Ride to Ratho this coming Saturday

 Hello everyone,

We've got our March ride this coming Saturday (14th). Under Alan's leadership, we'll be heading out to Ratho. The route will mainly involve quiet roads and firm surfaces, but there will also be a couple of short off-road sections that might be a bit rough. We can expect some steep climbing towards the end of the morning, but otherwise fairly easy gradients. The total distance will be about 22 miles.

Lunch stop

Provided the weather is not too awful, we'll have our lunch at the Lost Shore surf resort. This is an ideal place for a picnic. There are benches and picnic tables on the terrace as well as informal seating by the side of the lochs, all with nice views over the water and the wider countryside.

There is a large restaurant at the centre, but this mainly serves full meals rather than quick snacks. It is quite expensive and the service is inclined to be slow, so you might be hard pressed to have lunch in the time available. For those reasons, I suggest you bring your own food for a picnic if at all possible. There is however a separate kiosk where you can pick up a hot drink.

If the day is particularly cold or wet, we might opt for a lunch stop at the nearby climbing arena instead. This has picnic space both inside and out, as well as a small cafe where you can pick up a light snack.

Logistics

We'll gather at our usual spot at the north end of Middle Meadow Walk in time for a 10:30 departure. We'll aim to finish the ride at or near the Meadows some time around the middle of the afternoon.

There is no need to let us know in advance whether or not you plan to attend. If you'd like to join us, just turn up. The ride is of course free and is open to all.

Finally, please keep in mind that we always welcome suggestions for new routes or destinations for our rides, especially if you can volunteer to lead a ride yourself. If so, do get in touch.