Half-day ride planned for Christmas morning

We've got our final ride of 2016 this coming Sunday (25th). Jim will be leading us on our usual Christmas morning jaunt. It will be good to see you if you are free.

The great thing about cycling on Christmas Day is that there is very little traffic. We'll take advantage of that to visit parts of the city where we might not otherwise venture. I don't know the exact route that Jim has in mind, but in the past it has included the Castle Esplanade, Princes Street and Calton Hill.

The total distance will be about ten miles, which we'll take at a very relaxed pace. Be warned that there might be a couple of short climbs to negotiate as well as some cobbled streets.

Time and place

We'll leave at 10.30, from our usual meeting spot at the north end of Middle Meadow Walk. We'll return to the Meadows by 13.00 at the latest. If you have a pressing lunch date, feel free to peel off earlier.

It's unlikely that we'll find anywhere open to pick up refreshments en route, so you might want to bring a snack to keep the hunger pangs away.

Like all our runs, this one is "just turn up" - no need to book in advance. It's open to all, so feel free to bring your pals or family members.

For those who have better things to do on Christmas morning, our first ride in 2017 will be on 14th January.

It's starting to look a lot like Christmas

For the final full 20 Milers ride of 2016 (don't forget the shorter half day ride on Christmas Day), we entered into the Christmas spirit with a ride out to the Ocean Terminal shopping centre at Leith. A busy shopping centre two weeks before the big day, mince pies and mulled wine in Victoria Park and bike parking taken over by christmas tree sales. All of these gave the ride a festive feel. Fortunately the weather was more like an October day being reasonably bright, dry and cool with a touch of wind. The weather helped drum up a respectable 26 riders. For those opting to go cycling rather than Christmas shopping, there was a touch of irony in the destination for today's ride. Despite suffering from a cold, the leader managed to croak her way through the briefing before we set off in one group. A tough bunch these 20 Milers ride leaders! We soon left town behind us and were on the Innocent railway. Several lights were out in the tunnel, resulting in limited visibility. One rider had to stop, remove her sunglasses and switch on her lights before continuing. Beside the Range (still referred to as "Big W" by many) we turned left through the subway beneath the A1, emerging for a short stretch on the busy Milton Road. We turned right and headed over the bridge that crosses the railway and Sir Harry Lauder Road. From there we joined the busier than usual Portobello High Street. After battling with the traffic there, it was a relief to head down Bath street to join Portobello Promenade. That was much quieter and more pleasant than the high street. That took us on to Seafield and the site of the old Eastern General Hospital. We joined the cycle path towards Restalrig, crossed Lochend Road, made our way through Quarryhole Park and crossed Easter Road. We were soon on West Bowling Green Street; took a cut through path and found ourselves on the Warriston Path. We stopped in Victoria Park where the leader passed round mince pies and mulled wine. It was now starting to look a lot like Christmas. Suitably replenished, the Hawthornvale Path led us to Ocean Terminal for our lunch stop. Half of the cycle racks were unavailable as that was where Christmas trees were being sold. But we utilised the free racks and all made our way into the centre for lunch. The group split up and everyone found somewhere suitable for lunch. Many of the riders returned to their bikes with books that had been handed out in the centre. Free Christmas presents, perhaps?

We retraced our steps and left the busy Ocean Terminal behind. Instead of returning to Victoria Park, we took the Ferry Road Path and Telford Path to Craigleith. From there, the Roseburn Path led us down the zig-zags to join Russell Road. From there the regularly used route taking in the Telfer subway, Fountainhall, the canal and back streets saw us return to the Meadows. So there ended the 2016 series of 20 Milers rides. An interesting route, welcome stop for festive food and drink and we managed to get lunch ok despite the crowds of Christmas shoppers. Thanks to Verity for leading. Probably deserves a mention in dispatches for bravely battling on despite the cold and sore throat. Let's hope for a good turnout on Christmas Day, and here's looking forward to 2017.



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

Two rides for December

The Royal Yacht Britannia at its berth
at the Ocean Terminal (photo: Cool Places Ltd )

We've got two rides planned for December. Our normal monthly run will take place this coming Saturday. And we've got our traditional Christmas morning ride on the 25th.

Here are some details.

20-Milers Ride: 10th December

For this month's run, Verity will be leading us on a tour of bike routes in the north and east of the city. In deference to the short daylight hours, this ride will be a little shorter than usual; no particular difficulties are expected.

As usual, we'll meet at 10.30 at the top of Middle Meadow Walk. Our lunch stop will be at the Ocean Terminal, where there is a good choice of cafés and sandwich shops. For those who prefer to bring their own food, there are places to eat both inside and out.

It will be dark by about 16.00 on Saturday. The ride should finish well before then, but you will probably need to bring lights to see you home.

Christmas Morning Ride: 25th December

For the sixth year running, we will be having a short ride on Christmas morning. We'll meet at 10.30 at the top (north end) of Middle Meadow Walk. The ride will be about ten miles, mainly in and around the city centre, and will finish by 13.00 at the latest.

I'll post a reminder of the Christmas run, and further details of the route, nearer the time.

