Glasgow to Edinburgh Bike Ride

Yesterday I completed the Glasgow to Edinburgh Bike Ride, along with my husband, sister and brother-in-law.   The ride, for us, was 54 miles door to door. 

The start line up at Glasgow Green

In early summer my sister heard about the ride and suggested that we should complete the challenge.  Being newly keen-bean cyclists we joined up confident in the knowledge that it was months away.  However, the months soon passed and when it came down to the day and we were getting up exceptionally early on a Sunday morning, (5.30am, yuck!), I was somewhat dazed and apprehensive. 

We were soon on the bus which took us through to Glasgow Green where thousands of people were already lined up to go.  Over 7000 people were taking part and setting off there was a buzz in the air and everyone around seemed to be laughing and joking, there was a definite cycling community spirit.  All apprehension and tiredness left me and it felt really good to be part of a 'pack' of cyclists as we went through Glasgow, the cars were definitely in the minority, which makes a change!

There were pit stops every 10 miles or so, with loads of free food, drinks and snacks, with lunch also included in our entry fee, we enjoyed snack bars, biscuits, bananas, sandwiches, pasta, cup a soups, bars of chocolate and hot coffee and tea....it was a good job we were cycling to burn it all off!

Lunch at Linlithgow Loch

I felt really good the whole way, as stopping every 10 miles meant that you didn't over tire yourself and you were at the next stop before you knew it.   The route took us through some of Scotland's most deprived areas, through to some of it's most affluent and it was interesting to see the change and contrast of the central belt of Scotland from the slower perspective that the bicycle allows.  Through built up urban sprawl, to green countryside and back to a cityscape again.  There were some tough little hills, but there was plenty of downhill action which made the whole ride really pleasant. 

The finish line was at Murrayfield Stadium, the home of Scottish Rugby and it was seriously cool to be able to cycle right into the centre of the stadium itself.

The only downside to the day was the sheer number of people taking part which meant long queues for food and congestion on the route which led to quite a few nasty accidents as people collided into one another.  The event really ballooned this year with more people taking part than ever before, and if it remains this big it would be ideal if the organisers could work with the police and local councils to completely close off the route to vehicles for the day, to give the cyclists room to spread out; here's hoping!  Me and my trusty steed would certainly have enjoyed a bit more space at certain points in the route.

Our Trusty Steeds

I am seriously tempted to complete the challenge again in 2012 and raise sponsorship for a local charity within my community.  Watch this space!