A rather blowy ride to Roslin

Not far into today's ride to Roslin one rider was heard to say, "it's rather blowy today". That turned out to be a perfect description. There was a noticeable wind that stayed with us all day, we endured a couple of showers, but the temperature was probably about average for early September. The forecast had suggested we would have a mixture of light rain and showers all day, so it was better than that. Roslin has been a regular destination over the years, but whoever is leading always seems to manage to shake up the route just enough to make it a little different. The same thing happened today courtesy of Alison who was leading her second 20 Milers ride in as many months. Given the weather forecast, a turn out of twelve riders was neither unexpected nor disappointing.

With the briefing over, Alison led us away from The Meadows and into the Park via Holyrood Park Road. A short distance along Duddingston Low Road and we dropped down to join the Innocent Railway. We remained on it as far as Bingham, where we turned right under the bridge, up Hay Avenue and across Niddrie Mains Road. Edinburgh Council Quiet Route 61 took us through Niddrie and onwards to the Royal Infirmary. Having crossed Old Dalkeith Road we rode through Mordun, Burdiehouse Burn Valley Park and emerged on Lasswade Road. The shared use path then took us down to Gilmerton Station Road where we joined the Gilmerton to Roslin path. Near Loanhead we stopped to don waterproofs as we now had heavy drizzle to contend with. The writer [as an Englishman who has lived in Scotland for over 35 years] still can't get used to that uniquely Scottish phenomenon where there is rain and bright sunshine at the same time. We carried on across the impressive Bilston Glen Viaduct to arrive in Roslin. The heavy drizzle continued, but soon eased and gave way to blue skies. We spread out between the pub and tea room, whilst the picnickers settled on the benches on the grassy area beside the road.

We regrouped after lunch with those that had been to the tea room telling us that the service had been very slow. We retraced our outward route as far as Lasswade Road. The blue skies had given way to grey, and light rain came and went. At Gilmerton Dykes Road we headed into the new housing estate, where a mixture of quiet roads and paths led us to a sharp steep climb up Ellen's Glen Loan. Following a pause to regroup and get our breath back, we continued along Ellen's Glen Road before turning left onto Gilmerton Road for a short distance. Another left turn onto Double Hedges Road, down Kirk Brae and up Mayfield Road. We turned off and made our way through King's Buildings, crossed West Mains Road, through The Grange and returned to The Meadows where Alison declared the ride officially over.

Thanks to Alison for leading an enjoyable ride that had taken many to places they had not been before. Thanks to Saqib for back marking.

Leader: Alison

Report: Glenn

Photos: Glenn

A fort, a chapel and a gasholder

Today's ride saw the leader making his debut in the role. He led us out to Ocean Terminal, but via an interesting and somewhat unusual route, taking in bike paths and quiet roads in the east and north of the city. The route included a couple of spots that were new to all of us. Getting a turn out of 20 riders for our February ride was good. The weather helped. Despite being quite chilly and overcast, it remained dry, and [for once] there were no issues with ice.

The leader gave a comprehensive briefing, telling us of three specific locations we would visit, warning us of a short muddy section, and to take care on the old rail lines by Victoria Quay. Then we were off. Through Holyrood Park, down to Duddingston village, a short section on Duddingston Road West before turning left through the houses to emerge at the Meadowbank entrance to the Park. A cut-through, across the busy London Road, and we were soon in the pleasant surroundings of Lochend Park where we paused by the pond. Through the back streets of Lochend, which were unfamiliar to many, and we were at the Crigentinny Golf Club. Here was the short, muddy section we had been warned about. With everyone safely through, we crossed Seafield Road twice to arrive at The Shore via Leith Links. After a short distance on NCN 75, we turned off to head through the back streets of Bonnington. More twiddling through back streets, The Shore, Victoria Quay and we arrived at Ocean Terminal for our lunch stop. Most of the group headed out onto the veranda for an al fresco lunch.

With lunch over, it was time for some history lessons. First stop was St Ninian's Chapel in Quayside Street, then Leith Fort in North Fort Street. At both stops, the leader gave a brief talk informing us of the history of the two places. We were soon at Victoria Quay, taking care on the embedded rail lines we had been warned about. Unfortunately, they caught out one rider - their bike went down, they appeared to fly up into the air, but miraculously, they landed on their feet unharmed. If you have to fall, that's the way to do it. Via the Hawthornvale Path, Trinity Path, McKelvie Parade and Lower Granton Road we made our way to Granton Gasholder Number 1. Having only opened a week or two earlier, the newly painted gasholder in its own park was our final stop of the day. Here Ian handed out his delicious homemade cookies. From the waterfront we made our way to the Telford Path for the run back into town. We were delayed by a puncture on this stretch. Underway again, the Roseburn Path, the new path that bypasses Gorgie and the canal led us back to the Meadows where the leader declared the ride officially over.

