'Spikes for feet'. - I don't have spikes for the folder (think it's too narrow...must check), so after valley field, I stopped and put on my foot spikes, then alternately walked, pushed, and pedalled cautiously. Wouldn't work with cleats/spds I guess.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting
"Severe weather warning"
(7379 posts)-
Posted 9 years ago #
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Excellent point @kaputnik. The Council can't put obstacles on a path they refuse to grit or salt. The two are incompatible.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Racks are usually absolutely packed out each day. This was the scene around 9:40am; 3 bikes in total (red one is mine):
Posted 9 years ago # -
Forgot to mention that as I chained the bike up last night I heard a loud 'CRUMP' noise. Knew what it was immediately. Somebody had just skidded into my car in the street.
Two minutes prior to that I'd have been the meat in the car sandwich.
Nice chap - cyclist - very apologetic, but shows how dangerous cars are on ice.
Posted 9 years ago # -
-) there should be some sort of warning sign for a parked car as I supose even a parked car can be dangerous on ice as a hazzard a cyclist can skid in to.
Posted 9 years ago # -
I'm sure this has been linked before but it seems timely: Winter Road and Pavement Maintenance Map
Our (non-priority, although rat-runny) road was gritted at about 9.30am this morning which suggests that all the priority ones (including paths...) have been done.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Bit hairy goig down the two lanes at Kingsnowe as only thwe outer lane clear of slush. Was chatting to regular chap on my commute who often has an interesting bike.
Today he had motorbike tyres. No slipping but needed lot of pedalling. He could do the slush.
Posted 9 years ago # -
'Spikes for feet'.
I was hoping that my Yaktrax would be vaguely compatible with SPDs, since they're an angular figure-of-eight shape, but no. On their own, though, the traction from the Yaks is amazing.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Yaks are pretty good except for perfectly smooth frozen puddles. Spikes would be better for that.
Posted 9 years ago # -
As far as I could see there was no gritting at all on the NEPN this morning. Even by 11.20 it hadn't been treated.
It does make a mockery of the map showing this to be a priority route. East Team tweeted at one point that these priority routes are supposed to be gritted by 6.15am (seemingly the Innocent - another priority route - hadn't been done either).
Seems to me that if the cooncil are serious about active travel they need to be reliable with their gritting!Posted 9 years ago # -
I think the Roseburn path has been gritted just once this year, some time in November, when it wasn't that cold. I remember thinking that it was a good sign, but obviously not.
Posted 9 years ago # -
As far as I could see there was no gritting at all on the NEPN this morning.
Indeed, it certainly had no grit on it around 08:20 this morning. There was the remains of some near 5ways around 17:30 tonight though, and it was remarkably less skating-rink-like overall. Mind you, the temperature during the day had gone up to about 3°C, which would have helped.
Posted 9 years ago # -
"
But Councillor Lesley Hinds, transport and environment leader, insisted the Capital’s full gritting team has been working “around the clock” over the past three days to keep the city moving, with bus services unaffected.
She said seven mini-tractors had been salting busy pavements, pedestrian routes to hospitals, clinics, care homes and schools. Higher ground – such as Balerno and Currie – was also being treated first.
"
http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/edinburgh-weather-pavements-become-ice-rinks-1-3633496
Posted 9 years ago # -
Main road from Balerno into edinburgh definitely gritted. Only one lane at kingsknowe but one lane in each direction. Never really sure why the road is so wide there never seems that busy as the gillespies x-road takes bypass traffic etc. But then suppose two lanes may. Lead to reduction in the inside lane etc
Posted 9 years ago # -
"Higher ground – such as Balerno and Currie – was also being treated first"... well as they have an agreed plan of action which states that the higher priority routes (as in the purple pavements/cycle tracks) will be gritted first then surely that is what they should do rather than making it up as they go along? Many commuters (as well as folks going to school etc) use the NEPN and yesterday it was terrible to use for both pedestrians and cyclists.
At least stuff had been gritted this morning.
Posted 9 years ago # -
I need to head along the NEPN from Russell rd fairly early tomorrow. Okay to chance normal tyres? Or should I take the studded bike?
Posted 9 years ago # -
Posted 9 years ago #
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Yeah. When I'd checked earlier it was supposed to be colder overnight, so was planning on studded tyres. But then forecast seemed to gave been revised. So I thought it wad worth checking/consultation.
Posted 9 years ago # -
I'm having the same quandary. I'm considering risking it due to the lack of precipitation due over the next 24 hours.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Hmm, that said, there seems to be weather warnings from 3am to 11am tomorrow. Aargh, decisions decisions...
Posted 9 years ago # -
Of course if you've got new tyres, the spikes probably still need bedding-in before the frost returns.
Posted 9 years ago # -
I will be going thT way in reverse just after ten. Hoping the sunshine will be melting any ice. Bbc temp not including wind chill but not that wind either so will hold out on putting on the studs just yet
Posted 9 years ago # -
There was a gritter on the NEPN at approx 05:30 looked as though it had just started at the Roseburn end....don't know how far down it went..fairly academic though as the temperature was verging on tropical.
Posted 9 years ago # -
No hint of ice from Eskbank into KB via Gilmerton today.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Saw some patches of frost and maybe a little ice on the path from QMU to Newcraighall this morning. Still running in the new studlies so nice to have that little bit of confidence that the bike could handle any patches of ice/frost as 50% of the path is unlit.
Posted 9 years ago # -
The gritter on the NEPN must've headed down to Leith as the stretch from Blackhall to Davidsons Mains was pretty frosty this morning at around 7.30am.
Posted 9 years ago # -
MINI TRACTOR seen buckarooing down Leith Street at top speed (c. 10mph) on Saturday. Didn't look like a stable ride at speed, the lip on the bottom of the plow kept dunting off the road as it lurched back and forth.
The only NEPN gritting that was evident last week was an enormous pile of salt in the middle of "fiveways" junction. It's not to say it wasn't done, it's just the only visible evidence was the big white salty blob in the middle of the junction. Perhaps the theory was that cyclists would eventually drag the salt along the paths in each direction in their tyre tread?
Posted 9 years ago # -
I ignored the ice warning and decided to get back on the bike today after bussing it all last week. It definitely felt good to be cycling again... There were patches of frost and the odd bit of ice on the canal towpath, but nothing too serious, although there was one sustained section along the North-South bit by Wester Hailes (that was the only place that had been salted the week before last) where there was even a thin layer of ice on the canal. Taking it fairly easy worked out fine though.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Russell rd to craigleith was indeed fine - gritted and damp. I did notice lots of ice on the untreated building site below (the one with the embankment) so, perhaps gritting was worth it.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Hmm.
Posted 9 years ago #
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