Now several factors combined to make this a much better day's cycling. Firstly we were lower down, so the wind effect was less pronounced. Secondly, the wind was a bit lower, thirdly the wind had changed direction a bit from North Easterly to Easterly and finally, we were heading west for a lot of the day, so we would have the wind behind us for the first time.
We rolled into Dumfries and took the cyclepath into town. It looked pretty but we decided to crack on whilst things were going well.
I carried on for a while and then went through (Keir Mill I think) a small village where we were cheered as part of the race! We turned off the race route and through more lanes. Our route then took us onto a cyclepath through the grounds of Drumlandrig Castle. As we rode through we saw that this was the start/finish point for the sportive. A piper was playing and there were cyclists everywhere. We stopped for a break and enjoyed all the refreshments plus borrowed a track pump to pump our tyres up.
We flew for the last 14 miles to our remote B&B and arrived before 4pm which made a nice change.
We rode 71.66 miles at an average moving speed of 14.7mph and climbed 2,445 feet.
Drumlanrig Castle
Castle Exit