Isn't it supposed to be spring?

Following a week of weather that made us all think that spring had finally arrived; today we ended up with another day that suggested otherwise. A good turnout of 32 riders gathered at the start. It was good to see several new faces in amongst them. On her first ride as leader, Verity turned tradition on its head by letting the second group head off first. With Julia leading the second group with typical Teutonic efficiency; this reversal of roles was a good idea and avoided the potential embarassment that would have resulted had the second group caught up with the first.

With the strong wind behind us, we zoomed out of town via the Innocent Railway towards Brunstane. A short stretch on the very busy Milton Road was followed by a more relaxed ride to the edge of Portobello via the cycle path and bridge over Sir Harry Lauder Road. Following a ride along the busy Portobello High Street, we made our way onto the promenade where the wind whipped up a sand storm. It now began to rain and the colour of the sky [in the direction we were heading] looked as if it would be more substantial than a passing shower. With waterproofs on we pressed on along the prom towards Leith. We took the cycle path through Restalrig, snaked around the back streets of Bonnington and came out on the Warriston Path. We went up the Goldenacre Path to Five Ways where we turned back and headed in the direction we had come from. This led to a little confusion in the group with questions of, "isn't this the direction we just came from?" To add to the confusion, the two groups met at one point travelling in opposite directions. We cut through and crossed the very busy Commercial Street and made our way to Ocean Terminal for lunch. Given the cold, wind and hail shower it was little surprise that no one wanted to picnic outside.

Suitably refreshed we headed off in the cold but dry weather onto the familiar cycle paths of north Edinburgh. As is now customary, we stopped briefly on the red bridge near Crewe Toll before carrying on down the Telford and Roseburn Paths. The familiar route down the zig-zags, along Dalry Road, through the Telfer subway, along the canal to Leamington Bridge and along Gilmore Place delivered us back to the Meadows.

 We had a couple of mechanical issues, one puncture and a bag that needed extracting from a rear wheel. We also endured cold, wind, rain, hail showers and a sand storm. One of the group blamed the weather on the geostrophic wind. No idea what it means, but it sounds impressive. Let's hope May's ride is blessed with better weather.

Leader: Verity

Report: Glenn

Photos: Michael and Glenn

Trace: Jim

20-Milers Extra to Linlithgow

Today's run was the last of our Extra rides for the summer. Under Julia's capable leadership, 17 of us headed west to Linlithgow - our first visit to that town as a group.

We started from Craigleith, following the familiar route to Cramond Brig, and then on to the Carlowrie Road and the railway path into Kirkliston. Continuing westward, the B9080 was busy with traffic, but we only had to put up with it for a mile or so. After branching off onto the lane towards Niddrie Castle, we stayed on quiet roads for the rest of the morning.

This was a delightful stretch of route: a little hilly, it's true, but with excellent views towards the Firth of Forth and beyond. At Wester Ochiltree, we turned north, and enjoyed a fast freewheel down to the main road at Champfleurie (see photo).

Linlithgow turned out to be an ideal lunch destination. Half a dozen of us commandeered a picnic table outside the palace, enjoying a superb view over the loch. The rest of the group headed for various cafés nearby.

For the return leg, we headed up to the canal basin, then took the towpath for a while, returning to the road at the Park Bistro. By now, the sun had come out. In fact, it was a surprisingly warm afternoon: 17C at one point - not bad for October.

At Philpstoun, most of the group turned north east, taking a scenic loop through the Hopetoun Estate and South Queensferry. But a few of us decided we wanted a quicker route home, so I led a break-away contingent at a fast-ish pace, making a bee-line towards Edinburgh via Winchburgh and Kirkliston.

In theory, my group should have got home quite a bit earlier than the main party. I don't know what went wrong. Either we weren't pedalling as fast as I thought, or the "slow" party was in fact moving at a very fast clip. But, to my embarrassment, the two groups converged just north of Cramond Brig. Ah, well ...

Apart from a puncture just before the end of the ride (the second one of the day), the rest of the run was uneventful. We got back to town at by about 4.30 pm, after cycling 35 miles or so on a very pleasant day. All in all, it was another successful outing.

Leader: Julia
Report and photo: Mike

20-Milers Extra ride to Aberdour (22nd September)

For our last Extra ride of the summer, we were lucky to have some of the best cycling weather of recent weeks: chilly at first but getting gradually warmer, with clear bright skies and virtually no wind. It was an ideal day for our trip into Fife.

Under the capable leadership of Julia Richardson, our 22-strong group headed up the familiar NCN1 route by way of Cramond Brig and Dalmeny. But when we reached the Forth Road Bridge, Julia took us on a less familiar turn-off, through a car park and the edges of a building site, to emerge at the back of the old toll offices. This hidden-from-view spot was where the Queen officially opened the bridge in 1964, and it provides one of the most spectacular views you'll find of both road and rail bridges (usefully, there are also public toilets there).

We lingered at this delightful spot for quarter of an hour, then continued across the bridge at a leisurely pace. It was unusual to cross the Forth on such a clear, wind-free day, and we couldn't resist the temptation to constantly stop, to take photos or to simply gaze across the water.

Once clear of the bridge, we got back to the serious cycling. We quickly headed up the main road into Inverkeithing, which was busy with Saturday shoppers and traffic. From the High Street, we took the cut-through by the Mercat Cross into Bank Street, then zoomed down the hill onto the bike path that skirts Inverkeithing Bay (see photo, top).

For the next five miles, we followed the coast, by St. David's Harbour, Downing Point and Donibristle Bay (famous for its radioactive waste), and on past the ruins of the 12th Century St. Bridget's Kirk. For most of this stretch, the route alternates between residential roads with modern housing and pleasant paths close to the water's edge. Navigation can be a little tricky in places, but Julia's local knowledge paid off, and she led us unerringly along the way.

After the kirk, we turned slightly inland, to follow a minor road across fields and a golf course, emerging into the centre of Aberdour. From here, it was only another mile or so to our lunch spot at Silver Sands beach.

According to an information board, this area is officially "Scotland's Riviera". Even on a sunny day like this was, I felt that was a bit of an exaggeration. Still, the beach is surely one of the best in Fife, with fabulous views across the Forth and round the coast (provided you close your eyes to the alumina plant in Burntisland). Most of our group chose to picnic on the beach, while others made for the recently-refurbished café.

For our return trip, we headed back the way we came. The only drawback was that the hill in Inverkeithing that we had earlier zoomed down now had to be climbed up. We didn't linger on the Forth Road Bridge this time, and we were soon heading back along NCN 1 to our starting point on the Roseburn Path. The total distance was 36 miles.

Thanks to Julia for planning and leading an excellent ride, to Alan and Jenny for back-marking, and to the weather gods for giving us the ideal day for it.

Leader: Julia
Report and photo: Mike
More photos from this ride