I faffed around this morning before taking the 27.5+ MTB again. The towpath was rather frostier and icier than it was yesterday morning and the canal was icy in places, so not good for kingfishers, but the conditions were rather better than they would have been had I not faffed. The 3 inch tyres gave me the confidence I wouldn't have had on my usual commuter bike in any case, but they require a bit more effort. Workies were cutting back vegetation by the towpath west of Slateford Aqueduct and were making no effort to clear the path as they went so that was an interesting experience... Luckily nothing embedded itself in my tyres, at least that I've become aware of...
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting
"Severe weather warning"
(7355 posts)-
Posted 5 years ago #
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Last night I decided to mix things up and cycled home via the Donkey Path between Heriot-Watt and Currie, along the edge of the field to the back of Juniper Green, and then down onto the Water of Leith until I joined the canal. It was a lot of fun, but was far muddier than I had expected; I really need to look at fitting a better mudguard than an Ass Saver so that my rucksack and jacket don't get so dirty. I should also think about upgrading my front light and/or mounting my headtorch onto my current helmet if this becomes a more regular thing because the Water of Leith path was dark!
Posted 5 years ago # -
Love a muddy, dark spin along the upper WoL path, but the mud is particularly clarty.
Posted 5 years ago # -
@unhurt indeed. Whilst a lot of mud dried up and just fell off, I fear that the lower rear part of my winter jacket is now ingrained... The rucksack that I was wearing is very old so I don't really care about it.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Soak in a bucket of warm soapy water?
(You or clothes as required.)
Weather whinge: working from home waiting on locksmith and the place is freeeeeeeezing. Reluctant to heat whole flat when only sat in one room, equally reluctant to go round turning down radiators as it's a faff. Time to invest in a second hot water bottle I think (current one is in desk drawer at office as our room gets wild chilly after 5pm).
Posted 5 years ago # -
"...equally reluctant to go round turning down radiators as it's a faff..."
https://www.screwfix.com/c/heating-plumbing/smart-trvs/cat831024
Posted 5 years ago # -
took the overly complicated 29er today - gingerly passed yesterday's off. Mostly uneventful until close pass at the end.
Posted 5 years ago # -
@wingpig that looks like a cunning but expensive solution to my laziness...
Posted 5 years ago # -
@unhurt, my house is cold too. One of my radiators has completely silted up, I think, which isn't helping, but I'm too impecunious to put the heating on any more than I absolutely have to.
TRVs are a good solution, if you have a system that will always run the pump during set periods, rather than relying on a thermostat as mine does (it says yea or nay to the call for heat during the time zoning). Problem is, they put the thermostat in the living room, which of course is where the woodburner also is. So if I put some logs on, the rest of my house gets no heating unless I crank the dial to about 23 degrees, and since my living room radiator has no TRV (nor any of the others, except the bathroom) the room gets much too warm and is a waste of energy.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Long term I'd like to get a better boiler with thermostat control. One in my last rental was great, could set different programmes for weekends & holidays etc. And happily the patio doors mean my living room is the coldest part of the flat so sticking the thermostat on there makes perfect sense.
If I suddenly came into riches I'd put in underfloor heating and an air source heat pump (only maybe I wouldn't because apparently it doesn't make sense if you currently have gas heated hot water, and also I don't have a hot water tank - or space for one!)
Posted 5 years ago # -
I fancy an ASHP too, especially as I don't have gas, but I also don't have the physical headroom to greatly insulate my floor for underfloor heating. I think big radiators can work successfully, as an ASHP outputs to about 21-23 degrees so benefits from a large heating surface area. Were they cheaper I'd jump at the chance I think.
Times like this I'm actually warmer cycling outside than sitting inside.
Edit: Sometimes you just have to set a few logs alight.
Posted 5 years ago # -
I believe you can also use them to produce warm air. Which I find weird, but a lot of American homes seem to do fine heating by central air... You'd need space for the ducts and vents though, I guess!
Suspect it would probably be more efficient to install triple glazing / super well insulated patio doors here though.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Broke Gembo's first rule of ice in Wester hailes today on discovering I was at the wrong school I attempted to go to the right school using paths. These were very slippy I did not go down Ray, I never went down Ray but would have looked comical in my twisted ness to any onlooker
Posted 5 years ago # -
@jdanielp: In relation to your comments on MetOffice App:
Despite the wind warnings for today I found it less windy and gusty than Friday a week ago which (as far as I can remember) didn't have any warnings. Perhaps their warnings a bit of a hit and miss?
I find the MetOffce to be the most pessimistic among the the services I check (MetOffice, AccuWeather, yr.no). Funnily enough MetOffice turned out to be the most accurate during our trip to Mallorca in October. We did walking, canyoning and sleeping out, so cared a fair bit about the weather.
yr.no was (maybe still is) the most popular weather service used among the Sydney Uni Bushwalkers and indeed it provided a very accurate forecast for the Blue Mountains. When planning a trip you would often hear "The Norwegians say..."
Posted 5 years ago # -
Met Office app this morning had stronger winds (but no warning) forecast for tomorrow. Who knows what algorithmical oddness lies behind this? (Or is it still a human who makes the decision?)
Posted 5 years ago # -
Very frosty on the canal towpath this morning but not much ice. I didn't detect any rear wheel slippage, although I did dismount to cross most of the Slateford Aqueduct and detected slippage under my new-ish mountain-biking shoes.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Cracked yesterday and wore biblongs under my shorts. Handing victory in my who cracks first to the history teacher heading to Currie high Whom I pass most mornings. He must hav been freezing.
He once arranged for 3Z to give me the V signs as I was the French and they were the English Bowmen at the battle of Agincourt
Posted 5 years ago # -
I think yesterday was the first this year to see a frost on the ground both sides of the commute.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Lot of salt being spread tonight. Temp not supposed to be below zero. We shall see. Take care out there, tonight and tomorrow
Posted 5 years ago # -
It's feeling colder tonight than it was yesterday. Seems relatively dry though so the grit seems like overkill.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Took the big bike today, was definitely over kill. CBA to dig the CDF out from behind the mtb so just went with it.
Posted 5 years ago # -
While out running in Amsterdam this morning it was VERY cold. Some of the pavements were a little slippy underfoot.
While negotiating the corner of a bridge which was slightly off-camber I heard a smash behind me and turned to see a scooter sliding towards me on the pavement (it stopped short thankfully). The guy had tried to cut past bikes waiting at the junction across the pavement and completely wiped out. I checked to see if he was ok, and he was, and seemed more concerned about his phone.
Scooters can use the cycle lanes, but apparently want to use the pavements instead!
Posted 5 years ago # -
OK, OK, I've fitted the spiky tyres this evening. And...it's probably jacket weather. There. I've said it.
Posted 5 years ago # -
I'm blaming you if I get snowed on tomorrow. Inverness is already quite chilly...
Posted 5 years ago # -
First cold morning since I got back from hols. Not too icy but I'm bussing it to save my lungs. Tomorrow's ride is also postponed in favour of Christmas shopping. Traffic seems light today
Posted 5 years ago # -
I can see some untreated surfaces looking frosty
Posted 5 years ago # -
Posted 5 years ago #
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Fife commuters watch out at the bottom of Brae Park Road
where the road turns right at the start of the pony field (westbound). Bloke is washing his car, could be nicely icy by this evening & tomorrow morning.Posted 5 years ago # -
Posted 5 years ago #
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