A View from Mount Lothian

A shortish morning bike ride to Wast Linton, Lyne Station and Eddleston. It is quite breezy on the way out, but not as bad as on the Big Belter a couple of weeks ago.

I get held up by red lights on the way out. A bit annoying, but I'm not doing a big ride. Once through Penicuik, at last, its the climb up to the Moor Road. From there, its in to the wind on to the Moor Road to West Linton. Head down and pedal.

Very quiet in West Linton, so on to the Bogsbank Road. I'm not cycling in to the wind because the hills are in the way. It reappears after a short steep climb to Bogsbank itself. Then its down past the Heilan' Coos, buffeted by side winds. Once at Romannobridge, the wind is tempered by the tree cover. Its nice to get on the A72. I turn off on to the Stobo road, then turn left to Lyne Station to add a km or two.

Then its up and over the Meldons. where I am wind assisted. At Eddleston, there's an equestrian event on, so I have to give way to some horses, before carrying on north to the FalaToll Rd. I like the couple of hairpin bends on the Fala Toll road, but I mess up the gear changes. Its nice to get to the top.

Another fast ride along here to the Top Gear road. On the climb up to Mount Lothian, I stop to take a photo of the lovely countryside. Then its the long descent to Auchendinny and the steep climb up the Brae.

Not far from there to home. I make all the lights this time, and I'm back just before 1.

Time for a shower and lunch before heading down to Morningside, and coffee and cake, at Tollcross. We gotta walk off all that lactic acid.