Forth Bridge in the Mist

First Sunday of the month, last Spokes Ride of 2018. The forecast is not very good, but there are 5 of us. The rain hasn't started yet, but the clouds are very dark and grey. The start is good though, we get all the traffic lights along Fountainbridge, and soon we're dropping down the cycle steps, through the small park to Dalry Rd, and to Russell Rd.

The cycle path has been swept, and we have a mulch free ride out of the city. In fact there's no rain as we head through Barnton to Cramond Brig, under the A90 to Carlowrie Rd. There's not much to see, the Pentland Hills have disappeared in the mist, there's a little light rain.. We climb up Standingstane Rd to Dalmeny, where join the cycle route through South Queensferry to the Forth Road Bridge. An elctronic sign says there have been 50 cyclists today on the bridge, and its 4 deg C. We cross over the Forth, we can make out St Edgars, but the new Queensferry Crossing is missing the top of the towers. Large drops of water fall from the cables on the Forth Bridge as we cross over the Firth of Forth to Fife, and into Inverkeithing.

We drop down to the coastal path, the sun tries to make an appearance. I stop to get the main blip of the Forth Bridge. That's the sun for today, remnants of it have just headed behind a dark cloud. We head through Dalgety Bay (the town) to Beech Avenue, a path. the path is very damp. There are some big puddles to negotiate. The last bit from the underpass to Aberdour is bumpy. There's a bit of drizzle, not too bad. It's good to get to the Aberdour Hotel for lunch.

The ride back should be better, but the weather hasn't improved. Beech Ave is busy with dog walkers initially, but once through the underpass, its a lot quieter. At Dalgety Bay, we head down to St. Bridget's, and follow the path along Dalgety Bay, shown in Extra 1. 

We follow NCN through the commuter town bit of Dalgety Bay. In reverse Lumsdaine Drive, the path, swoop down The Bridges, a road named after the view, and back along Harbour Place to re-join the path to Inverkeithing. On that path, I get a retrospective shot (Extra 2) of Dalgety Bay (the town!).

As we head along Preston Crescent, it always feels nice and fast. However, once we cross the Keithing Burn, we have a sharp climb up to the centre of Inverkeithing. A testing climb, so we always regroup at the top on the High St, and let people rest a little. We don't stop long as it is quite cold.

There is a descent down from here, then a climb follows, first up to the road bridge, and then the road bridge itself. On the south side of the bridge, the electronic sign is now showing 86 cyclists, the temperature is now 2 degrees C. We head back through South Queensferry to Dalmeny, along Main Street to follow a more direct route back to Edinburgh along the A90 cycle path. Then down the slip road and on to the cycle path to Cramond Brig. This is officially the end of the ride, but we follow the cycle route through Barnton and Silverknowes and onto the Blackford Path and Roseburn Path to Russell Rd.

The whole ride can be seen at Relive here.

It is quite early when I get home. Nice to have a shower and a cup of coffee to make me human again.