February ride this coming Saturday

Our next ride takes place this coming Saturday (8th February). I hope you will be able to join us.

For this ride, we will be repeating a very successful run that we did about 18 months ago: Robert Louis Stevenson's "Road to the Pentlands". It won't be a particularly long ride - probably about 18 miles. But it will involve some steady climbing, mainly in the morning (and some nice downhills in the afternoon). There will also be a few rough stretches, some of which might be quite muddy.

Our route will follow the series of paths that Stevenson supposedly took when he visited his family's summer cottage in the old village of Swanston, at the foot of the Pentlands. After a look around the village, we will head east towards Lothianburn, the Winton Estate and Frogston. In the afternoon, we will return home via  Burdiehouse Valley, Craigmillar Castle Park and the Innocent Path.

Our lunch stop will be in the spacious new restaurant at Mortonhall. This serves a good range of salads, sandwiches and light meals. As well as having plenty of indoor seating, it also has a pleasant terrace for those of us who like to dine al fresco.

The meeting time and place are the same as ever: 10.30 at the north end of Middle Meadow Walk. We will aim to get back to the Meadows around the middle of the afternoon - well before dark (sunset that day is not until 17:01).

A reminder

May I remind you that we encourage our riders to carry a spare inner tube on all our rides. If you are unfortunate enough to have a puncture, having a spare tube will make it much easier to get back on the road. And if you don't have quick-release wheels front and back, please also carry whatever tool is needed to remove your wheels. If you don't know what tools you need or what size tube is right for your bike, ask at your favourite bike shop.

As always, there is no need to let anyone know in advance if you plan to join us. The ride is free and open to all, and you can just turn up on the day.