We were both tired after lycranthropy night, so a full push wasn’t likely. Instead, we hoped to repeat the Edinburgh loop we’d done in May.

Elly’s bike rattled nastily as we rode towards Craigleith. It turned Fidel’s rear tyre was flat because the valve had sheared completely off the rubber. Both bikes have puncture resistant tyres, so neither has had a puncture in years. However, these tyres have very tight beads, so getting them off is a faff and getting them back on is a real struggle.

We rewarded ourselves for a successful roadside repair with lattes and cake at Milk. Elly was still tired, so she cycled home while I chose to try to burn off the calories and caffeine. So I carried on through Leith and Portobello to the west of Musselburgh, then followed cycle route 1 to Queen Margaret University, then turned back towards home.

At Brunstane, the national cycle route encounters this:

We don’t all ride mountain bikes.

The alternative was to carry on to a main road, then get onto a cycle path next to the A1. This would have been a lot easier if it had been signposted and there wasn’t a fence on the way:

Fence protecting pedestrians from cars (good) but preventing access to Cyclepath from road (bad)

After that, it was an easy bimble back to Servants’ Quarters. Because I hadn’t quite done 20 miles, I cycled down and up Bells Brae, reminding myself how much I hate cobbles. Here’s the inevitable Cyclemeter map:

I’m reasonably content with my average speed (just over 12 mph), given that I wasn’t pushing hard and that I had to slow right down along Portobello promenade and several times while route-finding, slightly uneasy about the continuing niggles in my left calf, delighted with the SPD sandals and furious with whichever idiots decided that stepped bridges are suitable for cycle paths!

But just to end this post on a lighter note, here’s a photo of Lev sporting a new dangly bit:

Lev carrying a raincoat