Lazy morning, set off late – through local woods, frozen and crisp in the shade, mucky in the sun. Short bit of road to Union Canal, frozen canal, muddy towpath, how does that work?

Short but sweet snowdrop singletrack from Ratho, under Edinburgh Airport approach (must be a light easterly), old railway, lungburster over Craigie Hill to cake shop (reward).

Back roughly the same way, rode some cheeky steps – pleased with that. First time is always the hard one.

Bright orange fiery sunset and back to the house in the last of the daylight. Cold, mucky, but happy.

Today's ride if today was yesterday.

Past a wedding at Balbirnie House, over the A92 and onto the mess that used to be the lovely singletrack past Glenrothes into the Lomonds. Up past the forest, between the fields and onto the rutted climb to East Lomond that I never ride cleanly.

Across and down the steep hillside to Craigmead and on to Harperleas which looks like a salt plain in its whiteness. Through Glenvale and then the magical descent down the Glen Burn to the Strathmiglo road. Hike up Hoglayers and then down the lovely singletrack to Ballo Farm. Retrace tracks back to car.

Curry. Beer. Bed.

A group of about ten of us on a fantastic 35km ride, of which only several were on tarmac, in East Lothian – our guide being none other than STW's 'coastkid'. Lots of banter, hip flasks with various winter-warming contents; and all under clear blue skies.

Not even close to one hundred words!