EasyCycle Ride

In addition to our own runs this month, EasyCycle will be having a special ride on the 18th December to mark the winter solstice (after which the days start getting longer again). Meet at 10.30 outside Peter's Yard (which is just down the hill from our own usual meeting point). EasyCycle rides tend to be fairly short (12 - 15 miles) and go at a relaxed pace.

Yet more rides

If the above outings aren't enough for you, keep in mind that other Edinburgh cycling groups also have organised rides throughout the year. You can find details of these on my website: www.cycling-edinburgh.org.uk

Any questions?

Do you ever have questions about cycling in Edinburgh but don't know who to ask? Or do your friends ever ask you questions on this subject that you can't answer?

If so, take a look at Cycling in Edinburgh - Your Questions Answered. This is an FAQ that I have prepared for anyone who needs specific information about riding a bike in the Scottish capital. I wrote it because I often get asked questions myself through my website, especially from people thinking of visiting from abroad. Typically, they want to know where to hire a bike, which roads are safe to cycle on, whether the hotels are bike-friendly, whether they can take their bikes on trains or trams, and quite  a lot more. I hope this information will also be useful to local cyclists like yourself.

That's all for now. Sorry this has been a longer post than usual. Remember, you don't need to contact anyone if you are planning to come on any of the above rides. Just turn up on the day.

All paths lead to Gilmerton

Today we explored the parks and open spaces in the south of the city on our way to Gilmerton. Our route included the newly restored cycle path to Danderhall. Earlier in the week, the forecast had promised a day of heavy rain. Fortunately that rain passed through in the wee small hours, leaving us with a mild and sunny morning. A very impressive 30 riders turned up at the start. Amongst them were three who had graduated from Easy Cycle. The leader made the decicion not to split the group in two. So a group of 30 rolled away and headed through the back streets of the Grange. At this point the back marker had a minor mechanical issue with his bike. As we were passing his house, he decided to nip in and swap his bike. This being a first for the group. Nothing if not resourceful these 20 Milers riders. We went through the grounds of the Astley Ainslie Hospital and on to the Hermitage of Braid. Through there we had to keep our wits about us as there were so many runners and dog walkers to share the path with. Tracking eastwards along the glen, we emerged at the A701. From there Double Hedges Road led us in to Inch Park before crossing the busy A7 in to Craigmillar Castle Park. After a brief run around the park, we crossed on to the paths behind the Royal Infirmary. There we found several new and rebuilt paths, which we used to navigate our way to the Wisp. We meandered through the streets of Danderhall to come out on Old Dalkeith Road. After crossing that, we went through the green door set into the wall to find ourselves in the Drum Estate where we admired the woods, farmlands and stables, with its monument to the Merkat cross; before emerging right next to the Abbey House Hotel - our lunch stop.

Everyone got fed. But the impression was that they were not used to having such a large hungry group arriving en masse. On stepping outside it soon became clear that the temperature had dipped whilst we were having lunch and the sun was obscured by clouds. we headed South-east along the shared pavement of the B6392 past Dobbies Garden Centre an on to the Eskbank roundabout. We negotiated this horrible roundabout safely before entering the paths around the Newbattle Golf Club. There was a slight delay as we squeezed through the kissing gate one-by-one to emerge in the beautiful woodlands. We went through the delightfully named Waterfall Park and cut through the housing estate. From there we made our way past Dalkeith High School and on to Whitecraig. From there we took the Grove towards Musselburgh. Instead of following this all the way, we turned left and crossed the River Esk. This took us through the Fergusons and we came out at Musselburgh railway station. From there we followed the path to New Craighall. A short wait ensued before we could turn right onto the main road, which was busy with traffic heading to and from Fort Kinnaird. A quick run through the village and we were back on the quiet cycle track. This led us to the Innocent Railway for the familiar run back in to town. Thanks to Jim for putting his encyclopaedic knowledge of Edinburgh cycle paths to such good use and leading a very enjoyable ride, at a sensible pace. No idea who organised it, but whoever was in charge of the weather did us proud for November. To round off a pleasant day, a contingent of eight elected to sit outside at Victor Hugo, watching night [quickly] fall. A fine, surprisingly warm day, and maybe the last time this year we get to enjoy sitting outside in the evening; though we do keep saying that!

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

November ride this coming Saturday

We've got a ride this coming Saturday (12th November).

Jim will be leading us on a tour of parks and open spaces in the south of the city. We'll be visiting the Hermitage of Braid, Inch Park, Craigmillar Park, and the newly-restored bike path to Danderhall. We'll stop for a pub lunch in Gilmerton, then head out to Eskbank and Whitecraig before returning to town via the Innocent Path.

The total distance will be about 23 miles. There will be a few moderate hills but no other difficulties.

The meeting time and place are the same as ever: 10.30, at the north end of Middle Meadow Walk.

As always, please regard the above details as provisional. The meeting time and place are sacrosanct, but we always reserve the right to vary the route and lunch venue according to the weather, path conditions and other factors.