Thanks to Steve for leading us on such an interesting route for his debut ride as leader, which was enjoyed by all. The fact that Mike said, "in my 20 years on the group, I did not expect to be taken to places I hadn't been before, but I was." speaks volumes. Thanks to Alan for back marking.

Leader: Steve

Report: Glenn

Photos: Glenn

Five parks and back in time for lunch

For the second month in a row, today saw us take a shorter than usual half-day ride, finishing in time for lunch. The leader led us on a ride that took in some interesting bike routes in the south of the city, including no fewer than five parks. The five parks were Holyrood Park, Cavalry Park, Craigmillar Castle Park, Inch Park and Hermitage of Braid. Whilst it wasn't a warm day, it was milder than of late and it remained dry and sunny for the duration.

It's no doubt that the weather helped, but a turnout of eighteen riders in January was quite impressive. Following the leader's briefing, we headed off to Duddingston village through Holyrood Park. From there, Cavalry Park Drive and the path beside Duddingston golf course took us to Milton Road, down to the bus terminus at Bingham and onto the Innocent Railway heading back towards the city centre. Having crossed Duddingston Road West, we cut through Peffermill Industrial Estate and headed through Craigmillar Castle Park. Across the busy Old Dalkeith Road, and we were on the quiet road that skirts Inch Park. Across Gilmerton Road, down Double Hedges Road and we were waiting for the lights to change at the junction of Kirkbrae and Liberton Brae. After navigating past walkers, dog walkers and cars, Blackford Glen Road soon came to an end and we were on the Hermitage of Braid path beside the Braid Burn. The first section was busy with more walkers and dog walkers. It was also quite muddy, so we slowed right down, took it easy and the path widened which led to easier progress. Following a comfort stop near the visitor centre, we left the path behind and made our way back to the Meadows via the quiet back streets of Morningside.

At the Meadows the leader declared the ride officially over. A well deserved round of applause followed. Thanks to Alison for leading an interesting ride around five parks on a bright sunny day, and thanks to Yaz for back marking. For February, the plan is to be back to our normal length of ride to include a lunch stop.

Leader: Alison

Report: Glenn

Photos: Glenn

Sunshine on Leith

 If today wasn't Edinburgh's warmest day of the year, it couldn't have been far off. A great day for exploring a most interesting new route around the north Edinburgh waterfront. A turnout of 19 riders was perhaps lower than expected, but seems to be a typical turn out these days. The heady days of when we mustered 43 riders looks like a record that will stand for a considerable time.

Following a comprehensive briefing from the leader, we left the Meadows and headed towards the Innocent Tunnel. But on this occasion, we swept past the turn for the tunnel and continued into Holyrood Park. We whizzed down the hill and were soon riding along the track behind the Palace of Holyrood House. Turning right, we followed the path past the Park Rangers Centre to exit the park on Royal Park Terrace. A cut through between some flats and we emerged onto an incredibly busy London Road. We wanted to go almost straight across and up Wishaw Terrace, but the volume of traffic made it into a time-consuming challenge. We regrouped on Marionville Road, rode along it for a short distance and headed into Lochend Park. We paused beside the pond where the leader handed out sweets. Leaving the park, we made our way to join the cycle path which took us to Leith Links. At Constitution Street we crossed the tram tracks without incident on our way to The Shore. From there, we took the cycle path through Victoria Park and on to the Five Ways junction. The Trinity Path took us to the busy road beside the waterfront, which we left at Newhaven Harbour. A lovely section followed as we went out, round and back on the spit of land by Western Harbour. We were soon cutting through a gap between blocks of flats to emerge on the recently opened platform at the Newhaven tram stop. A mixture of path and roads took us to Ocean Terminal for our lunch stop.

We had just crossed the road, and were riding away from Ocean Terminal when a rider realised their brakes were not working properly. The group waited patiently whilst Alan quickly fixed the problem. We took the Hawthornvale Path back to the Five Ways junction, and with a sense of déjà vu headed down the Trinity Path again. At the end, we turned in the opposite direction and headed towards Granton Square along McKelvie Parade. The cycle path took us up Waterfront Avenue, where residents were sitting outside their front doors enjoying the sunshine. We paused at Saltire Square to admire the sculpture, "going to the beach" as the leader again handed out sweets. Leaving the statue behind, we took the cycle path to the red bridge near Crewe Toll and onwards to Craigleith junction and the zig-zags at the end of the Roseburn Path. The familiar route via the Telfer Subway, Fountain Park and the canal took us to the Leamington Bridge. Back to the Meadows where the leader declared the ride officially over, and received a round of applause from the group.

Thanks to Yaz for leading us to familiar places via an unfamiliar route. Everyone enjoyed the ride, and we could not have wished for better weather. Thanks to Neil for back marking.

Leader: Yaz

Report: Glenn

Photos: Glenn

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

A balmy Christmas ride

 Fourteen riders turned up for this, our eleventh Christmas morning ride. Unlike last year's run, when the bitterly cold wind forced people to scurry off early in search of warmth, today's conditions were decidedly pleasant: a balmy 8C with only a moderate breeze. We did see a bit of light rain towards the end of the morning, but not enough to dampen the spirits.

