CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting

"Severe weather warning"

(7355 posts)

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  1. fimm
    Member

    Return cycle at 10pm last night was seriously unpleasant (I should have gone the alternative route via Haymarket instead of my usual back streets route).

    This morning: crunchy snow in side street, main road (Gorgie/Dalry) clear. Deeper snow in Livingston, and roads not as clear as I'd expected, but everyone was trundling along and drivers seemed to be happy to let my cycle in the inside tyre track and work their way round me (I was prepared to pull over if I felt people were having issues). I could have asked for more space from one or two, but at slow speeds it never feels so bad.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  2. Greenroofer
    Member

    Towpath untreated from Meggetland to beyond the bypass. Covered in crisp snow at 0730. I think in places there was ice underneath, particularly on the S-bend at the end of the long straight by Wester Hailes Education Centre.

    The bikes I passed didn't seem to be having any problems with the conditions, so it's probably passable on ordinary tyres.

    (Usual 'I've got ice tyres' caveat applies to this assessment)

    Posted 9 years ago #

  3. earthowned
    Member

    Despite the snow and ice the commute from Leith to George Sq was fine - only 1 minute longer than normal. Main roads fine, side streets a wee bit slippy but fine if approached with caution.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  4. wingpig
    Member

    Lots of untreated settled snow with crunchy ice beneath but also at least ten bike tyre tracks on the Holyrood Park Meadowbank-Pollock path.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  5. SRD
    Moderator

    MMW mostly clear and well-gritted. NMW being gritted as I came along.

    Disappointed to see that the man with the grit hopper was accompanied by a big van (to carry the spare grit). Even more disappointed that van had bloke sitting in it with engine running.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  6. wingpig
    Member

    SMW and Leamington Walk not even slightly gritted just before 09:00.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  7. wishicouldgofaster
    Member

    After having to give up cycling from Clermiston to Clerwood last night and pushing my bike instead I decided to give it a miss today. Journey in would not have been too bad but the choice of a very icy cyclepath or Queensferry Rd in the dark for going back home was the reason.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  8. chdot
    Admin

    "

    Musselburgh is braced for “an interesting few days” of weather which could disrupt preparation ahead of a major event on Sunday.

    "

    http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/edinburgh-weather-more-snow-forecast-1-3671662

    Posted 9 years ago #

  9. Tulyar
    Member

    Would actually be a good test to send mini street sweepers out for patrol after snowfall stops. Took pictures of my test piece this time - swept snow clear at 07.00 before it got compacted easy job. Looked out at 10.0 and sun was nicely drying out the footway surface. rest of footway slippery & uneven hard packed snow. No salt use at all. Cash strapped Councils tak tent

    Posted 9 years ago #

  10. duncans
    Member

    A test for 'fitness for purpose' of your main cycle routes is whether they are wide enough to get your mini tractor along them. Looking at the A8 path, for example.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  11. richardlmpearson
    Member

    Part of a fun ride this morning heading for Hopetoun Estate.

    http://youtu.be/1GIfAhFhA-w

    Great fun.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  12. Greenroofer
    Member

    If the temperature doesn't rise tonight, the towpath will be a treacherous sheet of ice tomorrow... On the way home this evening it had large patches of frozen thawing snow (if you see what I mean) and several big slushy puddles.

    Passable with studs. Possibly not otherwise.

    Meggetland Wynd was entertaining. This morning I coasted down past a car that was failing to get up it in the snow. This evening it was a shiny sparkly ice rink.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  13. wingpig
    Member

    Restalrig Path from Hawkhill to Restalrig Road is all sheety and crunchy.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  14. Arellcat
    Moderator

    This evening it was a shiny sparkly ice rink.

    Wasn't it just! I gave up while trying to cycle along the path behind the houses at Allan Park, and more or less walked my bike all the way to Colinton Road. The road was just pure ice and the footway not much better.

    I may return to spiky tyres tomorrow, even if it doesn't snow.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  15. jdanielp
    Member

    Hmm, I think I will be on the bus again tomorrow. Thanks for the towpath tips Greenroofer!

    Posted 9 years ago #

  16. Greenroofer
    Member

    Towpath and Meggetland Wynd covered in ice, as predicted.

    However a colleague who came in on a 'road bike' with skinnyish tyres (albeit with tread) said the towpath was actually fine for him. There's a light frosting of snow which gave him reasonable grip, apparently. He said that there still some frozen puddles you'd want to take care on, though.

