Awake at 7, it looked good for a bike ride; so I spent 30 minutes getting (un)suitably attired and grabbed the Canondale for a change. I've never really taken it on a decent ride out, so I figured I'd better try it out and see how it went. It struck me as the day wore on it's lighter and more nimble than the Giant; there's an easiness about it. 

The plan was to head for the folks - 54 miles away - grab some lunch - and - suitably restored - try and see if I could make it home again too.

Off into a quiet grey morning; to the Cramond Brig and the onto South Queensferry. A brief stop at Newton to admire the three Forth bridges and onwards to Bo'ness. A stop for some 70's housing disasters photos and the speedy descent onto the flat; through the steaming mass of lights that is Grangemouth and onto the flat estuarial lands around Skinflats (where the photo was taken) 

From their I avoided the usual ride up through Airth and Throsk but instead went inland for an explore and wound up taking in Cowie - a place I'd never previously been. 

The view across the Forth into the Ochils had been of hanging cloud on the lower slopes and it seem to slowly slide down, across the river and envelop the landscape in a heavy drizzle. I rode from the outskirts of Stirling into town and got - er -soggy. Coffee and a ponder. 

After 20 minutes, it brighten (slightly) so I pushed on, past Stirling Bridge, up through Cornton and Bridge of All an and onwards to Dunblane. Still not great weather. Could I really be bothered with the last 8 miles which I was then going to have to come back along and get even more wet? A hefty slug of liquid and a chicken tandoori wrap later, and with 77km on the clock, I turned and coasted back down through Dunblane, retracin my path until Stirling Bridge where I headed off through Riverside and Springkerse and out towards Fallin - my usual more direct (and flat route)
I was settling nicely into it and was thinkng 12 easy miles to Grangemouth when I figured all was not well. A broken spoke on the back wheel. Hmmmm. 
So I turned around, back to Stirling slowly and jumped on a train home. 

I tried to dry out and as we hit town, Murrayfield was turning out after the 29-0 victory over Italy. 

I got myself home, lay in a hot bath for a long while before creaking into action. I prepped dinner and headed back out, another ride up town to stretch everything out. 

A cold beer and Clique (still unconvinced; it deals in cliches; style over substance) and cooked chipotle prawns then lamb with home made baba ganoush and adde walnuts; a side of pomegranate rice. Dessert was cherry sponge pudding. 

G kicked off later; aiming to cut up dresses and generally went to a very dark, scary place. 

A final ride home in the rain; 127.7 km in all. Not quite the 100 miles I'd set out for but...