For today's event, we were joined by our friends from EasyCycle, this being the last Sunday of the month, which is the day fixed for their usual monthly run.

Leaving Middle Meadow Walk a little after 10.30, we headed up the Royal Mile for our first stop of the day, at the castle esplanade. We then swooped down Johnston Terrace and across Lothian Road. The Filmhouse was looking very sad, being all boarded up since it closed down in October. We continued through Festival Square, and then into Rutland Square and across Shandwick Place towards the West End.

What came next was something of a new experience for many of us: a chance to cycle on a small part of the east-west bike route which is currently being built through the city centre. This will eventually link Leith Walk with the Roseburn Path. Today we contented ourselves with riding just a fragment of the route, using a segregated bike path along Melville Street and the south side of St. Mary's Cathedral. From Palmerton Place, the official route will proceed westward along Landsdowne Crescent, but we headed north instead for a short distance, and then turned right into Chester Street.

We next weaved through Randolph Place and Charlotte Square (work on this part of the bike route is due to start next month). We then turned into George Street, the entrance to which is currently dominated by a temporary building housing the seasonal ice rink: an enormous structure and, in your scribe's humble opinion, not a particularly beautiful one - though no doubt the patineurs appreciate it.

 For the next leg, we pedalled almost the entire length of Princes Street, this being something of a tradition for our Christmas rides. And then came the only real work of the day: the ascent of Calton Hill. We all reached the summit without too much difficulty, and lingered there a while, taking in the superb views.

At this point – and for reasons too boring to go into – we had a change of leadership, with Jim Cameron taking over from the undersigned. Jim led the remainder of the ride, which included a quick visit to the Stones of Scotland (excellent views of Salisbury Crags and Arthur's Seat), a circuit of Lochend Park and a final leg through Holyrood Park. Those who hadn't peeled off earlier regained the Meadows just after 12:30. It was by no means a long ride, but still an enjoyable one – and a good way to start Christmas Day. 

Leaders: Mike and Jim

Report and photos: Mike

Anything but dull

As a result of the Covid-induced lay-off, today's leader hadn't led a 20 Milers ride for two-and-a-half years. So an easy trouble-free ride to ease him back in would have been ideal. No chance! Today's ride to Inveresk had plenty of incidents to make it anything but dull. One rider was afflicted by two punctures, there were two pannier incidents and a medical emergency. Undoubtedly, the unseasonably mild weather helped, but a turnout of 27 riders was quite impressive for November. The day was reasonably mild, dry and sunny with hardly any wind - great cycling weather. At the customary briefing, the leader promised a ride to Inveresk with some familiar sections mixed in with some that would be new to almost everyone.

We left the Meadows and took the familiar route towards the Innocent Tunnel. But we swept past the tunnel entrance and into Holyrood Park. A glorious descent of Queens Drive, and we were soon leaving the park behind and heading through the quiet backstreets of Willowbrae. One of the many bumps in the area led to a rider having their pannier bounce off. A brief stop, the pannier was re-attached and they were rolling again. A short sharp climb of [the aptly named] Lilyhill Terrace soon had us nicely warmed up. A surprisingly easy crossing of Willowbrae Road and we were soon curving around Mountcastle Crescent. From there it was back onto Mountcastle Drive North, and we turned left at the lights towards Portobello along the segregated cycle lane. Somehow the whole group got through the next set of traffic lights before turning right into Stanley Street. The dreaded shout, "puncture" went up and the group came to a halt. Time ticked on, and despite a number of attempts using tyre levers, brute force and prayers the tyre could not be removed from the rim. Where was Alan Orr when we needed him? Recovering from injury is the answer. It looked as if the unfortunate rider's ride would end there. But no one is ever abandoned on our rides. They were directed to the bike shop in Portobello and the group continued past Portobello Golf Course. Over the bridge, through the backstreets of Joppa, along Milton Road and we were soon back on familiar territory. NCN 1 took us via Newcraighall to Musselburgh station where we joined the new cycle path to join the B6145. A few hundred yards and we turned right and headed down towards the Grove. From there we were soon at Craig House in Inveresk - our lunch stop.

