50% Bank Holiday

DUNBLANE - EDINBURGH
50 MILES

Increasingly I don't know when public holidays are. Companies tend, more and more, to choose their own days off. Public Sector often let you choose from your allowance and foreign companies may make you work to their countries holiday regime. Locally, Edinburgh schools take different holidays from Glasgow Schools. Being self-employed also brings it's own question of when to take holidays. Yesterday's bank holiday seemed to find 50% of people in Scotland off. The client I met was working a half day as I was.

I had a pleasant ride back from Dunblane albeit into the wind, but as it was only 50 miles, took just 3 hours. The open central area around Stirling allows views west to Ben Lomond but soon you are skirting south and then east along the Ochil hills, just a left turn away from the road to Dundee. I headed toward Dunfermline via Saline on increasingly quiet roads before fumbling around to try and find the bike route for the bridge. Bike route signs are too small for safe decisions in my opinion and positioned as if you are working at a pedestrian pace. Warning signs for motorists regards road-crossing cyclists could also be clearer and the ramp up to bridge level, with no run up was a challenge for me, a fit cyclist on a light bike. I say all this as there was definite cycle traffic on the bridge - a heartening experience, having to say hello 10 times on the crossing. I jumped a B road from Dalmeny to near the airport and then was paced home by cars.