March ride this coming Saturday

Our March ride will take place this coming Saturday (14th). I hope you will be able to join us

One of the challenges facing our ride leaders is to come up with new and interesting routes which don't just repeat the same old rides that we do again and again. Our leader this month, Graham, has succeeded in doing just that. By linking together familiar routes in an unfamiliar way, he has managed to come up with an imaginative itinerary that will be entirely new to the group.

The route will essentially be a loop around the east, north and west of the city, taking in several parks, some pleasant bike paths and a stretch of the waterfront.  The total distance will be about 23 miles, with very little climbing and only a few short stretches on main roads.

Our lunch stop will be at Davidson's Mains. The Olde Inn there does a range of hot main course dishes, with  prices start at £8.95. If you prefer a lighter lunch, the nearby Costa offers a choice of soups, toasties, panini and the like. Also nearby is Davidson's Mains Park, where those who wish to bring a packed lunch can enjoy their picnic.

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

Please keep in mind that, as with all our rides, the meeting time and place are fixed, but the route and lunch stop might change according to conditions on the day. In particular, we might shorten the ride if the weather is very bad.

More cycling news

* Border Buses are gradually introducing bike-carrying buses on more of their routes. As of now, bikes can be carried on some (not all) buses on routes X62 (Edinburgh to Melrose via Peebles), X95 (Edinburgh to Galashiels, Hawick and Carlisle) and 253 (Edinburgh to Haddington, Dunbar and Berwick on Tweed).

* Edinburgh Festival of Cycling (EdFoC). It seems unlikely that this will go ahead this year, partly because of the lack of commercial sponsorship. The organisers say they hope to return in 2021. Some of the individual events, including bike rides, talks and workshops, might still take place this year. I will keep you informed if I get any more news.

* St Andrews (Lepra) ride. On a more positive note, this ride will definitely go ahead this year after a break in 2019. The date is fixed for Saturday 13th June. Full details can be found here.

That's all for now. I hope to see you all soon.