http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Are you new to cycle commuting? en Wed, 13 May 2026 02:35:03 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=952&page=2#post-196929 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 21:45:06 +0000 chdot 196929@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"</p> <p>@steclinton: @EdinBikeLanes @justacwab @adamrmcvey ive just started cycling to work and its been an eye opener.</p> <p>"</p> <p>"</p> <p>@steclinton: @CyclingEdin @EdinBikeLanes @justacwab @adamrmcvey Defienetely good, no need to use the car since its quicker by bike and increases fitness.</p> <p>" </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=952&page=2#post-190177 Thu, 04 Jun 2015 21:06:24 +0000 chdot 190177@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Just linked to this thread from <a href="https://sestrancc.wordpress.com/why-cycle" rel="nofollow">https://sestrancc.wordpress.com/why-cycle</a></p> <p>Anyone new(ish) to cycling to work want to add their experiences here? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=952&page=2#post-158715 Fri, 04 Jul 2014 12:57:08 +0000 bueller 158715@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Thanks so much for your help and words of encouragement! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=952&page=2#post-158675 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 17:39:01 +0000 Try Cycle 158675@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>another former colleague checking in! Didn't do the cycle either but have gotten back into commuting by bike in the last month or so. Been going great, especially with the weather. Did called some swear words today by a guy in a white van, first occurance so far but expecting a lot more as the summer crowds rise and tempers get a little more frayed </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=952&page=2#post-158669 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 15:03:03 +0000 Stickman 158669@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>No, I didn't cycle at the time but you've confirmed my suspicion! I remember there was a lot of internal PR about his Lejog </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=952&page=2#post-158668 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 15:00:30 +0000 threefromleith 158668@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Did you do the ride too, Stickman? Peebles to Kinross with Otto? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=952&page=2#post-158663 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 14:18:58 +0000 Stickman 158663@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"In the next few years I did a few Pedal For Scotland rides, and a 100 mile ride to accompany my work's Chief Exec on a stage of his LEJoG ride."</p> <p>I suspect I used to work for the same company at this time! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=952&page=2#post-158656 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 13:54:32 +0000 threefromleith 158656@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I started in 2006 when I decided I had to do something about the weight I'd put on after quitting smoking two years before. Just at that time, my work began offering the Bike2Work scheme as part of our flexible benefits package - so I thought I could get one and cycle to work to get fitter. A quick peruse of the Spokes map of cycle routes confirmed I could ride almost entirely off-road between the Shore and Ed Park, so I signed up and became the owner of a Carrera Vulcan MTB. I started by cycling the commute two days a week, but after 4 months I decided to do it 4 days a week (taking a week's worth of clothes, towels and other sundries for my locker in on a Monday by bus)</p> <p>As the months went by, I decided to brave the roads and took to Ferry Road for a chunk of my route on the way to work when it was quiet, but stuck to the path on the way home during rush hour. By the end of the first year, I'd made the decision to cancel my annual bus pass and save £500-odd quid.</p> <p>In 2008 I got a road bike through the scheme, and decided to stick mainly to the roads both ways as the paths were becoming risky with lots of feral kids around and very few other cyclists. (I was variously threatened with bricks, had glass bottles thrown at me, had a Rottweiler set on me and - at one point - had an old bike thrown at me!) </p> <p>In the next few years I did a few Pedal For Scotland rides, and a 100 mile ride to accompany my work's Chief Exec on a stage of his LEJoG ride.</p> <p>3 years ago I bought an old 70s steel-framed Peugeot racer from Wilmington's Cow &amp; converted it to a fixie for summer pootles, just for a bit of variety!</p> <p>In the last year, I've moved back to riding the paths most of the way home again, as Ferry Road got more and more potholed on the homeward side and it's become too unpleasant (not to mention frame-cracking) to try avoiding them without placing myself at risk from other vehicles which insist on driving a few inches from my back wheel. However, with the upsurge in cycling there are now so many cyclists around all year round that it's much safer than it was in 2006 - 2008!</p> <p>If CEC ever get around to resurfacing Ferry Road (and the utility companies don't immediately dig huge chunks back up and do a substandard refilling job), I'll probably move back to mainly road-riding on my commute again. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=952&page=2#post-158650 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 13:19:35 +0000 Edinburgh Cycle Training 158650@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>2nd of August, there will be a "commuter cycling" group if anyone is interested....</p> <p><a href="http://bikeabilityedinburgh.vpweb.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">http://bikeabilityedinburgh.vpweb.co.uk/</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=952&page=2#post-158647 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 13:06:04 +0000 Beano 158647@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Bueller, I'm new to cycle commuting too and new to cycling in general :-) </p> <p>Like you I was initially a bit scared about cycling in City Centre traffic but I had no basis for that 'scared feeling' other than stuff i'd read on forums/newspapers. A mate cycled with me a few times and his route added 1 mile on to my intended commute but it avoided some busy areas. I initially followed him but one day thought...sod it...and took the intended route. I peel off the NEPN at Wester Coates and negotiate haymarket turning into Torphichen St and then along Grassmarket. That was daunting the first time around but after a few times I gained more confidence. </p> <p>I found this forum useful for encouraging you to take a commanding position in the road based on the fact that i'd rather p1ss a driver off than get squashed by one squeezing past me. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=952&page=2#post-158619 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 11:15:12 +0000 mogwai1375 158619@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Hi bueller! I'm new to the site, too. Started cycling in February, and couldn't bring myself to ride in traffic for weeks. The first time I tried riding along Easter Road I had to pull over less than halfway down and walk the rest of the way to the shared use path, I was so scared of the cars! Took me ages to figure out how the filtering thing works, too. I'd be stuck behind a bunch of cars, watching others confidently cycling up to the front and wondering how they did it...</p> <p>It's much more fun now, and it's saving me £50 a month in bus passes (mostly because I'm lazy- work is a mile away, but I could never be bothered walking). </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=952#post-158616 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 11:08:59 +0000 sallyhinch 158616@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>It's okay too to just stick to the paths if you can make that work for the journeys you want to do. I'm a confirmed 'getter off and pusher' when the going gets tough, there's no reason why you have to graduate to being confident in traffic if you don't want to. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=952#post-158613 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 11:04:03 +0000 I were right about that saddle 158613@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"despite all the grumping here we all love cycling"</p> <p>And more than we realise, I suspect. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=952#post-158610 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 10:56:37 +0000 Morningsider 158610@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>bueller - Welcome! You have already done the hardest part, which is deciding to cycle. You simply need to build confidence and starting on the cycle paths is ideal way to get the hang of you bike in a safe environment. Once you feel you have mastered that then you should get out onto the roads, perhaps initially quiet roads or at off-peak times. The roads can be surprisingly quiet outside of rush hour.</p> <p>Most of all enjoy it - despite all the grumping here we all love cycling. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=952#post-158605 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 10:44:23 +0000 chdot 158605@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"ducks"</p> <p>I think you'll have to expand on your statement (for all the 'novices' here...) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=952#post-158604 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 10:41:41 +0000 SRD 158604@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@bueller Well done you! maybe you could find someone to 'chum' you along some routes? having a cycling buddy seems to help - and good to see how others handle things. </p> <p>you might also want to look at <a href="http://www.cyclecraft.co.uk/">'cyclecraft'</a> there's a new edition just out. </p> <p>we could debate the pros and cons of franklin's approach to death, but i think most of us would agree that the general advice on how to ride safely is sensible, given current conditions on roads. (ducks) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=952#post-158585 Thu, 03 Jul 2014 09:08:28 +0000 Roibeard 158585@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@bueller *waves* It will probably be worth picking up a Spokes map of Edinburgh cycle routes (ask in any local bike shop), as the Inner Tube as lots of holes... The Spokes map will let you plot quiet connections or sneaky little cut throughs you never knew existed. There's also the Cycle Journey Planner linked at the top of the page if you know A and B and want a route between them.