There's an off road cyclepath from Barnton to the east craigs roundabout although it only starts at the first traffic island and isn't currently a legal cycle route. It would be very easy for them to change it's status and repair a couple of rooty ruts on it.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh
"five most terrifying junctions/blackspots in Edinburgh"
(103 posts)-
Posted 10 years ago #
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Is that the pavement? I rode along it a couple of weeks back and would classify it as inadaquate for an arterial route cycling facility. Doing something with the (unused) road space seems a very easy win for the Council.
Posted 10 years ago # -
No, coming from Barnton if you turn into the estate at the the bus stop then keep right you'll eventually pop out at the roundabout at the top of the hill. You can get to Craigs Road without too much bother too. The trouble comes if you try to get down to Glasgow Road as Hankchief has details in the East Craigs path thread.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Ah, can't say I've ever noticed that. Thanks.
Posted 10 years ago # -
The difficulty with the routes between Barnton (specifically, Route #1) and the Gyle is that they either involve illegal pavement cycling or busy and dangerous roads. The route along Cammo walk has access issues at both ends but leaves you on the wrong side of a dual carriageway at Craigs Road.
Difficulties peak at Maybury; the south side of Maybury junction may-or-not be shared use; you emerge from the gyle on a shared use path and the signage sort of peters out.
Posted 10 years ago # -
@acsimpson / @PS - you are better off, IMHO, either sticking to the pavement next to Maybury Road, or taking this route (see below), in preference to that path. As @acsimpson rightly says, it is not a shared use path and thus should not be cycled on (cough), but in fairness, it's crap to cycle on anyway, so I tend to avoid it. There's usually a lot of dog walkers on it too (like me), with dogs off the lead, which they are allowed to do since it's not a shared use path.
Although the route takes you along a dual carriageway, it has to be the quietest dual carriageway in Edinburgh. Yes, occasionally cars do hit 40mph on it, but I have never in all my years of living near it (12+ years) seen a car need to or try to overtake another moving car on it. So in other words, IMHO it's just as safe as any standard residential street - if not more safe, since you effectively can have an entire lane to yourself while the occasional overtaking car gets their own lane to breeze past you.
Posted 10 years ago # -
As cyclist (40yrs) & driver(35yrs) in Edinburgh do not really consider any junctions as scary.
IMO, cycle like you belong where you are on the road.
Always have a mental picture of where you are going and how you are going to do that.
As Coxy mentioned earlier in this thread, "staring the driver in the eye" is also one of my regular tactics.
Do not take any unjustified "sh*t" from other road users.
Show respect and thanks when appropriate and due to all road users.
Do not ever ride the gutter, leaves you no space for manoeuvres, and cuts the visibility angle at junctions.
Posted 10 years ago # -
"Always have a mental picture of where you are going and how you are going to do that."
Have you tried Lothian rd to George street recently?
Very difficult to follow your advice there.
Posted 10 years ago # -
@SRD, no, not recently George Street, Iam unclear if you are talking about the cycle lanes or the roads.
Posted 10 years ago # -
"Always have a mental picture of where you are going and how you are going to do that."
I know what you are saying, but it can be difficult when going through somewhere for the first time. Haymarket is a nightmare if you haven't read all the advice on here. I'm sure there are other places that I've not been to that are similar.
Posted 10 years ago # -
@Stickman, don't disagree, but that's where the other aspects of my approach come in, until you get to know the road/junction better. I fully realise it is difficult, but portraying confidence and respect on the road does work.
Posted 10 years ago # -
@559 - you're welcome to borrow my children to see if your approach is generally applicable. I won't even require a deposit!
My feel is that it is the only viable approach for UK roads currently, but I sincerely wish that it wasn't required, as it doesn't always work, and isn't achievable for everyone (those slower, less assertive, more sensitive).
My boys and I were riding along South Clerk Street like we belonged there on Friday night, and a driver travelling in the opposite direction felt the need to shout "F idiots" as he passed. Note that we weren't impeding his travel, he was simply expressing his opinion that we didn't belong there, even if we were confident and knew where we were going.
Aggression and intimidation soon dissuade many folk out of such a confident approach, either into the gutter, or off their bikes.
In my case, I object to bullying so much, that everywhere it happens, that will be a place for a primary position in future, even if there should be plenty of room to share were everyone behaving.
Robert
Posted 10 years ago # -
@Roibeard
My view is very much that the police should be asked to speak to anyone who shouts from a moving vehicle. They will undoubtedly be up to other, even crazier things. This does not happen in isolation.
Posted 10 years ago #
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