A Bit of an Autumn Chill. Long Bike Ride.

A very cold day for probably my last long bike ride of the year, and 110km bike ride around the Pentland Hills.. Its 3deg C as I set off, but as I climb out of Auchendinny and over to Mount Lothian, it drops down to 1 degC. From Mount Lothian, I head S to Gladhouse. Just before the small descent I stop to take Extra 1, with the Moorfoot Hils in the background.

Then I carry onto the A703,, There must be a wind as the rises a bit as I drop down through the switchbacks. I cycle over the Meldon hills and on to the Stobo road. In the distance I can see a smoke from a bonfire slowly snaking up the Tweed Vally. The wind isn't too strong then. I cycle past the Dawyck Botanic Gardens, crossing south of the Tweed for a wee while. Once through the village of Drumelzier, where the road heads for Broughton, I stop to take my main blip looking south towards Drumelzier Place, while it is sunny, it is still cold.

I head to the A701, the north to Broughton, where I turn off on to the B road to Biggar. There's a big climb out of the village, but with an excellent view across to Biggar, Extra 2. As I cycle along the B road, the temperature rises a bit, showing there is still some strength in the sunlight. It is through Biggar, then I rejoin the B road to head NW to Libberton. A bit hilly this part of the ride, but I am hoping to make up time on the A70. I have some lunch in a wee café in Carnwath. Ispeak to  a couple of cyclists here who are also having lunch. They meet here quite often. One is from Lanark, the other from Broxburn. They have lunch, go for a cycle together, then head off their separate ways when convenient. They tell me the A70 has just been closed because the work done on the road two years ago was substandard. It looks like it is going to be a longer ride than expected.

After lunch, I head out along the A70 for a wee while, before turning off  and head for Auchengray and Pearie Law. This bit s also hilly, but once I have passed the hill, I turn right to head for Livingston. This is a long downhill section, so quite fast. Once at Livingston, I head on to the cycle path network, which I know quite well, avoiding the heavy traffic in the area, to Mid Calder. Then its on to East Calder and Kirknewton to rejoin the A70 at the airfield.

I stay on the A70 for a short while, but turn off to head through Glenbrook and Balerno, avoinding the bad road road surface on the A70, rejoining the A70 down through Currie and Juniper Green. As I know the road through Colinton is shut, I head down to the Water of Leith path toWoodhall Mains. Where I cross the river, I stop to take Extra 3 of the Water of Leith. I then head home through Bonaly and Redford. Homein time for a we deserved afternoon coffee and wee Mars bar. The ride took longer than expected, it was a smidgen over 125km in the end. But glad I did it.


the whole ride can be seen at Relive here.