To everyone's relief, the sun shone on this afternoon's Pedal on Parliament.
Thousands gathered in the Meadows at lunchtime, before cycling along streets closed to vehicles and strangely quiet but for the tinkling of bells and the clatter of fillings juddering out of their teeth and onto the capital's innumerable setts.
The massed bicyclists of Edinburgh (and from as far afield as Elgin) reconvened outside Holyrood, where politicians mingled with each other and members of the public were encouraged to ask them awkward questions.
Mark Lazarowicz MP (Labour) appeared in blue, for a change, whilst SNP councillors Deidre Brock and Adam McVey performed a favourite Dick van Dyke routine from the musical Mary Poppins.
No-one seemed concerned when the announcer described Councillor Lesley Hinds (Labour) as Leader of City of Edinburgh Council. Even Councillor Andrew Burns (Labour, Leader of City of Edinburgh Council) was amused.
Edinburgh University Student Union president Briana Pegado drew attention to a new student bike hire scheme, and called for more government funding, safer roads and better infrastructure.
Emelia Hanna of Friends of the Earth (Scotland) said that traffic pollution caused 2,000 premature deaths in Scotland per year. She cited Copenhagen as a model of good practice, and called on people to lobby their politicians for clean air and safer roads.
Derek Mackay MSP (SNP), Minister for Transport at Holyrood, pledged more money for cycling in 2015–16, and said the Scottish Government would coordinate investment as never before. He complimented City of Edinburgh Council for introducing citywide 20mph zones.
Cameron Buchanan MSP (Conservative) was keen on improving safety for cyclists on the roads.
Liberal-Democrat leader Willie Rennie MSP had cycled over from Inverkeithing, and was proud to be the only politician present in lycra. He said his party would continue to prioritise cycling and aimed to improve driving culture among motorists.
Sarah Boyack MSP (Labour) welcomed Derek Mackay's earlier pledge on year-on-year funding increases, and promised to track how they panned out in practice. She called for greater clarity about – and cross-party coordinated support for – cycling provisions at local and national levels and across the whole transport network. She urged cyclists to maintain political pressure by active lobbying.
Bruce Whitehead, the Left Unity General Election candidate in Edinburgh North and Leith said his party was strongly committed to tackling an impending environmental catastrophe. He too wanted an integrated transport system, although he would extend the tram network using trolley buses.
Alison Johnstone MSP (Green) called for cross-party cooperation, describing the current underfunding of cycling as a 'massive transport justice issue'. She wanted 10 per cent of the transport budget to be spent on active travel, and for 10 per cent of all journeys to work to be by cycle in 2020.
With speeches over and a one-minute silence in memory of cycling fatalities respectfully observed, the rally ended with chat, laughter, and paddling on parliament.
There was a wide variety of hats on display ...
and a wide variety of bikes. Some, hand-cranked.
Others, wind-powered.
All in all, a grand day out. Roll on next year!