There was a pleasant surprise during our lunch stop. The rider with the puncture had it fixed at the bike shop in Portobello, and had managed to catch up with the group and continue the ride. We headed into Inveresk, turning left into Wedderburn Court. It was merely a loop round that returned us to the main road via Wedderburn Terrace, but it was one of those places that no one had been before and there were some very impressive houses there. Onwards through the village and down past Mussleburgh Grammar School. There was a loud clang and someone shouted, "stop!" It turned out that the bottom had fallen out of a rider's pannier and the clang had been their D-lock hitting the road. The belongings were gathered up, transferred to a backpack and we were on our way again. A cut through beside Tesco, along Mall Avenue, over the main road bridge through Musselburgh, a right turn at the Brunton Hall, a few more twists and turns and we were at Fisherrow Harbour. One final less familiar detour via Newhailes Avenue and Newhailes Crescent and we were heading for the bottom of Milton Road where we joined the Brunstane Burn path. We had just joined the path when a very loud shout of "stop" was heard. We all stopped and waited. Stretched out along the path, Chinese whispers spread along the line and the message suggested there was some sort of kerfuffle. After a while of wondering what sort of kerfuffle had occured, the backmarker rode to the front to brief the leader. It appeared that an elderly couple had been out walking and the man had taken ill. The backmarker had phoned for an ambulance and Iona and Barbara had agreed to leave the ride and wait for the ambulance to arrive. Having done all we could, the group prepared to move off. At that point the rider who had suffered a puncture in the morning, realised they had another in the same tyre. But with discretion being the better part of valour, they decided a walk to the nearest bike shop made more sense than trying again to remove the tyre. This time they headed back towards Musselburgh. The remainder of the group headed back towards town via the Brunstane Burn path, NCN 1 and the Innocent Railway. Without further drama, we arrived at the Meadows where the leader declared a rather eventful ride over.

The weather had been kind to us, most had seen new places, there had been a few dramas along the way; but most importantly of all, everyone appeared to have enjoyed the ride and we all got home safely. Special thanks to Iona, Barbara and Mike for helping with the medical emergency.

Leader: Glenn

Report: Glenn

Photos: Glenn

Thirty follow the sun to Dalkeith

Today's ride saw us head to Dalkeith by a mainly familiar route with a couple of twists thrown in for good measure. For a large part of the outward route, we were squinting into a low winter sun; but we wouldn't dream of complaining about its welcome presence. There were a couple of delays - two minor mechanical issues and a rider fell whilst trying to avoid a dog that was not being kept under control. We also got caught up in a running event in Holyrood Park; which, as the leader pointed out, had not been there on the recce!

After a very low turn out for October's rain-lashed ride to Roslin, we were hoping for a considerably better turn out this time. A mild, sunny November day would surely lead to a respectable number? Yes. But no one was really expecting 30 starters at this time of the year. It is very unlikely we have had such a large turn out in November. Following some discussion, it was decided to risk running as one large group. Following the leader's [characteristically] in depth briefing, the large group of riders rolled away in the direction of the Innocent Tunnel. After crossing St Leonard's Street, some of the group sailed past the entrance to St Leonard's Lane and had to be shouted to stop and turn round. Despite some being on auto pilot heading for the Innocent Tunnel, the group were soon back on the right road. We headed down St Leonards Hill, past the mountain bike track and on into Holyrood Park. As we emerged onto Queen's Drive, something didn't seem quite right. For that time on a Saturday morning.....where was all the traffic? There wasn't any! At that point no one realised some of the roads in the park were closed due to a running event. Some riders took to the path as normal, whilst others took advantage of the road devoid of traffic. Taking care to avoid runners on the road, we made our way to St Margaret's Loch. Usually the climb on the road towards Dunsapie Loch involves mixing it with cars. Today it was runners we had to contend with. Leaving the runners behind, we made our way through a gate in the wall onto the quiet back streets of Willowbrae. Across the busy Willowbrae Road, through Northfield and Mountcastle before emerging onto Fishwives Causeway. From there we made our way onto Portobello Prom to Joppa. At the end of the prom, before taking to the road, the leader ensured we were in groups of six and spaced out sufficiently to travel safely along the main road to Musselburgh. Waiting to be flagged off, it felt as if we were in a team time trial - the difference being that being slow, not fast was the order of the day. We regrouped and had a comfort break/sweetie stop at Fiherrow Harbour. It was decided that such a large group was becoming unwieldy. So the decision to split into two groups was taken. We made our way to the Grove which would take us to Whitecraig. It was on this stretch, where we rode along squinting into the low sun that a rider fell whilst trying to avoid a dog that should have been kept under control. The unfortunate rider was rather shaken. But their cut knee was attended to, they took time to recompose themselves and were under way once again. It was on this section that the second group were delayed briefly whilst a gear cable-related mechanical issue was dealt with. Leaving Whitecraig, a short stretch on an unpleasant busy road followed. But we were soon riding through the quiet lanes of Dalkeith Country Park. Out into Dalkeith and we were soon at the pub that would be our lunch stop. A few brave souls headed to the nearby park for a picnic lunch. They reported it had been a pleasant experience sitting in the warm sunshine enjoying their sandwiches.

With everyone fed and watered, we began our journey back. Past Newbattle golf club, we turned into the new housing estate. A slight delay as everyone negotiated the kissing gate, and we were heading  through the woods. Another brief delay as we waited whilst a minor mechanical malady was fixed.  Through Waterfall Park and on to Dalkeith High School. From there we took the path towards Whitecraig, turned off through the housing estate and park to emerge in the village. From there, a brief ride down the high street, a right turn at the roundabout and we were back on the road to Cowpits where we joined the Grove to head back towards Musselburgh. Just before the railway bridge, we crossed the footbridge over the river and carried on to Musselburgh station. From there, we took the path to Newcraighall where we found the road awash with water which led to serious traffic delays. It didn't worry us as we cut through the new housing estate to join the familiar path which would lead us back onto the Innocent Railway for our run back into town.

