Another nice day for a bike ride, only 4C with a chilly but light northerly wind! Yet another big climbing day which is the best way to keep warm at this time of year, I waited until 11.45am to head out as the morning was better for walking with a risk of ice around! I made my way out to Slamannan and on to Avonbridge where I joined the quiet back road up to Standburn and enjoyed the awesome twisty road out to Linlithgow, its mostly downhill so a lot of fun! I passed through Linlithgow which was quieter than I expected and stayed on the main road all the way to Threemiletown where I turned south towards Uphall! I then turned on to the back road towards Beecraigs Country Park and grabbed some photos along the way!
I had a nice view of the bridges over the Forth and the Ochill Hills which were partially in sun and partially in shade!
I even had dry roads for a nice change!
I timed it nice for this photo of the Pentland Hills with a Ryanair 737 approaching Edinburgh Airport!
I turned south again a short time later to head for the awesome Burnhouse road and down into Dechmont, one of my favourite roads and today I was descending it with a tailwind which doesn't happen very often!
Its not all descents though as its very undulating!
Another view of the Pentlands before plunging down into Dechmont!
I then joined the cycle path that runs to Bathgate but decided to turn off the path and take the back road to Torphicen, almost 4 miles of climbing and into a headwind so I got quite a workout! Its similar to Burnhouse road at times!
The Campsie Hills came into view way in the distance!
At Torphicen I turned west and had a blast hurtling down the descent towards Westfield, then it was time to start climbing again on the road towards Avonbridge! I stopped for a snack and grabbed a couple of photos, first one was looking north and the second looking east at the Westfield Viaduct!
Before Avonbridge I turned south to take the back road up to Heights, part way up the climb I decided to take the road north where I had my double puncture recently! Its a cracking rollercoaster of a road and thankfully no punctures this time, at the end of the road I turned west for Limerigg and had another nice view of the Ochil Hills!
Its pretty much farmland everywhere in these parts!
I had another big climb now up to the Black Loch at Limerigg and just before sunset, more photo opportunities!
I continued west towards Caldercruix but decided to turn south and join the cycle path alongside Hillend Loch and the railway!
From the loch I headed west for home and arrived before darkness this time, the bike just needed a wipe down this time thanks to the mainly dry roads! What a fantastic ride that was in perfect conditions for the time of year, 6400 miles in the bag now!