CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 14years old!
Well done to ALL posters
It soon became useful and entertaining. There are regular posters, people who add useful info occasionally and plenty more who drop by to watch. That's fine. If you want to add news/comments it's easy to register and become a member.
RULES No personal insults. No swearing.
not resolvedThis was just posted on my blog:
"I've recently stumbled upon your blog and twitter account. I'm moving to Edinburgh at the end of next month from Texas and wanted to cycle instead of driving when possible.
Can you recommend where to find information on rules of the road for cycling in Scotland? And any other advice give/refer would be appreciated."
I'm going to reply on the blog with a link to this thread.
Think you guys can help them out?
The Highway Code was where everyone here who did cycle proficiency at school would've started.
https://www.gov.uk/browse/driving/highway-code
Then a combination of the Spokes map and the Inner Tube map?
Perhaps an injection of our USAnian and Canuck members would help here too. It takes a little while to get used to cycling on the opposite side of the road.
There's also Cyclecraft (I know, it's the vehicularist bible, but if you have to mix on the road it's quite useful).
My suggestion would be to find some friendly group rides to get started, and learn the unspoken rules of the road as well as the written ones. Every city has a slightly different set of assumptions. And also a nice way to meet people when you're in a new country. If you're from Texas, Edinburgh reserve is going to come as a shock, she says, stereotyping wildly
If you're looking to get a bike when you arrive, we'd probably all encourage you to check out the Bike Station, which sells reconditioned used bikes, but there is also this website http://edinburghcycleshops.wordpress.com/ which has links to all the shops.
Don't think you necessarily need a mountain bike with 18 gears to handle our hills, but do make sure you have mudguards for the rain!
Flicking through the entire Highway Code would definitely be worth it to spot any truly confounding differences (or to find the things which aren't obvious either through observation or conversation).
Rough Guides sometimes have summarised road-rule sections at the front highlighting glaring differences to the country of publication (like the NZ give way priorities).
We don't have four-way stops here and you can't turn left over a red light.
Cycle-specific exemptions to one-way streets are always clearly marked if present.
Some states in the US allow pavement (sidewalk) cycling in some areas - in the UK it's never allowed unless it's a shared use pavement or you're a child under 10 (and that only because they can't be prosecuted). Shared use pavements should have little blue roundel signs with a picture of a bike and a pedestrian, or a picture of a bike on the pavement itself. They will also start and stop abruptly and disappear just when you might need them most.
blue roundel signs = a blue circle
Its perhaps worth considering where you want to live Pristine, when you arrive, as some parts offer nicer cycling access to the network of paths/cycle paths in Edinburgh. Checkout the Innertube where you will be able to dowload the Innertube map. Then if you look at OSM maps for Edinburgh you should be able to cross check the paths and areas where you may like to look for accomodation close to the path network (assuming you'll be renting initially).
Second that. There are places you can live which will vastly enhance your travel experience. I have a 10.5 mile commute and I can do it on a route that has just one traffic light. Previously I rode half the distance and went through around 30 sets of lights...
My commute takes me on the 76 cycle route along the coast and then into the city centre and I only ride on two main roads, one in the centre and on in the town where I live! Edinburgh has lots of segregated cycle paths which offer pleasant countryside(esk) cycling right in the centre!
Rules of roundabouts (or rotaries, as an American colleague calls them) are worth reading up on. Correct me if I am wrong but they are less common in the US? I only mention them from my experience of driving with said American colleague who almost gave me a coronary on the first few until he was used to them!
As others have mentioned though there are a lot of cycle paths in Edinburgh and you can normally plan a commute which avoids the worst of the roads.
If you let us know where you think you will be living/working/studying (roughly) then I imagine people here will be able to plan you as nice a route to work as possible. If you are going to be here for anything to do with Edinburgh University I could probably cycle your route with you a few times if that helps.
"Rules of roundabouts (or rotaries, as an American colleague calls them) are worth reading up on."
Definitely, though depends on where you read up. I think the HC still has the line that you 'might feel safer going round the outside'. Personally, and others may feel free to disagree, I would say DO NOT DO THAT! Ride them as if you're a car - going round the outside any driver will assume that at the outside you're leaving at the next exit and you're liable to be driven over.
@WC - Rule 77
You may feel safer walking your cycle round on the pavement or verge. If you decide to ride round keeping to the left-hand lane you should
* be aware that drivers may not easily see you
* take extra care when cycling across exits. You may need to signal right to show you are not leaving the roundabout
* watch out for vehicles crossing your path to leave or join the roundabout.
I think the bad advice to ride round the outside was either in the previous version, or was in the current version whilst it was in draft. At least now it is more phrased as "if you must take this approach, be aware that it has risks!"
I'll second the Highway Code recommendation - available free online, and the Cyclecraft advice (although I wish it wasn't necessary). Cyclecraft (by Franklin) is very similar to Effective Cycling (by Forrester), as I understand it.
I've not explored it fully, but there is a Cycling Street Smarts that appears to have similar advice.
Oh, and come and join us (online or in person!) we tend not to bite, and some have found us to be useful and/or entertaining...
