It Never Rains

"Cycling satisfies so many needs. If you're in a gregarious mood, you can go out with a group. OR you can go alone- solo. If you're in an aggressive mood, you can go fast, or if you're tired and want to unwind you can go slow. A bicycle doesn't discriminate in age, either." ~ Georgena Terry

We had a lovely dry cycle ride to Aberdour on Sunday 7th September. Although very breezy, and looking decidedly stormy, we managed to avoid the rain again.

High as a Kite

I realised that we hadn’t been to Aberdour in quite a while. The fact that I had never used my GPS to record this wonderful ride and the fact that the weather forecast was ideal for this ride, made the decision for me. We were blown up to the Forth Road bridge by a north-easterly breeze, one puncture at Camond brig was quickly fixed by replacing the inner tube. Cycling over the Forth Road bridge was a trifle difficult because of the wind, but in the company and shelter of friends, we all made it across fairly quickly.

Once through Inverkeithing, we followed the renamed NCN route 76. This used to be NCN route 1 (Coastal), but obviously having two Route 1s through Fife had proved confusing to some. The new route 76 deviates from route 1 at Berwick-upon-Tweed, through East Lothian, through Edinburgh, thenen a coastal route through West Lothian to Stirling, Clackmannenshire and Fife, before heading inland at Kirkcaldy, rejoining NCN Route 1 at Cults Hill above Freuchie. If you’re near the Sustrans office, pick up a copy of the Scotland Cycle Map Booklet for Edinburgh, Fife, Central and Borders, and see that to cycle traffic free does not mean you are limited to Edinburgh.

One massive advantage of not being in Edinburgh this Sunday is the lovely picnic at Silversands Beach. How nice it was to watch the rain blast Edinburgh as ships steamed past, and grown men attempting to fly tiny kites. We then retired to pub when the rain started, which wasn’t heavy. While it rained, we chatted away.

The Sun Always Shines

By the time for us to return to Edinburgh, the rain had eased. Ten minutes out of Aberdour, it had stopped completely.

We left Aberdour by hugging the Fife coast line, using Route 76 and parts of the Fife Coastal path. We followed the tarmac trail to Dalgety Bay, then zig-zagged joyfully along coastal paths and quiet residential roads, and occasionally having to carry bikes down / up steps (but that was all part of the fun). Coming back over the bridge was a lot easier, and heading east to Cramond wasn’t much of a problem as we were sheltered from the wind by the trees and surrounding scenery. By the time we reached central Edinburgh, the rain had stopped. It was the end of the ride, so we said goodbye and went home.

"One of the most important days of my life was when I learned to ride a bicycle." ~ Michael Palin

Warm Regards,

Explore, Dream, Discover

Ride Statistics

Distance:       70.1 km (46.9 miles)
Average Speed:  17.5 km/h (11.6 mph) (Max 44.1 km/h)
Total Climbing: 589m (again!!!) (1932 feet) (Max Height 71m)
Time:           3 hours 59 minutes
Max. Temp.:     18 deg C (71.6 deg F)

Route Description

Start:  Usher Hall
Out:    Fountainbridge, Roseburn, Silverknowes, Barnton, Cramond, S. Queensferry, Forth Road Bridge, Inverkeithing, Dalgety Bay, Aberdour
Return: Aberdour, Dalgety Bay, Inverkeithing, S. Queensferry, Cramond, Barnton, Silverknowes, Roseburn
End:    Dalry Road

Interactive Route Map

The map belows shows the route that we took on the September 2008 Spokes Ride.