http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Canal towpath use en Tue, 19 May 2026 09:25:03 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7214&page=2#post-336840 Tue, 01 Sep 2020 23:18:40 +0000 Dave 336840@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Changed up my route so no chance of guerrilla hedge trimming any more. But I did happen to go along the canal a week or so ago and was quite taken aback by the overgrowth. Citizens unite! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7214&page=2#post-336725 Mon, 31 Aug 2020 18:06:01 +0000 gembo 336725@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Verges where being mown today but the bushes need well pruned</p> <p>Was mobbed at 3pm this afternoon </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7214&page=2#post-336724 Mon, 31 Aug 2020 17:57:04 +0000 Greenroofer 336724@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Rode along the towpath for the first time for ages last week, and found it a bit cramped. There's not been the usual vegetation control, so it's a bit narrow.</p> <p>Came across this today, which might be the answer: <a href="https://www.shuttlebike.com/en/">https://www.shuttlebike.com/en/</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7214&page=2#post-300546 Fri, 01 Feb 2019 14:48:13 +0000 acsimpson 300546@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>When IWRATS is in charge I will be pushing for lights on the canal and all parallel roads being turned into Urban wildlife corridors. Anyone wishing to drive can use the bypass and take the park and ride from Sherrifhall. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7214&page=2#post-300530 Fri, 01 Feb 2019 12:26:05 +0000 neddie 300530@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>It's the cars not the wildlife which should be loosing space</em></p> <p>^^^ This. A million times. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7214&page=2#post-300527 Fri, 01 Feb 2019 12:07:43 +0000 unhurt 300527@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>(delayed double post) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7214&page=2#post-300525 Fri, 01 Feb 2019 11:48:39 +0000 I were right about that saddle 300525@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'm all in for an equivalent cycle route and having the canal go wild. </p> <p>But there will never be such a route in my lifetime. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7214&page=2#post-300524 Fri, 01 Feb 2019 11:45:08 +0000 acsimpson 300524@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I don't use the canal often but feel that it should be left as a wildlife corridor into the centre of town. However that isn't a reason not to have a proper traffic free route from the south-west into the city centre. Space needs to be taken from the already lit routes to create such a route.</p> <p>It's the cars not the wildlife which should be loosing space. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7214&page=2#post-300521 Fri, 01 Feb 2019 11:30:11 +0000 unhurt 300521@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'm not sure it should be - it's a tricky one. Bright lights at night are, it turns out, not good for the insects and wee beasties that we are losing at a great rate. I'm torn, as I want lighting at night so I feel safe but I also love and appreciate the proper darkness that winter nights bring. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7214&page=2#post-300511 Fri, 01 Feb 2019 10:19:46 +0000 I were right about that saddle 300511@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The person responsible for the canal lights is very proud of them. I had not the heart to express my ire in this regard. It should of course be lit like any street, not a French resistance landing strip. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7214&page=2#post-300509 Fri, 01 Feb 2019 10:01:55 +0000 HankChief 300509@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I get that there is a community when you can see what you are passing. For an occasional visitor in the dark it was a fairly myopic experience. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7214&page=2#post-300505 Fri, 01 Feb 2019 09:42:35 +0000 I were right about that saddle 300505@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I miss the Rat and Big John and Maximum Space Man and the cormorant and 2Kool4Skool and the Dark Talker and the unhinged but joyful Wester Hailes family days out and the shoals of roach crossing the bypass. All at exactly 72 metres above sea level.</p> <p>People talk about communities but for almost all of my life I have lived in flats and houses, not communities. But the canal was a community. There was definite - even if ill-defined - fellowship. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7214&page=2#post-300498 Fri, 01 Feb 2019 08:18:15 +0000 gembo 300498@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@hankchief, this is what makes the towpath worthwhile. Also four beehives to spot in daylight, Bridge 8 floating bikes and next to them, the mini scorpion tanks. It is all happening </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7214&page=2#post-300496 Fri, 01 Feb 2019 08:13:20 +0000 HankChief 300496@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Oh. I take it all back. I did have a wildlife treat in that I saw the Merchiston rat. ;-) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7214&page=2#post-300495 Fri, 01 Feb 2019 08:07:01 +0000 gembo 300495@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@hankchief, either I am sleeping in or you are up earlier? You missed out on seeing the rowers with their little lanterns and their sometimes annoying coaches on their bikes. The goosander, mergansers, the kingsknowe rat, big John et cetera. </p> <p>It is a struggle the old canal towpath, especially around the Equinox. Now that blinding cheap lights widely available. I found a compromise of running super bright and back up and covering the super bright one when oncoming traffic approaches. This had some thank you and some copying this Autumn,.</p> <p>I gave up many years ago trying to get people to dip their lights down to the left. That boat has sailed. ( many users just want to be safe and not fall in the water and are less concerned about the retinas of others) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7214&page=2#post-300493 Fri, 01 Feb 2019 07:45:17 +0000 HankChief 300493@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I rode the canal towpath last night, in bound at rush hour.</p> <p>All quiet in the dark western reaches apart from a rider pushing their bike as their front light failed. I offered my spare but she declined as was nearly home.</p> <p>Further in and the number of other users steadily increased.</p> <p>Some pedestrians with lights (which was helpful) and some without (which is fair enough).