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resolvedI'm on a course in Larbert in a week's time. It finishes at 16:30. There's a perfectly good train from Larbert to Edinburgh however it's also a relatively direct route by canal or road. I'm considering riding home.
http://edinburgh.cyclestreets.net/journey/37811728/
Do you have any recent experience of cycling the towpath from Larbert to Edinburgh? Is it practical on a Brompton?
Is my idea of cycling home a good one, or should I just take the train (which will get me home two hours quicker)?
I see the appeal, but having had a bad experience cycling the Linlithgow to Polmont section, I'm not sure I would recommend it. Very hard on tires and bikes.
I would do it. Brompton fine but it can be a slog, I would also leave course a bit early and go to leckies which is thru the hole in the wall from Falkirk grahamston station.
Check out their cheap icebreaker merino tops. I like the canal tho. Heck you could even stop at the bridge inn Ratho if nice night and have a pint
I've been along the canal in very poor weather and the surface became grinding paste...
If it's (been) dry, it's not so bad, but I think someone will be along shortly to suggest sticking to an onroad route.
I used my hybrid with fairly narrow tyres, but I'd have been happy to use the Brompton with Kojaks, but then I'm inclined to abuse my bikes!
Robert
It's nice as a one off, but I wouldn't want to do it several evenings in a week. As others have said, the surface can be more CX than cyclepath in places, and I found the section near Bathgate hideously rough on a road tyred tourer. (and like Roibeard I am quite hard on bikes)
It's also a *very* indirect route, iirc the canal from Falkirk to Edinburgh is about 30 miles, it's nearer 20 by road..
So...
"very hard on tyres and bikes"
"can be a slog"
"surface became grinding paste [...] I'm inclined to abuse my bikes"
"Surface more CX that cyclepath"
That's pretty clear. I think I'll take the train home.
...or maybe go on the road.
Greenroofer, only way to know for sure if it is for you is to do it. if it was a lovely sunny night I would. But I would be on a sturdy spesh crossroads with Sturmey Archer 3 spd and Schwalbe marathon plus tyres,it is better than going the other way which has some ok bits but really ropey in big sections until you get to Kirkintilloch, although this summer would have been the time to do it. Heading east you should have the wind behind too.
So if sunny and wind behind, I would do it. It is still nicer than the road?
You could also consider heading east out of Larbert to Skinflats and picking up NCN route 76, then go NORTH to the Kincardine Bridge and head along the north shore of the Forth. This is a lovely, largely traffic free route although a bit rubbish at the Rosyth end.
The coast along the north Forth bank is ok but I'd recomend this route:
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/3200351
Its a nice traffic free route, even through Dunfermline. You can chose your own route home from the centre of Edinburgh.
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