http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Worst road surfaces for cycling en Tue, 19 May 2026 20:26:57 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16893&page=4#post-291461 Tue, 18 Sep 2018 11:12:15 +0000 ejstubbs 291461@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Having complained about the roads in the Caiystane area a year ago on this thread, I was <strike>thrilled</strike> mildly pleased a month or so back to see signs going up announcing that resurfacing was to be carried out.</p> <p>What actually happened was:<br /> <ul><li>they resurfaced the Caiystane View/Caiystane Avenue and Caiystane Terrace/Caiystane Avenue - which to be fair were both in a very poor state, with the latter being more potholes than road;</li><li>they resurfaced a fair way east along Caiystane Avenue, which did not seem to be badly in need of it;</li><li>they spread chippings on the rest of Caiystane Avenue, and on East and West Caiystane Road (leaving gaps where people had left vehicles parked despite the signs/cones suggesting that this would be selfish and antisocial);</li><li>they put a few patches in on Caiystane Crescent.</li><br /> </ul><br /> What they didn't do:<br /> <ul><li>reinstate the road markings at junctions affected by the above;</li><li>resurface or even just repair potholes in Caiystane View between the repair to the View/Avenue junction and the junction with Oxgangs Road (this stretch gets bodge-patched on a regular basis and really needs redoing properly);</li><li>anything to address the disgraceful state of East Caiystane Place;</li><li>anything useful to the eroded surface on the south side of Caiystane Crescent, or the distinctly dangerous step that runs along the centre of the road between the poor surface on the south side and the good surface on the north side.</li></ul><br /> One of the repairs on Caiystane Crescent seems to have involved resurfacing the area around a drain gully that has sunken several inches below the surrounding road surface. The gully itself has not been fixed and I suspect that it will still be prone to backing up on to the road at times of heavy rain. So basically they've repaired the bottom of what is all too often a huge puddle.</p> <p>I feel a robustly-worded letter to my councillor(s) coming on. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16893&page=4#post-291416 Mon, 17 Sep 2018 22:02:28 +0000 dessert rat 291416@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>NCR#1 from Bridlington to where I gave up 30k or so later (earlier today). Never been so furious at a surface. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16893&page=4#post-291414 Mon, 17 Sep 2018 21:52:46 +0000 unhurt 291414@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://twitter.com/bear_buffet">This one.</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16893&page=4#post-291334 Mon, 17 Sep 2018 12:16:32 +0000 wishicouldgofaster 291334@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Really wish someone would look at Arboretum Avenue as the road is ridiculously bad mainly due to botched repairs. It's only safe to cycle middle of the road! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16893&page=4#post-291317 Mon, 17 Sep 2018 11:05:11 +0000 Murun Buchstansangur 291317@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>That is good news, redmist. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16893&page=4#post-291313 Mon, 17 Sep 2018 10:38:17 +0000 redmist 291313@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Harlaw Road from Balerno to Harlaw Reservoir is now lovely smooth tarmac, no more teeth rattling nightmare on the road bike. Time to get out there and set some new Strava PRs ;-) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16893&page=3#post-259972 Fri, 08 Sep 2017 21:01:28 +0000 Bigjack 259972@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I totally understand the comments from the LEL participants.i'm not long back from my annual cycling holiday in rural France and their roads are just so much more pleasant to ride on (not just the traffic volume)<br /> Locally, Harlaw Road from Balerno still continues to take the prize as far as I'm concerned for the crappiest surface, especially on the descent from Harlaw to Balerno at the line of houses. I have to double check everything is still in place after doing that one. It is just so bad!!Inexcusable for the capital of Scotland. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16893&page=3#post-259969 Fri, 08 Sep 2017 20:33:06 +0000 Cyclingmollie 259969@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I think we may have a winner (descriptions of the A710 approach to Edinburgh from various LEL 2017 blogs): </p> <p><em>Terrible road. Everything was ratting and shaking. I saw one poor rider on the side of the road searching frantically for his garmin that shaken off his bike. I saw him again just before the control. No luck.</em><br /> <em>My attachmnet on my handlebar which held my garmin, spare light attachment and bell also managed to rattle it self into a useless state.</em> (<a href="https://marklassman.wordpress.com/2017/08/29/lel-leg-3-barnard-castle-to-innerleithen/">Link</a>)</p> <p><em>But then, when I hit the A701 heading towards Edinburgh, the ride turns to s–t. The surface is so bad that I can’t find words to describe it. With every turn of the wheels my hands feel as though they are being pummelled with rocks. </em>(<a href="https://robmcivor.wordpress.com/2017/08/31/losing-my-religion-london-edinburgh-london-2017/">Link</a>)</p> <p><em>It was noticeable how different the road surfaces were in Scotland compared to England, the tarmac in Scotland is mostly rough and the vibrations were starting to take their toll on my body. My hands were now covered in blisters and my right knee was starting to ache.