I found a Sustrans booklet at the shop with some detailed maps of the coastal route through Charlestown and the acclaimed West Fife Cycleway.
Decided I should try cycling into Fife again to see if I can find a nice out and back route to Culross. Idea is for me and Mrs LB to deploy the Quetzal tandem on a few routes over there
I didn't get going till 1.30 and was back in Edinburgh for 6.30. On leaving Forth Road Bridge I was (not) surprised to see that the suggested pavement cycling under the M90 was as dodgy as ever. One direction sign was wrapped with a black bin liner. Anyway I just got onto the road as been out that way before. Skirted Rosyth and resisted temptation of going down to coast on the footpath used by the Tour de Forth. Really too narrow - Fuego would go but not a tandem.
Seemed to be some more missing signs in places but whole route picks up when you get to shore at Crombie Point and are heading closer to Culross through Valleyfield.
After a photo spree in lovely Culross I headed up Mid Causeway and Kirk Street to intersect the West Fife Cycleway. As noted on the family path cycling thread this is a lovely wide smooth surface - bit like the Roseburn path but with less people using it.
I reckoned that going back through Dunfermline with urban downhills would be morer attractive. Plus finding starts of paths in towns never seems easy. I did try and follow the Sustrans path but gave up when the pavement instructions seemed too complex for me. Roads were quiet so just made haste to Queen Margartet Station area. I can see on Cyclestreets taht there is a route running other side of East End Park but somehow I missed.
Then it was onto the cycle high way of NCN1.. Some broad pavement here with decent surface. Let down by tortous intersections where cars are at right angles. I ended up doing more than half on the road but can see why some cyclists would prefer the path at lower speeds. Had one final mistake where a lovely double way path came onto a road and I though the cyclway continued on a track opposite. well it looked like a Sustrans path as they are all types of surfaces, pavement etc.
My final view was that it took as long to get from Dunfermline to Forth Bridge as from Dunfermline to Culross. The latter bit of cycling on West Fife is recommended. Met a group of eight cyclists - chatted to them and found it was their first time on this path.They had taken a few cars to Dunfermline from Kirkcaldy to use the path. Being a Sunday train services are rationed so that wasn't an option. Anyway they'll be back and maybe cycle even further. I recommended going off the path down to Culross as a good way of getting mix of path and rural roads. Crossing Dunfermline is not really recommended for newbies. I'm sure if I did it a few times I'd find where I went wrong....
West Fife Cycleway NCN 764 by LaidBackBikes, on Flickr
View towards New Mills / Valleyfield NCN76 by LaidBackBikes, on Flickr
Culross Mid-Causeway by LaidBackBikes, on Flickr
West Fife Cycleway NCN 764 by 
NCN 1 near Dunfermline by LaidBackBikes, on Flickr
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