20-Milers Extra ride to Penicuik this coming Saturday

 We've got the second of this year's Extra rides fixed for this coming Saturday (24th). This time we will be heading into the depths of Midlothian with a lunch stop in Penicuik. This is a route which we have not done before as a group. Details below.

As you know, these Extra rides are longer than our usual runs, and go at a somewhat faster pace with fewer stops. Please keep that in mind when deciding whether this ride will be appropriate for your fitness level.

Saturday's route

For this ride, we'll start from Musselburgh, picking up the Dalkeith to Penicuik railway path just beyond Whitecraig. This is a delightful path through a deep wooded valley, often with dramatic views over the River Esk. On the return leg, the first mile or so will be on a busy main road, but we'll soon branch off onto a quieter route into Roslin and then via the bike path to Gilmerton. The last few miles will take us through quiet back streets in the south of the city, to finish at or near the top of the Innocent tunnel.

There will be some gentle hills throughout the day plus one fairly steep climb just before lunch. The total distance (Musselburgh - Penicuik - Edinburgh) will be about 32 miles.
 
Lunch arrangements

Those of us who like to bring a picnic will head to Montgomery Park in Penicuik. This is next to a leisure centre where there are toilets and vending machines selling hot and cold drinks. There is also some indoor seating in the centre where we can eat our sandwiches if the weather turns bad.

For those who prefer a café lunch, the Storehouse is a friendly community café which serves soup, filled rolls and  home-made cakes at very reasonable prices.

Time and place

For this ride, we'll meet at Fisherrow Harbour in Musselburgh. Please aim to be there in time for a punctual 10:30 departure. Note that Fisherrow is about seven miles from central Edinburgh, so depending on where you set out from, your total mileage could be nearer 40 than 30. Obviously there is no way of knowing for sure what time the ride will finish, but my guess is that we will back in town by about 4 pm or soon afterwards.

There are toilets at Fisherrow, and we will have an additional toilet stop about half way through the morning.

As with all our rides, the above information should be regarded as provisional. The meeting time and place are fixed, but we reserve the right to vary the route or the lunch venue according to conditions on the day. In particular, if the weather is really bad, we might opt for a shorter ride and perhaps more time in a café.

Whether or not we see you on Saturday, our next 20-mile run will be on 8 July. In the meantime, enjoy your cycling.