</em> (<a href="https://onlygirlintheclub.com/2017/08/18/london-edinburgh-london-part-3-i-cycled-700km-to-edinburgh-for-dinner/">Link</a>)</p> <p><em>The road surface shook the fillings out of our teeth.</em>(<a href="https://stravaddict.wordpress.com/lel-2017/">Link</a>)</p> <p><em>A long gradual descent into Edinburgh which should have been a joy except for the road surface which was APPALLING and almost unrideable in places, I swore to myself almost constantly along here, I started shouting “FFS fix your roads” to random passers by. </em> (<a href="http://www.buttonsofmymind.co.uk/lel-2017/">Link</a>)</p> <p><em>What wasn’t so nice was the road surface, corrugated like the surface of a concrete brain.</em> (<a href="http://blog.ctc-cambridge.org.uk/2017/08/30-jul-4-aug-alexs-london-edinburgh.html">Link</a>) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16893&page=3#post-259610 Wed, 06 Sep 2017 19:59:32 +0000 wingpig 259610@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Glenogle Road has been freshly re-chipped, but undulates very uncomfortably. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16893&page=3#post-259599 Wed, 06 Sep 2017 19:01:47 +0000 dessert rat 259599@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>bullocks </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16893&page=3#post-259597 Wed, 06 Sep 2017 18:42:12 +0000 chdot 259597@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"Can I bump Gilmore Place?"</p> <p>You don't need to, it's already all bumps. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16893&page=3#post-259576 Wed, 06 Sep 2017 16:51:38 +0000 Snowy 259576@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Can I bump Gilmore Place? ow! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16893&page=3#post-259546 Wed, 06 Sep 2017 13:51:01 +0000 cb 259546@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Comiston Road to be resurfaced (inc. bottom of Morningside Road).</p> <p>"from the junction of Maxwell Street down to just before the junction with Comiston Drive".</p> <p>Looks like southbound traffic will be diverted up Braid Road for a period. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16893&page=3#post-257075 Sat, 12 Aug 2017 07:59:50 +0000 paulmilne 257075@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>West bound on West Coates is pretty crap as well, and that's a major thoroughfare. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16893&page=3#post-257043 Fri, 11 Aug 2017 13:39:05 +0000 LivM 257043@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@Frenchy, it's the bit from Lennel Av to Succoth Park that I'm meaning. Hope that it's been done today then! They've done the other bits I think. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16893&page=3#post-257039 Fri, 11 Aug 2017 13:19:32 +0000 fiefster 257039@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Tar and chip surface dressing just laid on Burnshot Road from the flyover to the entrance to Craigiehall. Anticipating the job will be extended to Craigie's Farm. Short term unpleasantness shouldn't outweigh improvement to previous crappy moon pocked road surface </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16893&page=3#post-257037 Fri, 11 Aug 2017 12:44:21 +0000 Frenchy 257037@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@LivD - the sections of Ravelston Dykes scheduled for "surface treatment" are:</p> <p>Craigleith Rise to Cumlodden Avenue<br /> Lennel Avenue to Succoth Park<br /> Garscube Terrace to Crarae Avenue</p> <p>Are they maybe just working their way along?</p> <p>EDIT: From <a href="http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/download/meetings/id/49358/item_76_-_road_footway_and_bridges_investment_-_capital_programme_for_201617">here</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16893&page=3#post-257036 Fri, 11 Aug 2017 12:31:55 +0000 LivM 257036@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'm a bit puzzled why (as of this morning anyway) the absolutely worst bit of Ravelston Dykes hasn't been done (while all the rest has). It's just at the end of Lennel Av and the surface is horrendous. Perhaps they have decided it's too badly gone to top dress and are going to do a proper job. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16893&page=3#post-257029 Fri, 11 Aug 2017 11:18:48 +0000 chdot 257029@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"</p> <p>A DUST cloud from road resurfacing work has re-appeared over Ravelston, sparking concern among residents. </p> <p>The Evening News reported last August how work to make city roads more skid resistant had left locals fuming.</p> <p>"</p> <p><a href="http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/concerns-as-ravelston-dust-cloud-returns-amid-resurfacing-works-1-4528850" rel="nofollow">http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/concerns-as-ravelston-dust-cloud-returns-amid-resurfacing-works-1-4528850</a></p> <p>"</p> <p>The work is expected to finish today with 23 streets resurfaced covering 80,000 square metres – roughly the size of Buckingham Palace.</p> <p>"</p> <p>???! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16893&page=3#post-256961 Thu, 10 Aug 2017 12:12:27 +0000 MediumDave 256961@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Holyrood Park Road after Markon have covered it with an inch of loose chippings. </p> <p>Adds a certain frisson of danger (and clouds of dust) to my trip to the pool every morning from now on. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16893&page=3#post-256941 Wed, 09 Aug 2017 22:07:27 +0000 Colonies_Chris 256941@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Yes, a lot of rough patches on Glenogle Rd were white-marked last week, and they've been relaid just today, not always very well - the poor (or no) sealing round the edges will surely let in water and cause them to fall apart again soon - and a large area has been indiscriminately covered with loose fine gravel, all over the road and spreading onto the pavements. