CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 15years old!
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Unremarkable bike-train-bike commute to Livingston. Trains running, main roads all clear, car parks a bit slushy. I don't think spiked tyres would have given me anything? Slightly concerned about tomorrow if the slushy stuff freezes.
Pavements in Edinburgh looked icy. I'd be more cautious walking!
Towpath covered in a thin layer of snow, but it's soft and seemed quite grippy at 0730. I'd guess it's passable with care on any bike. Only dicey bits are out by Wester Hailes Education Centre, where the puddles and slush have frozen into rutted sheet ice. I now see what Peter White means when he says that the Schwalbe Winters can't climb out of ruts in the ice with their two rows of studs: they can't. I had to go the same way as the bike that had made the ruts and it wasn't a great experience. I don't remember this being a problem with the Marathon Winters and their four rows of studs.
The towpath between Hailes Quarry Park and the bridge to Walkers Wynd had been ploughed by a mini-tractor. The top centimetre of snow had been pushed to the side and a derisory and insufficient amount of salt had been spread on the path. I don't know the rationale for just doing that bit...
icy on pavements and side roads in South Side this morning at 8ish - spikes on for me, saw one impressively recovered slide near KB
Restalrig path, Crawford bridge and George St all icy. Some skidmarks on the slope up to Hawkhill Ave, though they looked a bit more like someone trying to skid than someone finding theirself doing so unexpectedly.
First time out for a couple of years with spiky mountain bike. Lots of traffic at the start around Eskbank made it rather cold (standing around). The best bit was on the cycle path alongside Gilmerton Road, which was the only place I needed the studs. Embarrassingly I only found that my front derailleur was stuck in the big chainring at the top of the hill - that's what sitting on a shelf does to a bike.
Abandoned bike at home and got the local train services into Queen St and then on northbound. Tedious. Slow. Expensive. But better than having to leave the MetaBike on a platform.
Why don't rail replacement buses take bikes*?
*I understand why. But I'm still going to sulk about it.
Hillside / Montogomery Street area had black ice on corners of roads. St. Marks Path frozen with snow, frost and ice. NEPN proper was completely free of anything frozen, much more so than the backstreets between Roseburn and Corstorphine, where spiky tyres were requisite. Corstorphine railway path frosty-icy-snowy, as were all the backstreets between it and the Gyle.
Slow going on the 3-speed into the headwind but progress was steady and felt solid underwheel. I'd go as far to say it was good fun having the paths to myself. Goes to show what a little bit of pre-emptive salting can achieve.
Bike/trained in and there were some ungritted hairpin paths I walked the bike with micro-paddy but otherwise it was fine to Inverkeithing.
However the bridge over the railway at South Gyle was treacherous as it often is and I was thankful for my winter spikes.
As usual with them, trouble only happens when I put my feet down...
My first ride on studs this morning.
South Queensferry down B800 to Kirkliston (Snow ice covered shared path), then around the ice/ snow path through the new houses to the east to avoid the temp lights and onto the Kirky to Newbridge path (Ice and snow covered). Then along the A8 paths to gogar (same). Got bored on the road between gogar and Corstorphine, so turned onto the Pinkhill Railway for some more snow/ ice fun before continuing on up to Fountainbridge.
Best commute this year. Very enjoyable.
Hmm, maybe I should have cycled home last night rather than grabbing a lift and then a bus this morning, but I am fairly glad to have avoided the rutted sheet ice on the towpath as Greenroofer observed. It looks like there may be some melting going on just now, although I'm not all that confident about the extent to which conditions are likely to improve by the early evening - I may just lift/bus it again and hope that the rain overnight and tomorrow afternoon will clear things up again properly.
Rode in on studs this morning although my amigo without studs was fine until Cramond Brig hill, where it seemed prudent to take the road. On the whole journey from Fife to city centre, worst bit was George Street where the paths were untreated (but the road was clear) so I complained at the Council.
I'm beginning to think that it might not be all that bad cycling back tonight if I avoid the Wester Hailes area where Greenroofer saw the rutted ice, but any updates on the condition of the towpath would be much appreciated.
Continuing to live dangerously, while lacking the motivation to get the studs onto the other bike, yea that other bike with sufficient clearance that i'd just rather not be using on a long commute
No sir, i cannot face it, can of strongbow i'm a mess, this brutal season has me undone
My motivation is that the indoor trainer is the alternative!
Yup, I found the rutted ice this morning at Wester Hailes, but fortunately it was the only really dubious part of the route. Inevitably there were several occasions of brief tramlining in the ruts, but the Marathon Winters allow quick recovery of the steering.
It was nearly all turned to slush on the return around 5.30pm.
Noticed on way out tonight that the path up from Cramond Brig, right along the path to the Dalmeny turn, has been treated. Slightly surprising.
Indeed. The only real issue I experienced on my way back along the towpath was the gusts of wind, which were picking up yet again. I managed to completely avoid the rutted/slushy ice section as I'd planned.
Back on the commuter tomorrow, judging by the temperature. That said, windy as heck, and looking like getting a total soaking on the way home while heading into a 24mph headwind. Hmm.
It is quite windy, and the wind seems to be coming from an unusual direction (I usually get a stinker of a headwind from the station to the office and this morning I didn't. Not that I'm complaining...)
That was windy... Easily an entry in the top 5 windiest commuting days for me, quite probably even number 1! It is seldom that the wind actually whips up water from the crests of the waves that it is inducing on the canal, a feat that it was managing very readily this morning, in particular at the East end of the Slateford Aqueduct. I got off the bike for the aqueduct for the second time in a long time (the 'first' time being last night), but was impressed when Lilac Helmet Lady 'rode' past me along it.
@jdanielp. Agreed. It's funny how last week, when there was the weather warning, people in the office said 'you didn't ride to work in that, did you?' whereas this week when the wind at commute times has been far worse, they haven't batted an eyelid. I think that perhaps Monday was worse than today, though: that was the day I got blown half way across Gogar Station Road.
I'll cycle commute through rain hail sleet ice snow
but high winds gusting over 60mph is a showstopper
you can't control the environment, and it is out to get you
"wind seems to be coming from an unusual direction"
yeah, really bad at our flat and along our road walking in today. definitely not the usual angle.
My office is being buffeted!
I bailed as Scotrail are (again) stopping trains 15km short of my usual stop and the only road alternative is a busy 60mph single-carriageway road with no cycle infrastructure at all.
Bearable in most weather, but distinctly dodgy in very strong wind!
Left office in civilian clothing, trousers of cotton and pair of normal pedestrian type boots as was intending to catch train. Came out the underground car park, didn't seem too bad heading up to high street. So just went for it. Was oK, but better if I had put on my cycling gear. Still better than a train full of germs. Gusts mild compared to this morning. Balerno to drylaw in 30 mins without pedalling.
The odd patches of ice and slushy puddles this morning didn't seem too bad (although I felt a distinct wobble as I cycled over an unassuming looking area of what was probably black ice that followed the worst of the slushy puddles in Wester Hailes), but given the low temperature and the snowfall I'm thinking twice about cycling home...
There seem to be weather warnings nearly every day at the moment. Not seen any snow yet today.
Very light snow flurry at the moment at the gyle. Presumably heading East. So light its barely falling to the ground just blowing around in the wind.
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