</p> <p>Difficult to judge the lighting concept required as I wanted my light pointing up the path to see what was there but conscious not to blind people.</p> <p>I felt one rider has the balance wrong so said "too bright" and hoped they'd take heed. However, the very next rider I passed said something similar back to me!</p> <p>Not sure I could do it everyday... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7214&page=2#post-285334 Wed, 20 Jun 2018 14:52:54 +0000 jdanielp 285334@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@bill my colleague administered some basic first aid - it sounds like they were broadly ok but needed to be checked. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7214&page=2#post-285326 Wed, 20 Jun 2018 14:03:50 +0000 bill 285326@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@jdanielp that's really unfortunate! Hope the person is OK. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7214&page=2#post-285310 Wed, 20 Jun 2018 12:14:40 +0000 I were right about that saddle 285310@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>swallowed canal water</em></p> <p>Yikes. Blecht. Aaaargh. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7214&page=2#post-285305 Wed, 20 Jun 2018 11:42:37 +0000 jdanielp 285305@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Wester Hailes Road. It doesn't help that the east end of the bridge features two drain covers next to one another. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7214&page=2#post-285301 Wed, 20 Jun 2018 11:34:35 +0000 SRD 285301@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"main road bridge at Wester Hailes" aka the widest under bridge path on the canal?! or the one with the dodgy angle and bumps just before/after? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7214&page=2#post-285295 Wed, 20 Jun 2018 10:39:19 +0000 jdanielp 285295@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>My colleague was at the back of a three bicycle train heading west along the towpath this morning. Due to a combination of unfortunate timing and the wet weather causing bells not to function and ineffective braking, the leading cyclist collided with another exiting from under the main road bridge at Wester Hailes and suffered a nasty fall into the water. Luckily, the still upright cyclists, including the other one involved in collision, were able to pull the faller inner and bike out quickly. The unfortunate cyclist was collected and taken to minor injuries due to having cuts and swallowed canal water... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7214&page=2#post-275613 Wed, 21 Feb 2018 11:12:49 +0000 gembo 275613@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I came in the towpath today from Hermiston, as I have been doing all this week. Traffic is very snarled on the roads just now. No real bother at all. Certainly seldom any conflict until the aqueduct. </p> <p>THe Craiglockhart familes today had one dad cycling and pushing child on scooter, one child pushing his mum's bike anbd one mum pushing bike alongside children. All good.</p> <p>Lot of good bell ringing at the bridges no real hassle at any of the pinch points. </p> <p>So my point is that some days the towpath is Ok. </p> <p>Gaggles of S2a at Boroughmuir all contained to left of the towpath. No rowers causing bother. Sometimes the coach can be in the way on their bike.</p> <p>Sometimes cyclists go too fast and tell you to F off if you point this out. But not today. It was baltic but I enjoyed it.</p> <p>Coming on to the road to Kings Theatre the cars were bad. I was possibly slowing a younger person down on their bicycle as the eventually undertook me on the pedestrian side of the meadows path. However, as I anticpated they had not quite factored in the easterly wind so I was able to scalp 'em back. All in the best possible taste.. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7214#post-275603 Wed, 21 Feb 2018 10:26:01 +0000 Rosie 275603@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>At the Fountainbridge end 5pm on a fine summer evening is a scrum of strolling couples, pushing buggies, walking dogs, &amp; thwarted cyclists. It's the Portobello Prom on a Sunday in August.</p> <p>Historical perspective:- the canal towpath was not officially open to cyclists until the late 90s. In 1991 the local Community Council thought that cycling would be a good thing on lonely stretches like Fountainbridge. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7214#post-275591 Wed, 21 Feb 2018 10:03:29 +0000 SRD 275591@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>what @steveo said. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7214#post-275589 Wed, 21 Feb 2018 10:00:54 +0000 steveo 275589@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em> All humanity is there.</em></p> <p>Tragically</p> <p>The constant ringing of bells followed by a bicycle at speed just off ones elbow wears one down and thats at 0730 heading west from Kingsknowe to Hermiston Gait at a decent running pace, I hate to think how bad it is walking Eastbound from Slateford. Probably only marginally better than getting fumed.</p> <p>Then there is trying to pass pedestrians on the bike no matter how many you slow for or and how politely you ask to pass there will always be some moron shouting about something. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7214#post-275585 Wed, 21 Feb 2018 09:44:20 +0000 jdanielp 275585@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>As a result of my effort to condition myself towards being at the campus at Heriot-Watt for 8 am tomorrow morning to not work, I now know that the just before 8 am commute on the towpath is substantially less busy than any of the 20 minute later windows up to my usual time of just before 9. It was also a lovely sunny morning so maybe I will try to keep this up even when I'm back to actually working again, but I fear that I'll soon slip back into getting up later. I was still spotting a selection of the semi-regular later cyclists, but no sign of gembo or Lilac Helmet Lady today. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7214#post-275578 Wed, 21 Feb 2018 08:38:08 +0000 I were right about that saddle 275578@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Welcome to the Canal Family, Stoneface. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7214#post-275577 Wed, 21 Feb 2018 08:14:16 +0000 gembo 275577@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@iwrats, an older chap with brylcream and possible heavy smoker/drinker, I have christened Stoneface has started saying hello back to me.</p> <p>He is heading east west and walking </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7214#post-275573 Wed, 21 Feb 2018 00:37:14 +0000 I were right about that saddle 275573@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The towpath is life affirming. It is a knotted vein of nature snaking across fair Dunedin's alabaster brow. All humanity is there. </p>