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16893&page=3#post-256936 Wed, 09 Aug 2017 19:16:52 +0000 neddie 256936@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Add to Craigcrook, East Fettes Ave and Glenogle Rd, both of which have been covered in a very cheap "tar &amp; stones" top dressing, the sort normally reserved for remote rural roads.</p> <p>Stones sticking all over your tyres, splashing up sticky tar on your frame, mudguards, trousers... AVOID AVOID </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16893&page=3#post-256895 Wed, 09 Aug 2017 08:59:51 +0000 nevelbell 256895@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Currently Craigcrook Road, it's like a gravel track in Alaska. I hope they reinstate some decent cycle lanes! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16893&page=3#post-256871 Tue, 08 Aug 2017 14:02:33 +0000 Frenchy 256871@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>Sorry, bit of thread drift there.</em></p> <p>Indeed, your post has absolutely nothing to do with cattle. Unless the "Caiy" in Caiystane is etymologically related to "kye"?</p> <p>Edit: An oxgang is the area which a single ox could plough in a season, so I think we can consider that on-topic after all. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16893&page=3#post-256870 Tue, 08 Aug 2017 13:53:27 +0000 Arellcat 256870@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>which is west of West Caiystane Road - go figure</em></p> <p>There is <em>some</em> logic to it. The Roads are to the east, and the Places are to the west.</p> <p>I believe that in the original feuing they planned to have a West Camus Place and West Caiystane Place. Development of Camus and Caiystane proceeded westwards from the A702 until about 1958, while at the same time south-east Oxgangs, and Caiystane Terrace were expanding to the east. There was provision for another north-south road.</p> <p>By 1962 the two developments were connected, and that north-south road became the single thoroughfare of Caiystane Hill. I still don't know why Camus Park was created as a cul-de-sac, connected only by a footway to the bottom of Caiystane Hill, rather than the latter forming the entire route, but reducing the amount of traffic might have been the reason, to improve the ambience of Comiston House, which by the 1940s had become the Pentland Hills Hotel.</p> <p>Sorry, bit of thread drift there. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16893&page=3#post-256860 Tue, 08 Aug 2017 12:02:53 +0000 ARobComp 256860@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Reminds me years ago of cycling through the flatlands of Cuba and seeing huge herds of cows in a field. "oh wow" I exclaimed, "this must be one of Fidels famous nationalised Dairy Farms". We continued cycling to see the huge sign that read (in Spanish of course). </p> <p>"Che Guevara Artificial Insemination Plant" </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16893&page=3#post-256858 Tue, 08 Aug 2017 12:01:18 +0000 ejstubbs 256858@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@fimm My wife uses "stotting" to mean walking in a somewhat ungainly fashion. Or sometimes just "wandering about rather aimlessly".</p> <p>To haul the thread back on topic, two nominations. The first is so obvious I can't believe it's not been mentioned yet: Oswald Road. It has had a few patches in the last year or so but any improvement is barely noticeable. The real problem is the profile as the road passes over the railway: that needs smoothing out heading southbound, it can kick a wheel almost off the ground just at the point where you actually want good traction as you begin to brake for the steep slope on the other side.</p> <p>The second is closer to home and closer to my heart: Caiystane Crescent, mainly between West Caiystane Road and East Caiystane Place (which is west of West Caiystane Road - go figure). The top dressing on the westbound side is very badly eroded, leaving a surface of protruding stones which is incredibly hard work to cycle over. Worse is that there's a longitudinal step down the middle of the carriageway of up to at least an inch and half, probably more, for most of the length of that section, which can easily have you over. I don't even like riding close to it on my motorbike. I've reported it but nothing's been done. I may have to fall off and make a claim before anything is. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16893&page=3#post-256856 Tue, 08 Aug 2017 11:37:05 +0000 Frenchy 256856@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Aye, a stot is a young bull, possibly needs to be castrated to be a stot.</p> <p>I never heard the word kye until I read Sunset Song. Beasts was the plural I grew up with. Pronounced without the t, so it rhymes with "geese". Could be spelled beese too.</p> <p>EDIT: Definitely also a verb, with all the meanings posted already (bounce, stagger etc.) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16893&page=3#post-256855 Tue, 08 Aug 2017 11:26:51 +0000 gembo 256855@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@Frenchy, you mean as in a stot-sticker - a slaughterer of cattle? Never heard of that until now. Though my head did Stot off a speedbump near Murrayfield on ice one winter.</p> <p>cows collectively.</p> <p>"the lowing kine came home at twilight"</p> <p>is known to me</p> <p>also stirk as in bullock </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16893&page=3#post-256854 Tue, 08 Aug 2017 11:24:58 +0000 fimm 256854@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@Frenchy, stott meaning what?</p> <p>My grandmother, from near Kilmarnock originally, used to describe herself as "stotty" when she was feeling a bit unsteady on her feet - the word actually implying drunkeness I believe (granny didn't drink...).<br /> I've also read it being used to mean "to bounce a ball" IIRC. </p>