CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 15years old!
Well done to ALL posters
It soon became useful and entertaining. There are regular posters, people who add useful info occasionally and plenty more who drop by to watch. That's fine. If you want to add news/comments it's easy to register and become a member.
RULES No personal insults. No swearing.
I'm aware that there are quite a few people on here who come over the bridge one or more days a week - cycling and/or driving to Ingliston PnR.
I'm sure there are people thinking about it who may or may not be lurking here.
Would be useful to have an insight into why people 'took the plunge' and what they did to convince themselves they could!
Also any advice on 'when not to bother' (weather conditions etc.)
Well, that's an interesting one... having done a lot of utility cycling and touring in my younger days but given up on most road cycling due to the traffic levels down south, I moved to Edinburgh 21 years ago and took up mountain biking. 10 years later, I moved to Fife, but as it was more hassle to get to good MTB trails, I started to think about road cycling as a cheaper and more enjoyable alternative to the gym. As my employer at the time had signed up for Cyclescheme, I took the opportunity to acquire a more road-specific machine, thinking I'd use it for general fitness and perhaps riding to my local station, without (ahem) imagining I'd actually ride it all the way to work. 16 miles commuting each way sounds ludicrously far to the uninitiated. But then one fine summer week, I thought "why not?" We had showers in the office, and I knew I could ride a largely traffic-free route, so one Friday I took the plunge. I immediately enjoyed it, and decided to make the round trip once a week, if the weather was fine.
So... as I got fitter, I enjoyed more weekend road rides, and even started signing up for sportives... and to get fit for those, I thought what better way to build training into my routine than to ride *more* than once a week, when possible. And so a virtuous circle began.
About a year and a half ago, the fateful day came when I met DaveC during a commute home with a mutual friend; he put me on to a local Dalgety Bay cyclists' group, so providing another source of buddies for commutes and longer weekend rides. Independently, I'd signed up for a trip to the Pyrenees with some other roadie friends, so needed to cycle to work yet more and via the hilliest possible route (Dalmeny Estate), to build up additional fitness. That meant I sometimes needed to cycle in less-than-ideal weather conditions and in the dark. Much to my surprise, I even enjoyed riding in the dark once I'd borrowed a suitable lighting rig, and so began the year-round 2-3 times-a-week round trip, which continues to this day. I recently completed my first 300km Audax. I'm now (at 51) two stones lighter than I was when I was 40, and considerably faster up hills!
For me, there are several features of my journey that provide extra incentive over and above the obvious fitness benefit:
- Most of the route is either traffic free or on quiet roads;
- The route is relatively flat (unless I choose not to make it so);
- The views are fabulous, and wildlife spottings are regular;
- On non-cycling days I can take a bus using a multi-journey ticket which comes in at half the cost of a one-off train ticket;
- I have reasonably secure bike parking at the office, and not much competition for the shower.
I think new long-distance commuters might struggle initially with the unfamiliarity of the route, combined with the necessary faffing and perhaps unsuitable equipment. As you get to know the route and its 'quirks', and establish a routine, and acquire the right gear, it becomes a lot easier. Getting over those initial hurdles is key.
In terms of when not to bother: generally I like to arrive dry, as I don't have facilities to dry gear at work. So if it's raining in the morning, I generally don't bother. Rain on the way home is less of an issue. Other than that, I just make sure I don't tire myself out too much - 2-3 times a week is fine, and though I know others do more (you know who you are) I don't want to risk it becoming a chore.
VERY helpful!
(Hope others don't feel the need to write so much - though you can if you want to!)
when not to bother
when there's four wind barbs on yr.no local forecast
http://www.yr.no/informasjon/1.933928
generally too hairy on the bridge
bridge often shut at three and a half barbs
If you do get caught out and find the bridge shut it's worth knowing that FETA (The Forth Estuary Transport Authority, not the cheese) usually run a shuttle service with one of their service vehicles.
I'd echo panyagua's thoughts about avoiding a morning rainstorm. Although if it's just a drizzly shower and you have some basic waterproofs then generally you wont get too wet on a one hour ride.
for general fitness and perhaps riding to my local station, without (ahem) imagining I'd actually ride it all the way to work. 16 miles commuting each way sounds ludicrously far to the uninitiated. But then one fine summer week, I thought "why not?"
