One of the features of where I live that I never fail to be thankful for is the ready supply of buses that are available on my doorstep to whisk me to almost everywhere in the city that I ever want to go.

And I live in high hopes of the tram line being extended down Leith Walk within the next year or two to add a direct link to the airport.

Now that undertaking will entail some disruption to the bus services during construction of the line.  Current plans indicate that buses coming from town would no longer pass my door.  They'd go down Easter Road or Broughton Road.  Not a big inconvenience.  Indeed adding a healthy little walk.

However a new transport option has just been introduced that would overcome the problem and would be even more healthy.  Edinburgh now has a bike hire system with a docking station just round the corner.  I got all excited about it and kitted myself out with the phone app needed to use the system.  Rides were free on the first day but it was close to midnight before I was ready so I thought better of zipping down Leith Walk then.

I still haven't tried it out but I will.  What would be great would be for the conversion of the Powderhall railway into a cycle track to be speeded up.  There's bound to be an access point pretty near here so I could revive my long disused cycling skills more safely than on the roads, or even pavements.