A bit of rough stuff

The new bike handled the rough stuff with great ease. In fact it handled it far better than I did - all the gear and no idea!

Left the hoose at about 8am and headed to Balerno, then uphill all the way to Threipmuir and its reservoir. An even steeper pull saw me reach the edge of the beech wood where I branched left and took the single track through the Green Cleuch before a long and speedy downhill through Glencorse, sheltering from the heavy rain in the Rangers Centre at Flotterstone. Windy now as I took quiet roads to Penicuik and then onto a cycle path which gave a speedy route to Dalkeith and Whitecraig. Having got hopelessly lost here in the past, regular recent trips make it easy now and I was soon following the Esk before crossing a nice arched bridge to join another cycle track which I followed all the way to Edinburgh. Enjoying a ride which until now was mostly car free I decided to continue the car free theme and took the longer way home (my daily commute) which took me down to Granton and the foreshore, where folk were having fun playing in the windy conditions.

Upstream by the River Almond to see who was out fishing and seeing some familiar faces, stopped for a wee blether. Despite the windy conditions fish were still rising to the hatching olives and a few had been caught.

So, 76 kms. and both the bike and I feel good. The bike is going to do a good job for me I think.