Lighting up

Now that the clocks have gone back, please be sure to bring lights on our rides. This month's ride is planned to return to the Meadows before dark, but you will probably need lights to see you home - and also in case we get delayed. So check that your lights are in working order, and that they have plenty of battery power.

Looking ahead

We've got two rides planned for December. Our normal monthly run will be on the 10th, and we will have our usual Christmas morning ride (which this year is a joint venture with EasyCycle) on the 25th. I'll post more information about those events nearer the time.

Sunshine on Ratho

Today's ride saw us head out to the Edinburgh International Climbing Arena; the largest indoor climbing wall in the world. The route was not the most direct we could have taken. But that made it all the more interesting. With a lovely sunny morning that was reasonably mild, we were expecting a good turnout. In the end there were only 18 of us which was surprising and slightly disappointing. But in amongst those was one of our regular riders on his recumbent trike and a visitor from across the pond. The visitor from Chicago had decided to stay on for a couple of days after a business trip and try cyling in a city he had never visited before. He hired a bike, found out about the 20 Milers and joined us. We knew we could show him some lesser known parts of Edinburgh that only the most adventurous of tourists would find without local guides. David led us away from the Meadows in one group towards Whitehouse Loan, where we had to negotiate our first set of roadworks. We made our way through the quiet back streets of Morningside; crossed the busy Comiston Road and into the lovely Braidburn Valley Park. Those that hadn't been through it before, were very impressed. Leaving the park behind, we made our way through another one - Colinton Mains Park. From there we made our way past the military houses close to Redford Barracks to join the busy Redford road. We had a brief comfort stop on Colinton Road. From there we made our way onto NCN 75 beside the Water of Leith and headed towards Balerno. Turning off the cycle path, we rode through Riccarton and entered the Heriot Watt University campus by the back entrance. After winding our way through the campus, we crossed the busy A71 Calder Road. From there we followed Hermiston House Road, turning off to join the Union Canal towpath. Just before the Bridge Inn we rode past the relatively new Ratho Marina. This was a lovely little marina that many of the group hadn't seen before. A bit further along the towpath and the leader brought us to a halt at the bottom of a steep flight of steps. The Climbing Arena and lunch was at the top of these steps. Two riders were needed to carry the trike up. One by one, all the bikes were carried to the top. From there a short ride saw us all arrive on the balcony where most of us would eat our lunches. It was like a summer's day. Very warm, sunny and no wind. There were one or two wasps about to annoy us. But everyone enjoyed lunch. We may be well into next year before we have lunch sitting outside in such perfect conditions again.

Unfortunately, the first thing to do after lunch was go back down the steps. The group was soon back on the towpath heading back the way we had come. The sun disappeared behind clouds and a cool breeze picked it. Along this stretch, several riders stopped to put on an extra layer. We left the towpath and made our way to Edinburgh Park. From there we took the cycle path beside the tram line through Sighthill and Broomhouse. We crossed the tram tracks and made our way past the imposing Jenners Depository. We had to contend with more diversions and roadworks to get past Murrayfield and make our way into Roseburn. From there, the familar route via Dalry Road, the Telfer subway and Leamington Bridge took us back to the Meadows. Thanks to David for leading an interesting ride. We had succeeded in showing Our friend from Chicago some less familiar parts of Edinburgh, well away from the usual tourist haunts. So if you're reading this, intending to visit Edinburgh and fancy seeing some less familar parts by bike; sort out hiring a bike and the 20 Milers will make you most welcome.


Leader: David
Report: Glenn
Photos: Glenn and Mike
Map trace: Jim

October ride this coming Saturday

Our next ride will be this coming Saturday (8th October). David will be our leader for the day. I don't know the exact route, but I can tell you that it will be about 24 miles, mainly on paths and quiet roads, but with one busy road crossing to negotiate. There will also be a flight of fairly steep steps which we will have to haul our bikes up (and, later, down).

Our lunch stop will be the Edinburgh International Climbing Arena (EICA) - the largest indoor climbing wall in the world. There is lots of seating here, both on the spacious terrace and in the centre itself, with dramatic views over the 25-metre high wall. The snack bar serves a reasonable selection of food, but we have often found the service quite slow, so if you want to avoid a long wait in the queue, consider bringing your own food for a picnic lunch.

As always, we'll set out from the north end of Middle Meadow walk at 10.30. There's no need to let us know whether or not you can make it. Just turn up on the day.

A reminder

While I have your attention, could I remind you of the importance of bringing a spare inner tube on our rides. Doing so won't prevent you getting a puncture, but it will make it very much easier to get you back on the road if a puncture does strike. If you don't know what size or type of tube to bring, ask at your favourite bike shop. If you don't know how to replace a tube, don't worry: there are usually willing hands available to help.

If your wheels don't have quick-release levers, please also bring a suitable tool for removing the wheel. Again, your local bike shop will advise on this if necessary.

Looking ahead

One or two of our members have already asked me if we will be having our usual Christmas morning ride this year. Yes, we will. And because Christmas falls on the last Sunday of the month, this year's event will be a joint venture with EasyCycle. I don't have any further information at this point, but you can be assured that the ride will go ahead.