Refined.

Not having done much significant cycling for the last few months, today was the day to start making up for lost time. Went out with some hard riders around the Forth - and it was hard.

We went through Linlithgow where I kept an eye out for KayBee, I was hoping to catch a glimpse of him in the kilt but that pleasure will have to wait for another occasion.

Lunch at Morrison's in Alloa consisted of Danish pastries (several) and coffee (ditto), octane rating took precedence over a balanced, nutritious diet.

We made a detour to fit in a coffee stop but the venue hadn't opened after the new year but, just to rub salt in, a member of staff came out to feed an already fat pony.

Arrived home and fell asleep in the bath; the end of the perfect day, and the start of a good year.

Now share a though for Steve Abraham who has just started on an attempt to beat Tommy Godwin's 1939 record of cycling 75,065 miles in one year. That’s 205 miles a day. After three days he’s 18 miles down on schedule but the weather will improve - sometime. Godwin went on to ride 100,00 miles in 500 days.

The blip is of one of the oil refinery plants at Grangemouth.