Poppies

I was leading from the back on today's Spokes Ride to East Lothian as a friend had asked to lead the ride. This was due to a significant birthday and the anniversary of meeting his partner.

It started with an easy ride down to Musselburgh. There is a cycle path along the coast, following the John Muir Way. On one side of the cycle path, poppies were quite prolific. At the lagoons where ash, from the now decommissioned Cockenzie Power Station, used to be dumped. The area also has a bird sanctuary. We stay on the path along the coast until Prestonpans, where we head inland and up to Tranent, and then towards Ormiston. We join the Pencaitland Railway path to head west for our lunchtime stop near Inveresk.

In the afternoon, there's a detour so a shop can be located, and then we follow the Whitcraig cycle path to Dalkeith. Alongside the path lupins are in bloom. I remember one Spokes Ride where there were tons of lupins, and one ride went home with a pannier full. Through Dalkeith we stick to the road. It is a bit busy with traffic. At Eskbank Tesco we join the Dalkeith to Penicuik cycle path, shortened since the building of the new Borders Railway.

The first part of the path up to Bonnyrigg is tarmac, and up hill, but not steep. Heading towards Bonnyrigg, there is some rain and people stop to put coats on. It doesn't last long. Even in Scotland it is sometimes ok not to wear a coat, sometimes the rain is warm. At Rosewell there is a regrouping and the path is now rougher. This requires a little more looking ahead on the path. I stop to take a photo. Everyone else zooms ahead.

At Penicuik, one of the riders gets a puncture. Other riders go on to Tescos while I replace the inner tube. As they are cycling, it doesn't seem like we take any time at all. After regrouping, we carry on to Roslin, on the way, I get a puncture. It starts raining, which isn't a good sign. I replace the inner tube and catch up to the riders who are sheltering under a tree and the rain stops. I am told that this puncture took longer to remedy, but my watch says otherwise. We all head for Roslin, then the new cycle path to Edinburgh which heads over Bilston Glen and under, almost, Loanhead, definitely under the Edinburgh Bypass to Lasswade Road. One more puncture, but as they are going straight home, they decide to fix it themselves. From here, there's a short climb and the end of the ride anyway.

There is post ride cake, coffee and conversation.