A good day had been had by all, no doubt helped by weather that was far from what we would expect in November. Thanks to Verity for leading us on a familiar route with just enough interesting twists to keep us all on our toes.

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

A March re-enactment; but without the freezing rain!



For today's 20 Milers outing the leader chose to do the same ride she led back in March. This is not
something the group usually does. But March's ride was blighted by some of the worst weather we have endured for quite some time - windy, freezing cold, continual heavy rain and the occasional blast of sleet. Perhaps not too surprising as it was just over a week after the Beast from the East had battered the country. It resulted in a low (but could easily have been considerably lower) turnout of just eleven riders. The weather contributed to two falls and a couple of riders abandoning before the end. It was clearly an interesting route; so this was take two. What a contrast! It was warm and it stayed dry. More overcast-bright than sunny, but no one seemed to mind. A turn out of 27 riders was very good, and great to see quite a few new faces in the mix.

Following a detailed briefing where the group was made aware of the pre-arranged muster points, Jenny led us through the Festival crowds towards the Innocent Tunnel. But instead of going through the tunnel, we made our way into Holyrood Park and whizzed down Queen's Drive. Turning right at St Margaret's Loch, we climbed the steep hill up to Dunsapie Loch. On this section the group became quite stretched out and we had to contend with quite a few cars on the narrow road. We regrouped and were able to enjoy views of the loch and down to the Forth. Back in March we could barely see as far as the loch! Having circled Arthur's Seat, we returned to the point at which we had entered the park and headed to Duddingston village. We followed Duddingston Road West to the traffic lights at Milton Road. Road works to lay new gas mains meant we couldn't simply wait for the traffic lights to turn green and head across the junction. Instead we had to dismount, walk along the pavement and cross Milton road as pedestrians. We regrouped at the gate leading into Figgate Park. We paused briefly at Figgate Pond, before leaving the park and heading down Brighton Place. Just beyond the railway bridge, we turned right onto the Christian Path. This delightful little path was new to many of us, even those that thought they knew Portobello well. We crossed Portobello High Street and took quiet back roads to the Portobello Swim Centre, where we had a cake and sweetie stop. We made our way carefully through the crowds on Portobello prom and headed towards Seafield, where Peter gave us a brief history lesson on Portobello, telling us about the open air pool, zoo and the time an elephant was paraded through the town's streets. We pressed on alongside the Forth before heading on to Leith Links. A few twists and turns through the back streets of Leith and we found ourselves at The Shore. Past Victoria Quay, behind the converted warehouses and we emerged near Ocean Terminal. From there past Asda and Newhaven Harbour, along Lower Granton Road and onto Silverknowes Esplanade which we sped along to the Cramond Falls Cafe for lunch.

Following a pleasant lunch sitting in the cafe garden, we set off to make our way back to town; knowing it wouldn't take long as most of the mileage had been covered before lunch. Before anyone had got warmed up and back into the groove, we had the stiff little climb that is School Brae to contend with. The climb over, there followed a short stretch on Whitehouse Road before turning right down Peggy's Mill Road. This lovely little road took us down to join the River Almond Walkway. Many on the group hadn't been down there before and found it to be a real treat. The briefest of detours found us on The Old Toll Bridge at Cramond Brig, where we paused for a few minutes. Up Braepark Road, across Whitehouse Road and we were back on familiar territory. Through Barnton, paths took us back to Craighleith and onto the Roseburn Path, down the zig-zags, through the Telfer subway and along the canal to Leamington Bridge. Here the leader declared the ride over. Thanks to Jenny for leading an interesting ride. Despite visiting familiar locations, she kept it interesting with several unexpected twists and turns along the way. Also, a graphic illustration of what a difference the weather makes to the enjoyment of a ride. The only advantage to the March ride was hardly any pedestrians, children or dogs to steer round on the likes of Portobello or Silverknowes proms.

Leader: Jenny
Report: Glenn
Photos: Glenn
Map trace: Sorry. None for this ride.

The falls ride

The key word for today's ride was "falls". Firstly, the rain never stopped falling. We had two riders
fall in the slippery conditions and lunch was taken at the appropriately named, "Cramond Falls Cafe".