Exactly how it started for me. Initially I figured I would just cycle to the station, take the train into Edinburgh, and cycle to work from the station there. I even had a meticulously laid out plan to cut down one by one station every two weeks to gradually increase the bike part, had looked up the distance of each leg of the journey and everything ...
However, on the first day I thought hey, let's just see how far we get and take the train from there ... Ever since I've been doing the whole 35 mile round trip by bike, every day. Granted, my legs were screaming at me for the first few weeks. But they've shut up now. :D
Loving it. The commute is the best part of my day.
FETA usually run a shuttle service with one of their service vehicles
Interesting. Where can I check where/when that service leaves (on either side of the bridge)? Have had a look at their website but couldn't find anything.
@ userfriendly
If you look at the sign attached to the gate which closes over the cycle/ped paths, there's a phone number to call the bridge control room. They will then send a van to you, though you might have to wait till there are more people needing across, depending on the number of seats in the van they send. I've used it once (just a few weeks back) and was fortunate to get picked up on my own.
Brilliant, cheers. Never bothered to get close enough to the sign to notice the phone number, instead simply back-pedalled a bit and took the train across the railway bridge. Which of course is £2.50 or something like that. :-/ For a one minute journey between two stations. Meh.
Not sure if I picked this up correctly but did someone say the new bridge does not have a cycle lane?
When the current Forth Bridge closes, where do cyclists go? Do we end up been shuttled in a van over the new bridge?
I'm sure I read somewhere that the corrosion of the 'old' bridge has been greatly slowed, but presumably its lifespan is now deemed to be limited.
The reports of FRB demise have been greatly exaggerated.
Should be fine for another 30 years anyway
Supposedly, the current road bridge will be kept open for pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport. So basically we'll get rid of the cars and lorries on it and nothing else will change.
I like the starting point of one fine summer week. Also of starting on a Friday etc. my commute was 22 miles at max but rarely became a chore )not from fife Balerno to leith) now in to Waverley maybe 18 miles round trip which had become a bit of a sprint in my head. Well a sprint where most people overtook me.
The thing to do is start on a nice day. Increase on a nice day etc. treat yourself to some kit as a reward etc.
Smaller example, today I alighted at Kirknewton even tho my ticket would take me back to currie hill as I fancied five miles with some wind behind (only really on the straight bit from Kirknewton turn as then went on the back road as bit of the a70 is a
Slog, deceptive uphill and doldrums plus many cars zooming.)
Interesting that some might see us meticulously planning route etc and there are stories here of people going feck it I am going for it.
Not this winter but the winter before I did that many evenings, i took bike out of underground car park intending to cycle round to Waverley for the train and instead of taking the right turn, 50 yards from the work building I just went feck it I am cycling the nine miles any day over the train....this year I have been too poorly but I am thinking tomorrow is the day.
It only has benefits really. Sure, the journey takes longer - but at least it's enjoyable. Not cheaper, mind - I find what I've been saving in train fares I've been spending on more food. >.<
Yes good to have enough energy if you have long way to go. When I look back I used to drink lots of water on my puny 11 miles up from leith. Don't bother with that now.
How great to be under your own steam and in control of your own destiny, even if it is just a brief illusion twixt work and home.
What I save on train fares goes mainly on (bike-related) stuff, which can be another incentive to cycle. Don't think I spend much more on food than before - extra pasta and potatoes maybe, and I can indulge my Malteser weakness, but that's about it.
I started doing the run from Fife to Edinburgh about 10 years ago when I first moved here and it definitely became a bit of a chore but there were a couple things I was doing wrong. First, I tended to see it as a race, or at least something to be done faster so I was knackering myself. Second, I didn't know about the paths, although I have no idea what they would have been like 10 years ago. Anyway, I was coming in on the road from the Cramond Brig, which is just soul destroying in a constant death threat anxiety and pressure to go faster kind of a way. Third, I was cycling on my own. From memory there were fewer people 10 years ago and it just seemed. Fourth, I stopped for the winter in the first year and found it really difficult to get started again. After a couple of near misses at Barnton in my second or third winter I stopped (still unaware of the paths) and didn't really get started again for a couple of years.
