With a lovely sunny day forecast, Colette and I made sure to spend it cycling, hoping to get around 40 miles in for the first time in ages. We were joined by Lynne and Keith, and then Fiona decided to come along too, making it five of us.
There was some very thin ice in the puddles as we set off towards Borthwick, but no sheet ice or black ice this time thankfully. I cycled over the spot where I’d fallen three weeks earlier, this time without mishap, with only my stubborn hip haematoma* to remind me of that day. (*or my “lady hip” as it has become known!)
Soon we were cycling down the Vogrie road, telling Fiona how it had been shut recently for road works, and all we got were a paltry few potholes crudely filled in. We were surprised to find it shut again just beyond Vogrie country park entrance, but we had to eat our words, as this time the crew was busy replacing the whole stretch of tarmac, almost as far as Dewartown. They let us through, as there was space for the bikes to squeeze past the machinery. It is going to be a great smooth ride next time, with those awful potholes consigned to history!
After Dewartown, Keith persuaded me to take the shortcut via Ford. There were groans from behind though, as that meant a steep climb before we reached Pathhead. It certainly warmed us up!
From the junction at Pathhead, we crossed the A68 and cycled past the entrance to Preston Hall. From there, we zig-zagged our way to West Saltoun, then onwards to its easterly counterpart. Although it was quite cold, the sun was shining and we were working hard enough to stay pleasantly warm. Colette was certainly pushing hard, as she shot past all of us whenever we reached a hill. All her time on the turbo trainer seems to be paying off!
After East Saltoun, we took the B6355 towards Gifford. Our idea was to visit the cafe at Castle Park Golf Counse for a light lunch. That meant taking a right before Gifford and cycling southeast for a further mile or so before reaching the entrance to the golf course.
On our last few visits, there were preparations being made to extend the clubhouse, during which time the cafe was a temporary one in the conservatory. We had expected to see the finished article this time round, but we were confronted with a building site, looking distinctly not finished. In fact, the cafe had been further demoted to a portacabin with a chemical toilet alongside. I was a bit apprehensive at first, but the same warm welcome was there and the same tasty filled rolls were on offer. I can’t see past the Stornaway black pudding!
According to Craig, the owner, much of the structure is pre-fabricated panels (which were sitting waiting in the car park) so the work should be finished around the end of the month. We will definitely return mid-March to check on progress.
After our lunch, upon emerging from the warm cabin, the cold wind seemed to bite. We hadn’t noticed it much on the way there, but we were going to be heading into it on the way back. The only option was to get going quickly, in order to get warmed up again.
We headed to Longyester, then past Pishwanton and the colourful hamlet of Long Newton to shouts of “Look, just like Tobermory!”. From there, we used the minor roads as much as possible, while heading towards Humbie. Just before Humbie, we took the right fork going first up, then down towards Keith Water before going back up again quite steeply. We paused at the top of the climb, where Fiona dispensed wine gums to boost our depleted energy levels.
After that, we were heading towards the saw mill at Windy Mains. The last time I went past a few weeks ago, this road was closed for resurfacing, but that meant we were now able to enjoy the results. Let’s hope this trend continues!
Continuing past the saw mill, we reached the ford, where we all wisely walked our bikes across the footbridge. The ladies all wisely walked their bikes up the following hill too, but I like the challenge of cycling up it, even if I am no faster.
Pressing on, we got as far as the A68, where we stopped for another wine gum hit before braving the main road for a minute, bringing us to the Tynehead turnoff. The sugar certainly put a spring in my step; so much so that Keith and I found ourselves quite far ahead of the ladies, who were finding the headwind quite hard going along the Tynehead road. At least we weren’t too far from home, with only the fast downhill A7 stretch to complete. Knowing that Colette had prepared a batch of scones just before we left spurred me onwards, getting me home first to put the kettle on. Tea and scones all round – just what we needed after that bracing ride back. And an energetic day out cycling in the sunshine was just what I needed for a good night’s sleep as well…