Last Saturday, lying snow kept most riders off their bikes. Yesterday had been a lovely sunny day giving the impression that perhaps spring wasn't too far off. Unfortunately, this morning we awoke to heavy rain that was to continue all day. We had a new leader and she must have wondered if anyone was going to turn up. We eventually mustered eleven riders, which was quite good given the conditions. Following a detailed briefing where the group was made aware of the pre-arranged muster points, Jenny led us towards the Innocent Tunnel. But instead of going through the tunnel, we made our way into Holyrood Park and down Queen's Drive. At St Margaret's Loch, we climbed the steep hill up to Dunsapie Loch. On this stretch we had to pull to the side to let a paramedic vehicle on a "shout" pass. Having circled Arthur's Seat, we returned to the point at which we had entered the park and headed to Duddingston village. Duddingston Road west took us to the gate leading into Figgate Park. We paused at Figgate Pond where cakes and sweets were passed round. Everyone was so wet that even if we'd gone for a swim in the pond, it's doubtful we would have come out much wetter! We left the park and headed down Brighton Place. Just beyond the railway bridge, we turned right onto the Christian Path. This delightful little path was new to most of us, even those that thought they knew Portobello well. We crossed Portobello High Street and took quiet back roads to the Portobello Swim Centre. Using the side of the building to try and shelter from the rain, we had another sweetie stop.

We still had a fair way to go to lunch and it's more important than ever to keep up morale on such a soggy day. One of the few benefits of  the weather was there were very few walkers, children or dogs to contend with on the prom. An easy ride alongside the choppy Forth took us to Seafield and on to Leith Links. A combination of wet road, muddy gutter and hard to see kerb resulted in a nasty fall for one of the group. At first it looked serious enough to have to call an ambulance. Fortunately that was not the case. A sore arm and hip and one badly shaken rider was the outcome. Having regained their composure, they were able to continue and finish the ride. They will probably be feeling quite sore by the time you read this. Down to The Shore, we headed towards Ocean Terminal. Around Victoria Quay in an area used for car parking are some disused tram lines. It was one of these that caught out another rider who hit the deck. No injury this time. But wet cobbles, standing water and disused tram lines was never going to be a good mix. We continued past Newhaven Harbour, along Lower Granton Road and paused briefly beside the Granton Gasometer. From there we made our way to Silverknowes Esplanade, which we sped along to the Cramond Falls Cafe for lunch. It was lovely to be in the warmth and out of the rain eating hot food.

All too soon it was time to venture back out into the rain. There were the inevitable moans that come
when wet clothes and gloves have to be put back on. At least it wouldn't take long to get back to town; most of the mileage had been covered before lunch. As so often seems to be the case straight after lunch (even on nice days), we had a stiff little climb up School Brae to contend with. The climb over, we had a stretch on the flat followed by a downhill. We were then on familiar territory. Through Barnton, paths took us back to Craighleith and onto the Roseburn Path, down the zig-zags, through the Telfer subway and along the canal to Leamington Bridge. Here the leader declared the ride over. Thanks to Jenny for leading an interesting ride and managing to keep our spirits up on such a miserable day. Next time she leads, let's hope the weather is kinder to us.

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

A summer meander to Dalkeith

Today's ride saw us meander our way to Dalkeith on what felt like a summer's day. Summer in Edinburgh so far could best be described as mixed. The preceding week had once again given us a day of wall-to-wall rain. Against this backdrop, we were blessed with a lovely summer's day. There was a slight breeze, sometimes it was a little cool. It wasn't continuously sunny; but it was pleasantly warm without being too hot - a perfect day for cycling. Obviously the weather played a large part in us having 35 starters. As ever, it was great to see a smattering of new faces in amongst the regulars. We split into two groups and rolled away from the start. Over the George Square cobbles, we twiddled through a mixture of back streets and main roads to find ourselves in Holyrood Park via Dumbiedykes Road. We crossed Queen's Drive to join the shared path which was busy with pedestrians on such a lovely day. From St Mary's Loch we began the climb up the road towards Dunsapie Loch. This was our first climb of the day, and was made less pleasant as this narrow road was busy with cars. Half way up the hill we left the road behind and joined the path that would take us through a gate into the back streets of Willowbrae. We waited for the second group to arrive as their leader was not totally sure where to leave the road. A quite indistinct path, it would be easy to miss. All sorted, the first group moved off. The quiet roads of Willowbrae were soon behind us and we made our way into Figgate Park. Through this delightful park and soon we were held up by temporary traffic lights and heavy traffic on Brighton place.

The cobbles on that road seem to get more bumpy every time we go down it. One rider was unfortunate enough to have the top part of their bell shake loose and fall in the road, where it was run over by a car. We then headed towards the beach and joined the Promenade beside the Portobello Swim Centre. Thanks to the weather, this section was very busy with pedestrians, dogs and cyclists. We took it carefully and emerged unscathed onto the road towards Musselburgh. A brief comfort stop at Fisherrow and we took quiet roads, crossed Olive Bank Road and made our way onto the lovely path beside the River Esk to Whitecraig. From there we took the busy A6094 to Dalkeith. Despite us splitting into smaller groups to make it easier for traffic to overtake, we still saw examples of reckless driving as drivers refused to be held up by troublesome cyclists. That road is probably one to avoid in future. Even the most experienced cyclists in the group didn't feel safe on it. Normally we would head into the back of Dalkeith country Park to avoid the road. But that wasn't an option due to the Dalkeith Country Show being held there. With a sigh of relief we left the road behind and twiddled through almost deserted back streets. As that bit of the route was quite tricky to follow, the leader went back to guide the second group through whilst the writer led the first group to the pub and picnic spot in King's Park.