When I did get started again, I started by driving to the Ingliston Park and Ride and cycling from there to Queen Street. All fine. The Greenways are great. No real problems with traffic, apart from the driving part of the traffic getting back to Fife in the rush hour. Switched to parking in Barnton and picking up the paths at Barnton Avenue West. Much better.
Not long after I started driving the P&R, I started cycling with Neil, which makes the whole business more relaxed and pleasant. More chat, a little bit of Strava segment chasing, some chasing people down when we feel like a blast but mainly just relaxed riding and enough of a commitment to make you ride on the days when you might otherwise bail out. We started stretching the ride out to 13 miles in the morning before it became silly - that's nearly the same as cycling from home so we ditched the car and started riding in all the way. We ride in all weathers, which is fine if you have somewhere to dry stuff at work.
Fife is a great place to cycle from because you can cycle into Edinburgh and have the option of the train back. I sometimes look back at my most recent start (2 August 2011) and laugh at my optimism on my first run from the park and ride. On Blipfoto I wrote: "Sixteen miles in and back. Two or three weeks and it'll be the whole 30 mile round trip - you can hold me to that." I'm still not doing the 30 mile round trip. All the way in, train back to Inverkeithing. 20 miles. Maybe this summer.
My top 7 bits of advice:
1. Relax, it's not a race. Unless you feel like it, when it is a race.
2. It will get easier. Expect the first few weeks to be tough and then it will start getting better
3. If you haven't bought a bike, get a tourer, a cross bike or a hybrid. Something capable of dealing with rough paths.
4. Rack, panniers, mudguards and marathon tyres are not essential but they make things better. If you're buying on the cycle to work scheme, you should spend less on the bike and get these instead (or add a hundred quid or so to your scheme amount)
5. Clothes that keep you warm and dry quickly are more important than waterproofs
6. You don't need a shower - a flannel, baby wipes are fine. At least no one's had the courage to tell me I stink (and I don't even bother with the flannel or baby wipes).
7. I can do it. My 10 year old can do it.
I moved to Inverkeithing from Edinburgh almost two years ago. For the first year I got the train and kept a bike at Waverley to cycle to and from work.
Last summer I decided to try the full cycle (16 miles each way) partly to improve my fitness but also to see if I could save on the cost of the season ticket. A combination of occasionally dodgy knees, the weather getting worse as winter approached and my inherent geekiness made me invest in a electric assist bike last October. I absolutely love it and the only days I have not cycled have been when the bridge has been closed in the morning (I also discovered the emergency lift service over the bridge but would only use it if I was caught out as the leccy bike doesn't appreciate being rattled round on the back of an open truck).
I am planning to use my normal hybrid bike a bit more over the summer if my knees don't play up but the electric bike made winter cycling possible for me on that route. It makes cycling in horrid conditions much easier and has the added advantage that I normally don't need a shower when I get into work.
I don't think that overall it has saved me any money this year as I have had to invest in quite a lot of additional kit (especially winter clothing) as well as the cost of the bike. Longer term it should work out cheaper than the train if I resist buying yet more "stuff".
I'm a utility cyclist, it is a means of getting me from A to B in an enjoyable manner and helps me maintain a reasonable level of fitness. I also cycle casually for enjoyment and with my family. I'm not really interested in competitive cycling though you never know what might happen in the future if I get fitter :)
SSR
"The thing to do is start on a nice day. Increase on a nice day etc. treat yourself to some kit as a reward etc."
That makes sense, but it was basically the exact opposite in my case. I started commuting last September, just as the weather started turning and the nights drawing in. And I've been commuting every since.
In September, I was doing the Scottish National Trail from Kirk Yetholm to Cape Wrath, and part of the route goes along the canals from Edinburgh to Milngavie, so I opted to do this bit by bike. I did it on a particularly dreich day, which meant I virtually had the entire route to myself. It was bliss! I loved the entire experience!