Robert
I like the following comment on the Street Smarts site
Don't ride through a puddle or a pile of leaves where you can't see the road surface.
Wish I'd read that one prior to meeting a water-filled crater at high speed on Sunday. Was riding 115psi. I swear I chipped a tooth.
I read the start of the highway code for cyclists and it starts with everyones favorite topic:
"You should wear: a cycle helmet which conforms to current regulations, is the correct size and securely fastened"
On first reading this gives the impression to me that you are legally required to wear a helmet. As far as I am aware this is most certainly not the case and you would in no way be breaking any laws if you chose not to wear one.
I note that further down that there are many things emphasised as 'you MUST do xyz....' I'm assuming these are the legal requirements while anything else is a recommendation - though for the helmet/hiviz at least I wouldn't read too far into it. I have some thoughts on this but to avoid derailing this thread I'll move to the other helmet thread.
'MUST' is a legal requirement, and the HC provision will give an abbreviation at the end for the specific piece of legislation (and separately if it's different between England & Wales and Scotland);
'SHOULD' is merely advisory.
@roibeard - I still don't like that advice in the HC. I think it's frankly dangerous and should have been deleted altogether.
The come and meet us is actually excellent advice, imho there is no faster way to learn how to cycle in a city than to follow a bunch of locals for a bit then sit down for a coffee / tea (we'll convince you!) / juice and have a chat about the differences/oddities.
Does this call for a "welcome to Edinburgh PY" incorporating a quick blat down to Princess street and back? :-)
PY and Princes Street ? Why the focus on the city centre, easily the least pleasurable cycling experience in the city. My advice to any keen cyclist moving to Edinburgh would be to find a job and house as far away from the city centre as possible !
Signed
Charterhall of Colinton
You are allowed to cycle on any road except motorways and certain other roads that are clearly marked "No cycling" - in the Edinburgh area the two obvious ones are the city bypass and the road out to Queensferry. There is no requirement upon you to use cycle lanes if they are unsuitable (and lots of them are).
city bypass and the road out to Queensferry
and the West Approach Road. Edinburgh's little urban Motorway to nowhere.
Oh yes, the Western Approach Road. I'd forgotten that one, sorry.
Although, it seems you can now cycle on the Eastern end, as the lights have advanced stop boxes.
"Why focus on the city centre" no reason, was just a local route which would show some of the problems with cycling in the city, could just as easily do a wee loop towards the Commonwealth and back via Morningside.
The general idea is the thing ;-)
Also, if you can manage cycling in the city centre you can manage cycling anywhere in the city...
"it seems you can now cycle on the Eastern end"
You always could - to from Canning Street and hotel.
This seem to have been clarified recently (and extended?) because of EICC extension.
The downside of living in the leafy lanes is that I'm never likely to feature in the 'Spotted' thread, not least because I never attend PY. Oh well, can 't have everything and I certainly don't miss the cross town commute I used to face.
Wow! Thank you so much everyone for the very thoughtful and helpful response! I'm the reader that posted on the blog.
Looks like I have plenty of information to get started with cycling in Edinburgh. I'll admit I don't do much cycling for commuting purposes in Texas (especially now that summer temperatures have hit over 40C), but I'm looking forward to being able to cycle in Edinburgh.
As for locations I will be cycling through, I will likely not be working while in Edinburgh although my partner will be. He was born and raised in Edinburgh though we've been living in Texas as of recent so he's much more familiar with the city than I am.
We are looking at a few different apartment options near the city center and also in Leith Links which seems to be more affordable, but again, as I'm less familiar with the city, I've let my partner take the lead with that.
Thank you so much everyone for your help and support! As of now I'm looking into cycling mostly just for commuting, but my partner is involved with triathlons. I am involved with indoor cycling here in Texas, but maybe with the cooler weather in Scotland I will be able to take that fitness cycling outdoors!
Any more advice/help is always welcome.
Thanks again!
Pristine
Well it reached 40 degress here too... oh you said centigrade ;o)
You know where we are, you'd be very welcome to join our monthly coffee mornings, I'm sure.
Just arrived in my Flickr mail!
"
I stumbled upon your Flickr-stream and you seem quite a cylce-enthusiast living in the Edinburgh area.
I myself am dutch and shall visit your city (for the first time in my life) in october this year. Because I love cycling I have a few questions:
- is Edinburgh a safe, pleasant city to use a bicycle?
- can you recommend a place where to hire cycles for a few days?
- how about hills, mountains do they require specific training?
- anything you can reccomend (specific for cyclists?) - I am not asking for the well-known/usual tourist-attractions
(I am from a very flat country as you probably know. I cycle daily to and from work, but apart from the wind never have difficulties).
L
Err.. Shall I start?
Is Edinburgh safe? Yes I'd say so.
Can I recomend anywhere to hire cycles? No sorry Laidback bikes??
Hills? We don't have mountains (perspective I suppose?) but with gears no street is impossible.
Any off track recomendations? I have a history book of South Edinburgh. Maybe we could organise a tour?
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