After a nice lunch either sitting outside the pub or picnicing in the park, we were ready for our return journey.  Two riders that wanted to get back quicker tranferred from the second to the first group at this point. We headed out of Dalkeith on Lothian Road and turned into the new housing estate near the fire station. The leader must have got a sore arm as he got the group through the kissing gate. There is no record of how many kisses he received! Through Waterfall Park, across Newmills Road, through another park and we were back at the horrible A6094. Fortunately, we were not going back that way. Instead, cycle paths took us back to Whitecraig via Dalkeith High School. From Whitecraig we took the Grove back towards Musselburgh. But this time we turned off and headed towards the railway station. From there we took the familiar route back to the Meadows via the Innocent Railway. Thanks to Michael for leading us to a familiar place, but by an interesting and less common route. Was great to have something akin to proper summer weather; long may it continue. Was also good to see some new faces. Hopefully everyone enjoyed themselves and we'll see them on future rides.

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

A modern start to 2017

The 20 Milers opened their account for 2017 with today's ride to the Gallery of Modern Art. Despite the sunshine, it was cold and there were a few icy stretchs on some paths to watch out for. Despite a run there being a tried and tested one, Mike added to the interest by changing the route in places. The section between Holyrood Park and Lochend Park had a number of our regular riders unsure as to where they were. There were 19 riders at the start. A reasonable turnout given the cold and icy conditions. But we have had higher January turnouts in the past. Surely those "I'm going to get fit in 2017" new year resolutions couldn't have been abandoned less than half way through January? It's always good to have new riders turn up. This time there was only one. But we hope they enjoyed it enough to come back. The group rolled away from the Meadows and took the familiar route towards the Innocent tunnel. One of our regulars was so used to going through the tunnel, he headed that way and had to be called back. On this ocassion, we continued past the tunnel entrance and made our way into Holyrood Park and whizzed down Queen's Drive. We turned off the road at the car park and made our way towards London Road. Via paths and quiet roads we made our way to Clockmill Lane. A cut-through between flats and a few more quiet back streets left many in the group wondering where they were. It's always nice to discover new parts of what you consider to be familiar territory. Arriving on Lower London Road, the majority knew where they were once again. A left turn was followed by a short spell on the very busy London Road. A right turn, more unfamiliar back streets and we found ourselves on a path that took us through Lochend Park to emerge beind the Hibs football stadium. We crossed Easter Road, and via Brunswick Road and Macdonald Road joined the path that took us into St Mark's Park where we stopped in the sunshine. So many snacks appeared that it was reminiscent of the Christmas Day ride. Suitably replenished, we made our way onwards past the Royal Botanic Gardens and into Inverleith Park. We passed the impressive Fettes College and made our way through the backstreets of Craigleith to the retail park. From there we made our way through the grounds of Mary Erskine School, along Ravelston Dykes Road and Ravelston Park to arrive for our lunch stop at the Gallery of Modern Art in Belford Road.

After a pleasant warm, and lunch in the cafe, we set off for what promised to be a relatively short run back into town. Before leaving the grounds of the gallery, there was some debate as to whether something there was a picnic table, fancy bike stand or a work of art! Cultural experience over; we retraced our steps to Ravelston Dykes Road. From there we made our way through the grounds of St George's School and on to the Roseburn Path. From the zig-zags via the Telfer subway, Fountainpark, the canal, Leamington Bridge and a twiddle through the backstreets of Bruntsfield, we returned to the Meadows. At barely 15 miles, this was one of the shortest rides for a while. The sunshine linked with the fact it wasn't quite as cold as earlier and it being quite early, had some riders feeling they should stay out longer. But it had been a good ride and finishing early after a shorter ride is more acceptable in January than July.


Leader: Mike
Report: Glenn
Photos: Michael
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

Misty Thursday

When we decided to have an evening ride this week, I envisaged one of those lovely clear early-summer evenings we've been having lately. We would ride up to the high ground towards the Pentland Hills, and gaze at the wonderful view over the city, with the sun lighting up the sky right across the Forth valley.

What we got was thick cloud, steady drizzle and a decidedly chilly breeze. Silly me.

Never mind. Bad weather never stopped the 20-Milers, and I was pleased to see a horde of three cyclists descending on our meeting point. We made our way down the Royal Mile, into Holyrood Park, along Croft-an-Righ, then in a loop up to St. Margaret's Loch and along Queen's Drive.

As we passed Our Dynamic Earth, we spotted a warm, welcoming pub. Now you might think that would be the end of the ride. Well, it was.



