Carberry by a route less travelled

For today's ride, the leader promised us that whilst we would probably know the places we passed through, the route we would take would be unfamiliar to most. Following that rationale, we headed to Carberry via Musselburgh before returning to town. We were blessed with lovely weather. The sun shone down from a blue sky for the whole ride. If only the easterly breeze hadn't had a slight coolness to it, the day would have been a scorcher. It's early June, so perhaps even warmer days lie ahead. Given the weather and the promise of an unfamiliar route, we were expecting a particularly good turnout. With a couple of minutes to go we had a quite disappointing 13 riders. A last minute surge resulted in 20 starters. It was good to see new faces and returnees mixed in with the regulars There followed the customary briefing when the leader explained that just before lunch, we would split into two groups with one lot going to the pub, and the others to the chosen picnic site.

We headed away from the Meadows towards the Innocent Tunnel; but this time we swept past and into Holyrood Park. We zoomed down Queen's Drive (or is that now King's Drive?), past the Parliament, out of the park, along Meadowbank Crescent and up the stiff little climb that is Lilyhill Terrace. After a pause to catch our breath, a few left-right-left turns and we arrived at Willowbrae Road. Arriving at just the right time, we crossed it quickly and easily as we did with Northfield Broadway. We took quiet roads through Mountcastle, down Duddingston Road, past Portobello Golf Course and over the Baileyfield Bridge. More twists and turns through the backstreets of Joppa and we emerged on Milton Road. Right and left turns took us to Brunstane station. Instead of heading down the Brunstane Burn path, we took paths through the estate to emerge in Newcraighall. Across the road and we were on the path towards Musselburgh. This path has recently been upgraded and the temporary one has gone. A lovely ride followed to Musselburgh station, where we paused as Iain kindly passed round homemade cake. Suitably refuelled, we headed to The Grove and took the path to Inveresk. From there we made our way to the site of the Battle of Pinkie. Turning right on the A6094 seemed to take forever. The leader who has ridden that road numerous times, had never seen it so busy. Eventually, we all made the right turn before stopping at the left turn towards the dreaded Fa'side Hill. This is where the lunchtime split occurred. The leader took a group of seven to the Craig House pub for lunch, whilst Mike led the larger group on an extra loop taking in St Clement's Wells and the new housing development on the edge of Wallyford, before pressing on to the picnic stop in the churchyard at Inveresk. Both groups made the most of the weather to dine al fresco.

Mike and the leader had agreed to regroup at the end of the road leading up to Inveresk Church at 1330. With pinpoint accuracy, the leader and group of pub-goers arrived exactly as the clock struck 1330. A quick downhill stretch and we were at Tesco Musselburgh for a comfort break for those that had been picnicking. Over the main road bridge through the town, behind the Brunton Theatre and we were soon at Fisherrow Harbour. Another little twiddle took us Along Newhailes Avenue and Crescent to emerge on the road towards Portobello. At the bottom of Milton Road, we joined the Brunstane Burn path which via Daiches Brae took us to Brunstane station. From there, it was the familiar route back to the Meadows via the Innocent Railway with no more surprises. Once there, the leader declared the ride officially over. Everyone said how much they had enjoyed the ride. There was even a ripple of applause, much to the surprise and embarassment of the leader. A number of riders had said throughout the day that whist they knew the places they had been to, they had never been to them via today's route. They also admitted how hard they would find it to retrace the route due to the number of turns in quick succession.

Another successful ride which everyone seemed to enjoy and with lovely weather - what more can anyone wish for? Thanks to Mike for back marking and taking on the role of second leader just before lunch for the extra loop.

Leader: Glenn

Report: Glenn

Photos: Glenn

I don't know where we are

Cockenzie House was today's destination. The Meadows, Musselburgh and Cockenzie House - a quite straight forward ride by a well known route then? Not at all. At the briefing, the leader informed the group that whilst much of the route would be on familiar roads and paths, there would be a couple of stretches that would be completely new to most. So the scene was set for an interesting route, with some nice East Lothian scenery thrown in. The weather forecast suggested sunny intervals, pleasant temperatures and no rain. As it turned out, two out of three ain't bad. Good weather and the promise of an interesting route led to a turnout of 28 riders - second highest of the year.