I enjoyed it so much, I decided I must cycle more, but with living in Midlothian and working in Gorgie, commuting didn't appeal to me as the route in/out would entail some very busy roads and that was too scary. Until, that is, I realised that I could follow quiet roads to Castlelaw Hill Fort, head over the Pentlands and then down onto the water of Leith straight to my work. The rest, as they say, is history.
In this past week, however, I have taken the bold step (by my standards) of commuting by road, due mainly to the purchase of a new touring bike. This, coupled with a marked improvement in the weather is another wonderful new experience for me, although I'm still a bit shaky on the roads... My old mtb has not been retired... it's just taking a wee break!
So that's 7 Fife commuters (so far) on this thread.
Any idea how many there are 'on a good day'?
I suppose someone could organise a count on the FRB one morning and evening. All it would need would be two people from, say, 6am to 8am in the morning and 4pm to 6pm in the evening. One counting northbound and one southbound. Plus someone to count helmets, hi viz. Someone to count the different types of bikes. Someone to assign people to stereotypes. Err, that should do it.
"I suppose someone could organise a count on the FRB one morning and evening"
Or ask TS/FRB if they can let you have some CCTV footage?
Jesus. How boring would it be to watch hours of cctv? I'd rather stand with coffee and donuts and a clipboard criticising everyone who passes by. Saddle to high. Too low. Bleh - look at the bar tape. Race face. etc etc.
Not that I'm volunteering. But if I were, that's how I'd amuse myself.
I'm sure the footage could be speeded up(?)
You're offering me a coffee and donut break at the bridge? :D Sounds ace ...
@panyagua - I'm eating *a lot* more than before I started cycling. And yet it's not enough, I'm still losing weight. Not really what I intended, but I don't want to cycle less either. So I need to eat more. It's okay, I like eating.
Do they not keep stats on cyclist numbers crossing yhe bridge, they do for cars after all? Hmm tweet to @ForthBridge in the morning.
I'll also post a story here in the evening.
As I ride in the opposite direction to the majority of other Fife commuters (Am I still a Fife commuter then?) I often amuse myself by counting bikes I pass. I rarely pass more than 2 or 3 between Dunfermline and Ferrytoll but then things pick up. A normal sort of day will see around 20 riders between there and Whitehouse Road. The most I've seen is 41 which was the day a few weeks ago when one northbound lane was shut.
Of course this isn't a reliable method as:
1) My commute time varies
2) I can obviously only take one route on a given day so other than on the bridge I'll miss some folk.
3) I rarely ride on a Monday due to evening commitments.
4) Sometime I entertain myself in other ways than counting.
5) I don't know who will stop before the bridge.
I could probably pick about 15 faces that I regularly see going the the other way although I've maybe only seen 5 of them on the bridge due to timing.
Incidentally another option for closed bridge is hitching a lift. It worked for me when I didn't know about the shuttle.
I've been at it since 2004
The numbers are definitely increasing
With ongoing path improvements, perhaps exponential
Particularly notice more now staying on after autumn and seeing through the winter season
Which is great
I'm the other half of the Instography and TractorFactory daily commute from Fife.
My initial reason was a monetary one. My wife was wanting to set up a business so we had to find savings and I was quite contrained in that I was a 9 to 5 Edinburgh working person. The only way I thought to contribute to the cause was to start cycling into work instead of paying the (at the time) £25 a week bus ticket.
A second reason was the challenge of being able to do it. It seemed ludicrous before I started that you could feasibly commute under my own steam all that way but others in my work had started doing it and I consider myself not too unfit to not give that sort of thing a try.
I'm not sure I can add any tips to what's already been stated above, but I'd defintely echo the quick drying clothes over waterproof clothes. I have a waterproof jacket for the rain but always wear light shorts on the premise that once they get wet, they're not getting any wetter and they dry out in the hours between logging in and logging out.
Adding a reverb to the its not a race / faster, faster scenario ..
While the body adapts to the new discipline of a thirty mile commute (lets say two weeks if you're already fit, or perhaps four weeks if not)
There's a tendency to look at all this newly added 'commuting time' as a major block of dead time that wasn't there before
There's a mental adjustment to be made, turning this dead time into real living time, its your added value leisure time
After that its a breeze
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