Leader, report and photo: Mike
Map: Jim

A summer ride to Dalkeith

Following a spell of changable weather; today's ride was blessed with sun shining down from a lovely blue sky. The temperature may have been slightly below the average for the time of year, but it really was ideal cycling weather. A relatively low turnout of 25 riders was a touch disappointing. But it being holiday time for many and the start of the Edinburgh Festival may have had something to do with it. Despite that, it was nice to see more new faces. We headed off in one group. Road closures brought about by the Festival meant we headed off up [rather than down] Middle Meadow Walk and took a detour to get onto the road we needed. A short while later we stopped and waited upon realising that four riders were still at the start point. A minor mechanical issue had delayed their start. It was quickly fixed and they caught us up. There was much more traffic on the road than usual and this delayed us for the early part of the ride. Leaving the traffic behind, we took back streets and paths to make our way into Holyrood Park. Despite quite a few pedestrians to contend with, we were soon climbing Queen's Drive. Turning off half way up the hill, we took a path and climbed a few steps to emerge in the back streets of Willowbrae. We whizzed down to the busy Willowbrae Road. A fortunate break in the traffic meant all of the group managed to get across in one go. We made our way to Northfield, where a few quiet roads led us into the delightful Figgate Park. Once through the park, we were soon navigating the bumpy cobbles of Brighton Place on our way into Portobello. A couple of twists and turns and we were on the busy Portobello Promenade. One rider commented that on a day like today, we could have been beside the Mediterranean. We must remember that when riding along it in January, freezing cold and being lashed by horizontal sleet. Once at Joppa, there was no alternative but to join the busy Musselburgh Road for the run to Fisherrow Harbour where we had a comfort stop.


From there we took a less familiar route through Musselburgh to join the Grove near Tesco for our run towards Whitecraig. At Whitecraig we joined the busy A6094 to reach the outskirts of Dalkeith. More twiddling through unfamiliar back streets brought us to the lunchtime pub stop. A small number of the group availed themselves of the pub's facilities, whilst the rest of us headed to the park opposite Morrisons supermarket to enjoy a picnic in the sunshine. This finally felt what summer should be like. Suitably replenished, we regrouped and headed off towards more new cycle paths through a new housing estate. The paths were great, but a difficult-to-negotiate gate delayed us as 25 riders had to get through it. Not really what you'd expect on NCN 1. All through, and the unfamiliar paths led us back to Dalkeith High School and the familiar path towards Whitecraig. Yet another detour through an housing estate cut off a stretch of busy road and we were soon back on the path to Musselburgh. Instead of following it back into town, we turned off for Musselburgh railway station. From there we made our way through Newcriaghall and Brunstane to join the Innocent Railway to return to our starting point.

It had been a good day and the weather had been kind to us. Thanks to Michael for planning such an interesting route. Its always nice to be surprised by new ways through areas you think you know well.

Leader: Michael

Report: Glenn

Photos: Michael and Glenn

Trace: Julia

20-Milers Evening Ride (27th June)

This Wednesday, we tried something new for our group: an evening ride. Devised and led by Andy Hunter, eight of us enjoyed a pleasant run to Portobello, returning by way of Holyrood Park. We set out at 7 pm, and as the summer solstice had only just passed, we were able to finish the ride comfortably before dark.

We started by heading down the Royal Mile to the Parliament, then along Abbeyhill and up Regent Terrace. From Regent Road, we climbed to the top of Calton Hill. On a good day, this has some of the finest views in the city, but this evening, it was grey and overcast, and even the Castle was hidden by cloud (as you can see in the photo).

We then enjoyed a dramatic descent to London Road, followed by a stretch through quiet back streets before emerging in the northern reaches of Easter Road. Here we joined the excellent bike path that goes through Quarryhole Park and on to Seafield. The section of this path east of Lochend has been greatly improved recently, and provides some superb traffic-free cycling. The only difficulty is the very narrow and often muddy descent from the end of the path down to Seafield Street.

On arriving at Portobello Promenade, Andy (who is a professional story teller) told us how the district got is name. (Short version: Robert Jenkins gets his ear cut off; Britain declares war on Spain; Britain captures Spanish town of Porto Bello on the Panama coast; much celebration back home; several places around the world are named or re-named in honour of the event; Edinburgh's seaside suburb is one of them.)

We left the prom by way of Bridge Street (passing Sir Harry Lauder's birth place), then via Fishwives Causeway, Mountcastle Drive and Abercorn Avenue, before entering the east end of Holyrood Park by Duke's Walk.

At this point, I was just reflecting on what a pleasant, gentle ride it had been, and how I would be home in a few minutes. But then we made a sharp left turn onto Queen's Drive. As we started the long, slow slog up to Dunsapie Loch and the back of Arthur's Seat, I could see the riders in front of me disappear into the clouds. After a lot of slow pedalling, we all made it to the top. Of course, we then had a lovely freewheel down the other side to the park gate.

We were back at the Meadows a little after 9 pm. The total distance was just over 12 miles. It was an excellent route, and, despite the cloud, the weather had stayed dry and reasonably warm. All in all, a very pleasant way of spending an evening.

Leader: Andy
Report by: Mike
Photo by: Andy