed lunch or pick up a sandwich in the nearby Morrisons) or a pub lunch in the Blacksmiths Forge (Wetherspoons).

The details are the same as always. We'll meet at the north end of Middle Meadow Walk in time for a 10:30 departure.

Looking ahead

We have two more rides planned for this month. On Friday 21st, we will have our traditional summer solstice ride. This will be an evening ride, starting from Middle Meadow Walk at 19:00. And on Saturday 29th, Verity will be leading us to Haddington for our second Extra of the season.

I'll post a reminder and more details of each of these events her nearer the time.

Monday 3 June 2019

Full Steam Ahead to Bo'ness


Seventeen riders turned up at Craigleith for our first Extra of the summer. These Extra rides are aimed at the somewhat more active members of our group. We go a little faster and a little further than on our standard runs, and aim to visit places that would otherwise be beyond our range. Today's ride was no exception: a 38-mile round-trip to Bo'ness in West Lothian.

The first leg of the route was a familiar one: NCN1 to Cramond Brig, the underpass and the new cycle track to the Carlowrie Road, and the railway path to Kirkliston. We stopped for a comfort break at the Kirkliston Leisure Centre, then continued west on the quiet back road past Niddry Castle. After four miles on the canal towpath, we reached Philpstoun, where we took another break (with some delicious home-made chocolate brownies on offer).

The next stage of the ride involved a notorious killer hill – one that we have often struggled up on our rides to Blackness Castle. This time, we had the pleasure of going down, which was most exhilarating. In no time at all, we were in Blackness village, from where we set off on the last leg of the morning. This took us on a new stretch of path along the shore of the Forth. This path replaces a rough footpath which was always difficult for cyclists. Now, apart from one unpaved section, it is a well-surfaced track offering delightful views across the firth. The path led us into Bo'ness, where we made our way to the terminus of the preserved Bo'ness and Kinneil railway.

The railway turned out to be an ideal lunch stop: lots of picnic tables, a spacious café, and plenty of interesting things to see. About half-way through the break, the whistle of an approaching train could be heard. Several members of the group rushed to the platform, where they caught a glimpse of a steam–hauled train arriving in the station. Most of us, it must be said, preferred to stay put and catch a glimpse of our lunch.

For the return to Edinburgh, we retraced the outward route along the coast to Blackness. Staying near the coast, we then followed the path through pleasant woodland towards Abercorn, and then into the Hopetoun House deer park and on to South Queensferry. After a short pause outside the Co-op, we continued to Dalmeny, where we re-joined NCN1 for the final stretch back to Craigleith, arriving there a little after 4 pm.

The day had stayed dry and reasonably warm, and there were no problems of any kind. Nobody had any difficulty in keeping up, and the ride was free of punctures and other mechanical difficulties. In short, a good start to the Extra season.

Leader, report and photos: Mike
Sorry, no map this time.