    There's been some random salting of the towpath: a mini-tractor has been on a short stretch near Wester Hailes police station, and someone's been throwing salt by hand onto the path around the Bridge 8 hub.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  17. jdanielp
    Member

    After the bus that I was aiming for failed to arrive I ended up detouring along the initial part of the canal towpath at Fountainbridge this morning. It also had a light frosting of snow with hints of ice in places but seemed to be relatively grippy. I was fairly glad not to be cycling on it though, but I did see a few bikes.

    One of my colleagues did some guerilla gritting around the WHEC to S-bend area towards the end of last week, although it was too late in the week to see any real benefit before the melt. She is apparently pursuing the installation of a gritting bin in the vicinity so that path users could then apply grit themselves - to those ends, any photos of frozen sections of towpath would be useful to support her case if anyone has any?

    Posted 9 years ago #

  18. acsimpson
    Member

    I only passed two cyclists on the snow covered A90 path this morning. the one I passed on snow was proceeding very gingerly. The raised part of the path had at least one set of tracks from someone pushing their bike.

    Meanwhile I tested the winter marathons on icy puddles, harsh braking from 20+mph and sprinting up snowy inclines all with no sign of slipping.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  19. SRD
    Moderator

    Schools were closed in Iqaluit earlier this week because it was so cold. And they're used to cold.

    Today at -56C with windchill, a friend of mine reported seeing a guy cycling to work.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  20. steveo
    Member

    Schools were closed in Iqaluit earlier this week

    Wikipedia is a dangerous time sink. I had a quick look at Iqaluit, which mentioned its harbour was large enough to take a liberty class vessel, off to that, reading that brought up the texas city disaster where one blew up spectacularly, Leading to the list of largest non nuclear explosions where by I realised I really should do some work, so stumbled back here....

    Posted 9 years ago #

  21. jdanielp
    Member

    Did anyone see any sign of frost or ice this morning? On my way home last night I noticed that some of the roads in town had been very heavily gritted, which annoyed me given that I cleaned and fitted a new chain to my bike on Sunday. Whilst the temperature was lower last night than it had been in a while, there had been no warnings issued. I hope that the council wasn't gritting for the sake of using up their reserves so that they can justify budgeting for comparable amounts of grit for next winter.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  22. CycleCommute.CC
    Member

    It was frosty last night out in Livingston; roads and cars were all showing ice at about 10pm. By this morning it had all melted though and there was no ice anywhere on my route.

    I would much rather the gritters were out when there is any chance of ice though, even if it doesn't materialise.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  23. Darkerside
    Member

    My fault - I finally got round to ordering/fitting my rear spikes over the weekend.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  24. Its_Me_Knees
    Member

    I was stuck behind one of said gritters on Old Dalkeith Rd last night. The grit itself looked oddly fine/powdery and was drifting in the breeze...more salt than grit maybe? Didn't feel particularly cold at that time, tbh but I noticed this morning that the sky was largely clear and the condensation on the cars' windows was close to being that slippery ice mush thing so maybe the gritting was warranted after all...

    Posted 9 years ago #

  25. amir
    Member

    It was frosty in Dalkeith this morning, but I had a wee lie-in leaving 1 hour later at 8am and the temperature had risen to about 3 degrees.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  26. paddyirish
    Member

    I know I shouldn't say it, but I am considering removing my w*nter t*res.

    Will even having the thought unleash a cold snap of ice-age proportions?

    Posted 9 years ago #

  27. Nelly
    Member

    Hope not paddy, I took mine off on Sunday.

    Difference is amazing, Its like I have been training at altitude !

    Posted 9 years ago #

  28. Greenroofer
    Member

    @jdanielp - there was definitely frost on the towpath in a few places this morning. The approach ramp at Meggetland had a covering and I had a very slightly sketchy moment with the back wheel on the S-bend near the bypass where I took the corner faster than was wise in the circumstances.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  29. jdanielp
    Member

    Ah well, it sounds that gritting might well have been a sensible precaution, but more out of town than anything. I'll continue to be irritated, but perhaps not outraged.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  30. shuggiet
    Member

    @jdanielp There was actually some ice/frost on the path up to canal at Meggetland, and some suspiciously shiny path at the Wester Hailes chicane corner.. So maybe needs downgraded to mild irritation that the canal path wasn't gritted too..:-)

    Posted 9 years ago #

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