Not long after leaving the Meadows, we came across an obstacle. We couldn't cross St Leaonard's Street at the usual crossing as new tar had been laid a short time before our arrival. A very helpful road worker informed us we would have to go up the pavement and cross further up. This slight detour didn't delay us for long. Safely across, and we were soon through the tunnel and travelling down the Innocent Railway. At Brunstane station, we turned left as if heading for the Brunstane Burn path. But we carried straight on to follow a less familiar path as it threaded through the Gilbertstoun estate. With the first unfamiliar section behind us, we re-joined the usual route to Musselburgh station. Paths, quiet back streets and a footbridge over the River Esk saw us on The Grove for a short distance, before turning onto a path that took us to Inveresk. A left and right and we were on Crookston Road, which peters out to become a path running alongside the A1 slip road. A short pause to regroup beside the site of the Battle of Pinkie, and we were on the road towards Whitecraig which crosses the A1. A left turn, and it looked as if we were heading for the steep climb that is Fa'side Hill. Those that knew where they were, looked worried. There had been no mention of this steep hill at the briefing. The leader then turned left onto a flat strtech of road and stopped. We then had a stop for cake thanks to Iain. Pressing on towards St Clement's Well, there were several comments about how beautiful it was riding past sheep grazing in the fields. The comment, "I don't know where we are" was also heard from many. The road ended and a path lead us on a footbridge over the A1 to emerge amongst the new houses being built on the edge of Wallyford. A track led us between the unfinished houses to emerge at Wallyford Industrial Estate. Down to the traffic lights, turn right and we were heading towards the top side of Prestonpans. We stayed on that familiar road until we turned left and took a path down to the site of the Battle of Prestonpans. Back on the road for a short stretch and we arrived at Cockenzie House for our lunch stop. Most of the group headed to the cafe, but a few opted to picnic in the park across the road where they dined in the warm sunshine.

We left Cockenzie House by the rear entrance. This avoided the main road and took us past Cockenzie harbour. Avoiding the main road, we were soon on the new cycle path. With no shelter, this was where we were hit with a brief but heavy shower. Back onto the coast road, we left Prestonpans and joined the cycle path beside the Firth of Forth. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing flood defence works, a section of the coast path is closed. This meant we had to re-join the road for a while, before turning off and getting back on the coast path. Onwards to Fisherrow Harbour for a comfort stop before joining the road towards Portobello. At the bottom of Milton Road we took the Brunstane Burn path to Brunstane station. The run back into town saw us retrace our outward route from the morning. We had another slight delay at St Leaonard's Street. The tar was now dry, but the crossing was not working and traffic was heavy. Back at the Meadows the leader declared the ride over.

Everyone seemed to have enjoyed the ride. There were no problems and it lived up to expectations about seeing new places. A successful ride. What more can anyone ask for?

Leader: Glenn

Report: Glenn

Photos: Glenn

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

Falside Hill - the easy way

For those that don't like steep hills and know of it; mention of Falside Hill can lead to feelings of serious trepidation. A mile or so south-east of Wallyford in East Lothian; there are three routes to the top. The hard way is to approach from the Wallyford side just past the A1 junction. There are two approaches from Tranent. Whilst both are easier than the hard way, both are still something of a challenge. For today's ride, the leader was promising an easy ascent of the hill. Was this a wind up, or was it a real possibility? It was dry and overcast with the sun trying to peep through as the riders began to gather at the start point. Following the customary briefing, the 26 riders headed off towards the Innocent tunnel. In amongst the regulars were some riders that hadn't been out with us for quite a while and a smattering of new faces. Turning off long before the tunnel, we made our way up St Leonards Bank. This little-known dead end street is delightful. On one side are lovely houses; on the other is a to-die-for view of Arthur's Seat. A real undiscovered gem in the heart of town. This was discovered by one of our regular riders a couple of years ago and we continue to weave it into appropriate rides for the "wow" factor. An indication of how well hidden it is can be shown by the fact that Ken has lived in Edinburgh for over 50 years, yet only discovered it a couple of years ago.

Following a short stretch where we had to walk along a very rough path, we were soon in Holyrood Park and whizzing down to Duddingston village. From there we made our way past Duddingston golf course, Milton Road and joined the Innocent Railway path at Bingham. From there we took the regularly used route to emerge at Musselburgh station. Here we had a brief pause whilst the leader offered round sweeties. From there we made our way through the houses, took the bridge over the River Esk and onto the Grove to Whitecraig. At Whitecraig we joined the cycle path towards Dalkeith before turning off and climbing up to Crossgatehall to join the Pencaitland railway path. After a couple of miles of easy riding on the whin dust path, we turned left onto a less smooth minor path. Within a short distance we were confronted by a flight of steps which forced us to dismount and walk. With the steps behind us, we remounted and continued along the path passing a cemetery that appeared to be in the middle of nowhere. Waiting to regroup in Elphinstone, a collie dog was very keen to round up the group of cyclists. So much so, that he had to be dragged away by his owner. There then followed what can only be described as the closest the 20 Milers ever get to single track mountain biking. This short stretch was quite tricky. But whilst there may have been one or two heart-in-the-mouth moments, everyone got through safely. The fact the leader had warned everyone of what was to come obviously helped. A little more riding on a better quality path and we emerged onto the road at the top of Falside Hill. So it was true! It had been possible to get to the top of Falside Hill without too much effort. The only compromise being the need to negotiate a couple of off-road sections; one short stretch of which had been quite tricky. Now for the reward. We sped down the steep hill. A very quick and enjoyable way to get to our lunch stop at Craig House on the edge of Whitecraig.