</p> <p>As for falling off, mine always involve an audience of women for maximum embarrassment - you'll find CCE a mine of useful tips like this!</p> <p>;-)</p> <p>Robert </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=952#post-158551 Wed, 02 Jul 2014 17:36:34 +0000 I were right about that saddle 158551@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@bueller</p> <p>I wish you luck and many near-life experiences. Cycling in traffic may be odd for a start, but it's much safer than people make out and much, much safer than not cycling. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=952#post-158550 Wed, 02 Jul 2014 17:17:45 +0000 bueller 158550@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I am new to this site and although I can ride a bike I'm a bit of a scaredy cat. The thought of cycling in actual traffic brings me out in a cold sweat. If I could do it on one of the bikes that chimps use in a circus (e.g feet trailing on the floor at ALL times I'd be OK) I did cycle around Cumbrae last year, even after falling off my bike in the queue to the ferry (that did wonders for my son and his adolescent embarrassment levels) but I can't say I liked the traffic.<br /> SO to start with I think I will use the cycle paths, I live very near to the inner tube routes so that should be fine. Wish me luck and no near death experiences..... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=952#post-9320 Fri, 02 Jul 2010 23:45:50 +0000 chdot 9320@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Re overtraining -</p> <p>"He has found that, curiously, some of the riders actually need to train less."</p> <p><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/jul/02/tour-de-france-sky-five-year-plan" rel="nofollow">http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/jul/02/tour-de-france-sky-five-year-plan</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=952#post-8799 Tue, 22 Jun 2010 23:27:28 +0000 Aphid 8799@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Hmm, going to show my age in my first post. I've been commuting on various bikes since the early 1990s...</p> <p>Back in the 90s I lived in Yorkshire (Knaresborough) and worked in Harrogate, which is basically 4 miles uphill through a gorge into the dales (Edinburgh is flat by comparision!). After some extremely depressing delays at the train station I bit the bullet and tried my mountain bike out. I was shocked at how fast it was (half the time) and how relatively painless, and as a good Yorkshire Tike, how free it was ("a Yorkshireman is a Scotsman with generosity squeezed out"). After getting some advice from a colleague about road bikes (woo) and learning how to cycle the damn things (by falling off the first time I met a car), I was hooked. </p> <p>Since moving up here I commute about only 2 miles or so into Charlotte Square from the bottom of Easter Road, which is not much compared to some of the legs I used to do, but this will increase to an 18 mile round trip when my work relocates to Hermiston Quay.I currently swish around on an extremely sad fixie (Giant Bowery 72) and a hilariously knackered Ridgeback, which is basically my frankenstein bike, although my 03 Giant TCR is going to replace this when I finally buy my new road bike. Hmmmm. </p> <p>The commute also led me to take up cycling for fitness, as one the three exercises my physio said I could do (after dislocating my knee in a nightclub... ahhh dancing, how I regret thee). Funny how a fed up train commuter turned into a cycle nutjob, from such a spur of the moment decision. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=952#post-8717 Sun, 20 Jun 2010 00:04:19 +0000 1lesscar 8717@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I started commuting about 2 years ago, mainly for fitness reasons. I was quite a hefty chap when I started out, but have since lost about 4 stone. </p> <p>I started on a Boardman hybrid, but moved to a road bike (CF boardman) last year and started doing longer 'leisure' rides. My commute is a round trip of about 20 miles.</p> <p>I pretty much commute all year round, only giving up two wheels for four when there is thick snow / ice on the ground. </p> <p>Although fitness was the main reason for doing so, I have saved a fortune on fuel costs, feel fresher and more alert when I get to work, and just generally feel betterall round knowing that the car / motorbike is not out polluting the atmosphere. As tesco say 'Every little helps'. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=952#post-8670 Fri, 18 Jun 2010 07:19:28 +0000 wee folding bike 8670@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Well I can only ride one bike at a time so there are others in waiting in the garage. Last week I used three different bikes, this week it has all been the same one. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=952#post-8661 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 19:59:25 +0000 gembo 8661@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I moved to Balerno in 2001 thinking I would commute to Drylaw down the Water of Leith Path on a Brompton and get bus back up the hill. Path too muddy for tiny totty wee wheels of Brompton so took the bus for two years, started thinking I resembled late vintage Harvey Keitel (ie fat) so got EBC Hybrid and had two years going up and down the river [path on chunky tyres, enjoyable but slow]. Work moved to Leith and I gradually grew more confident on the roads. Switching to tourer and road bikes. Alas now work moved to gorgie so I am most def. undertraining. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=952#post-8614 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 13:58:54 +0000 Dave 8614@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I started in 2006 when I was commuting from Edinburgh to Dundee, and I had moved from Dalkeith Rd to Marchmont, away from any bus routes. I spent £300 on a Co-op Courier Race and it immediately was saving me an hour a day all-told - result!</p> <p>Quite soon after this, my company moved from the centre of Dundee to the technology park, a cool 4 miles from the station (but crucially, along the waterfront segregated cycle route). It took me over half an hour to make the first trip, but by the time I quit I had got my record down to just over 10 minutes.</p> <p>I then started working in Dunfermline and by and large, cycled to the station and got the train. However I did experiment with riding from South Queensferry (doing 20 miles on the train and 14 by bike). Rapidly I discovered that I only had to leave the office 10 minutes before my colleagues to meet them on the train half way, and this rocked. </p> <p>Sometimes I rode the whole 17 miles but it was a bit punishing. It was during this period that I ditched the Courier Race and got myself a nice Pearson Touche (for about twice the price!)</p> <p>The following year, my better half got a job in South Queensferry, and wanted to cycle it. As it seemed mad for me to get the train while she rode, I started cycling the whole way.</p> <p>Last year, I got the lowracer to help with the long journeys. However, quite soon afterwards I quit and now work in Leith, which has reduced my commute to a tiny 4 miles - the lowest it's been since 2006. I now try to run in for fitness, but because I can't do it very often the bike is still my mainstay, and gets me in to the waterfront from Kings Buildings in around 15 minutes.</p> <p>I've lost (and kept off) about 3 stone and am rediculously fit considering that I almost never do any exercise that is not transport related. I've also got a lot more money to waste (or nowadays, to save up for a wedding with!). Bus pass &amp; train to Dunfermline would have been about £140pcm, but I was doing it almost for free. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=952#post-8610 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 13:42:17 +0000 chdot 8610@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>You admitting to having bikes you don't use?</p> <p>Might have to refine the n+1 formula. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=952#post-8609 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 13:39:42 +0000 wee folding bike 8609@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>So since I've only got one with me today do the others count as unused? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=952#post-8608 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 13:14:44 +0000 chdot 8608@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"Scots own 850,000 unused bicycles" </p> <p><a href="http://www.bikebiz.com/news/32319/Scots-own-850000-unused-bicycles" rel="nofollow">http://www.bikebiz.com/news/32319/Scots-own-850000-unused-bicycles</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=952#post-8606 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 12:50:10 +0000 amir 8606@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I did quite a bit of cycling as a kid,including some tours in the UK. But I gave it up at Uni and took up sailing/windsurfing instead. About 9 years ago I bought a cheap EBC mtb and that kicked things off. When I move out to Dalkeith 8 years ago I soon got fed up of the bus and took up cycle commuting. I now try to commute the "long way" via the NCN route 1 as much as possible (e.g. when not icy). I have been doing longer rides such as sportives in the last couple of years and have recently joined the ERC. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=952#post-8604 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 12:37:03 +0000 Kirst 8604@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I had a bike as a child but when I was about 14 my brother took it to do his paper round and it got nicked. I didn't ride a bike again for over 20 years. In 2006 I got a new job in Chesser House and spent the first year commuting by bus but then when the trams were confirmed I didn't want to be bussing across town in rush hour with tramworks. So in April 2007 I joined the bike to work scheme, got a bike, spent a couple of weeks getting used to riding it and going out on CTC and Spokes rides to get used to being in traffic, then tried my route to work in the evening a few times, and by June 2007 I was commuting every day by bike, other than the very windy or icy days. Now I work in Craigmillar and have a 15 minute whizz down the Innocent to get to work, but my job involves visiting people at home throughout SE Edinburgh and I use the bike for nearly all of that too. </p>