Suitably replenished after a good lunch, we rolled away from Craig House and made our way to the pleasant village of Inveresk. By St Michael's kirk we negotiated a gate and made our way down to the path beside the River Esk which took us back to Tesco in Musselburgh. We crossed the busy Mall Avenue and made our way towards Fisherrow Harbour via Eskside West; remembering to duck as we rode under the bridge which carries the aptly named Bridge Street. After a brief pause at Fisherrow, one final detour took us up Newhailes Avenue and Newhailes Crescent to emerge on the busy Edinburgh Road through a gate set into the wall. A few hundred yards on this road and we turned left through another hole in the wall to join the Brunstane path. This lovely path which hugs the Brunstane Burn brought us out at Brunstane station. From there we joined the familiar NCN 1 for our run back into town. It was on this path at Jewel Park that we had our only puncture of the day. Thanks to Alan Orr for ensuring the unfortunate rider was back under way with minimal delay. Positive feedback suggested that everyone enjoyed the day's ride. Good weather, some unfamiliar territory, a short stretch of challenging off-road riding, good company - what more could anyone want from a 20 Milers outing? Ah, of course; the chance to ascend a very tough hill with minimal climbing.

Leader: Glenn
Report: Glenn
Photos: Glenn and Michael
Map trace: David

Musselburgh at last

At the third attempt, the planned ride to Musselburgh finally happened today. What should have been the opening 20 Milers ride of 2016 fell victim to treacherously icy conditions in January. Unbelievably, the same fate befell it in February. It was such a relief to have dry and sunny, if still slightly cool weather for today's ride. With the promise of some hidden gems and a chance to explore some little known parts of the Honest Toun, 23 riders assembled at the start. It was nice to see some new faces amongst the regulars. We left the Meadows in one group and made our way to the Innocent Railway via the superb new cycle track that makes getting out of town so much easier. We followed the familiar route to Newcraighall, where we joined the newly resurfaced road towards Fort Kinnaird, turning off and taking the cycle path to Musselburgh station. There then followed a meander through the unfamiliar residential streets of Stoneybank. Fortunately these streets caused no problems for the leader as this was his own backyard. Emerging beside the River Esk, most riders knew where they were once again. We carried on, crossing the foot bridge over the River Esk and made our way past the entrance to Musselburgh racecourse. After a short stretch on the busy Linkfield Road, we turned right through imposing gate posts into Windsor Gardens. A stone's throw from the racecourse, we were greeted by the lovely St Anne's Convent. This lovely building (now an old people's home) is set in a lovely square with houses that is reminiscent of an English cathedral close. After a short pause to enjoy the view, we rode round the square and made our way into the back entrance of Lewisvale Park. We climbed an interesting zig-zag path, rode around the playing field before coming out in the village of Inversk. A delightful old road that is now a foot and cycle path took us over the main East Coast railway line and on to the edge of Wallyford. We passed the historic site of the Battle of Pinkie Fields and made our way to our lunch stop, a pub just outside Whitecraig.

There was plenty of room to accommodate the whole group. Sufficiently refreshed, we made our way to the Grove and followed the Esk back to Musselburgh. Retracing part of our outward route, we made our way to Fisherrow Harbour. From there we crossed the main Edinburgh Road and made our way through the quiet back streets of the Newhailes housing estate. Another route that was unfamiliar to many; we exited back onto the main road through a gate in the wall. We soon left the main road behind and took the pleasant Brunstane Burn path to emerge at Brunstane station. From here we followed the familiar route back to the Innocent Railway to return to the start. On this stretch, Sustrans were doing a survey about usage of the path with many in the group stopping to complete it.

It was good to have some nice weather; even if it could have been a little warmer. Everyone seemed to enjoy the ride and today's route was something of an eye opener to those that thought they knew Musselburgh. Finding hidden gems and exploring lesser known parts, the Honest Toun certainly gave up some of its secrets.

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