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New Commute

(34 posts)
  • Started 10 years ago by kaputnik
  • Latest reply from kaputnik
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12

  1. kaputnik
    Moderator

    So I have just moved house, abandoning the leafy cycle-central of Marchmont for Meadowbank and a panoramic view of Arthur's Seat and Calton Hill.

    I've decided I will take the NEPN via St. Mark's Path, meaning I have to get to and down Macdonald Road.

    The question to the panel is what are the suggestions for the bit of the route that goes from London Road (or Marionville Road) to Macdonald Road.

    This morning I went straight up London Road, forgetting you can't turn left onto Easter Road, so carried on along a bit, down onto Montgomery street through Hillside for one block and then Brunswick Road.

    We've already discussed on other threads how Notwork Rail won't stand for a bridge over the railway behind Meadowbank Sainsburys, but is there some other way around the back anyone could suggest? The Restalrig / Easter Road railway path seems like too much of a detour.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  2. RJ
    Member

    How about either:

    Hawkhill Ave, past Hibs to Easter Rd; or

    Royal Park Terrace - Abbeyhill - Abbeymount - Easter Road

    ?

    Posted 10 years ago #

  3. chdot
    Admin

    "We've already discussed on other threads how Notwork Rail won't stand for a bridge over the railway behind Meadowbank Sainsburys"

    But there is still the hole in the fence.

    The scenic route -

    http://www.cyclestreets.net/journey/41379721

    Posted 10 years ago #

  4. gembo
    Member

    If going along from loch end park say to Albert st you can cut through to McDonald road as there is a footbridge over the railway about halfway along. Just to mix up the commute a bit. Looks like a dead end on google map but isn't for bikes,

    Posted 10 years ago #

  5. chdot
    Admin

    Differently scenic -

    http://www.cyclestreets.net/journey/41379741

    (I'm aware both use Lochend path.)

    Posted 10 years ago #

  6. cb
    Member

    Is the NEPN not a bit of a long way for a shortcut? It's not just the large diversion north there is the doubling back to Roseburn.

    Holyrood Park to the Meadows then back to old territory?

    Posted 10 years ago #

  7. wingpig
    Member

    "But there is still the hole in the fence."

    Not for normal-ish 40cm-wide drops or horns, there isn't, unless another upright has recently been removed or bent.

    Cut through Wishaw Terrace (or the other one a bit further west), go through Lochend Park to "Lochend Butterfly Way", thence to Hawkhill, thence to Albion/Easter/Brunswick/McDonald or RestalrigRailway-Easter-Duke-GreatUnction-WoL-NEPN or GreatUnction-Quilts-WoL-etc or Easter-Tesco-Jane St-West Bowling Green Cobblefest-WoL-etc.?

    Posted 10 years ago #

  8. chdot
    Admin

    "Not for normal-ish 40cm-wide drops or horns, there isn't, unless another upright has recently been removed or bent."

    It's a dismounted squeeze - not ideal for first thing in the morning...

    Posted 10 years ago #

  9. chdot
    Admin

    This might be OK at commute time, but I've never done the Allanfield section -

    http://www.cyclestreets.net/journey/41380249

    Comes out here -

    Posted 10 years ago #

  10. chdot
    Admin

    Final alternative to 'why not just use the road -

    http://www.cyclestreets.net/journey/41380556

    Includes cut-through Gembo mentioned.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  11. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Is the NEPN not a bit of a long way for a shortcut? It's not just the large diversion north there is the doubling back to Roseburn.

    In distance, yes, in time - no. Once you're on it, apart from slowing for the odd dogwalker, pedestrian, oncoming cyclist, there's no stops. My old commute had 3 or 4 signalled junctions with considerable and frsutrating waiting phases of ~1minute (or more). And I'm not sad to see the back of the Broomhouse Path!

    Posted 10 years ago #

  12. Arellcat
    Moderator

    I would probably keep the London Road > Hillside Cr > Hillside St > Brunswick Rd > McDonald Rd to NEPN for high days and holidays, and use another route day to day. I might use:

    London Rd > Gayfield Sq > E London St > Bellvue/Rodney St > Eyre Pl > Henderson Row > Hamilton Pl > Raeburn Pl > Comely Bank Rd > Craigleith Rd, and join the NEPN there as far as West Coates. Then bomb along the Corstorphine Road as far as Kirk Loan, and cut through to the Gyle from there.

    Or use the south route up through Abbeyhil, Cowgate, Grassmarket, Fountainbridge, Gorgie Road to Stenhouse, and then parallel the Broomhouse path, which I never use going west, and only use going east if I'm taking the Balgreen branch.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  13. kaputnik
    Moderator

    I came home the "direct" route of Broomhouse Path > Balgreen Path > Roseburn > Haymarket > Princes Street > Leith Street > London Road.

    Never again! Forgot just how stressful the bit from Haymarket to end of Princes Street is made by the conspiring forces of buses, taxis, trams and tram tracks. I think I'm happy to take the more relaxed loop around the NEPN, just need to work on joining that to Meadowbank. Will try Lochend Park route tomorrow.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  14. chdot
    Admin

    "Will try Lochend Park route tomorrow."

    Leave early so you can stand and stare.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  15. steveo
    Member

    Forgot just how stressful the bit from Haymarket to end of Princes Street is

    Yeah, had to try that one sunny evening circa 1700 it was mental. I ended up walking for a bit.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  16. cb
    Member

    @chdot, can I check - these routes with waypoints, are you doing those using the mobile app? I can't find a way to add waypoints via the main site.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  17. Instography
    Member

    I don't mind Haymarket to Princes Street. The only bit that bothers me is the potential to get swept down Coates Crescent by a car that thinks I shouldn't go straight on because they can't. Not many cars go that way but I avoid the problem by sitting way out at the right edge of the lane (or going in the right lane if there's no buses).

    Posted 10 years ago #

  18. chdot
    Admin

    "are you doing those using the mobile app?"

    Yep the iOS one.

    Don't know if it's part of the Android one

    Posted 10 years ago #

  19. kaputnik
    Moderator

    I don't mind Haymarket to Princes Street.

    I find it a sea awash with buccaneering taxis. There's very little in the way of ASLs any more (if any?), there's trams to the right of you, buses to the left, and confusing signs which leave off cycles as being allowed in one section yet if you pass them anyway you find you are allowed. It's also full of diesel fumes on a hot day. 'orrid.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  20. wingpig
    Member

    Android does waypoints, though the result doesn't indicate where they were:
    http://cycle.st/j41394957

    Posted 10 years ago #

  21. smsm1
    Member

    You can add way points on CycleStreets by going to http://m.cyclestreets.net on your desktop.

    An alternative is http://cycle.travel/map which has draggable routes. The site also has bike news, and you can contribute info about your local area on routes etc that work well, or local info for new bicycle users.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  22. cb
    Member

    Thanks @smsm1. Wonder why the functionality is not there on the main site?

    @wingpig, I can see waypoints on that route you linked to.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  23. ARobComp
    Member

    MY new commute is from murrayfield to Rutland Square. Not the nicest... However it's so short that I can nip home and grab a non-commuter and head out to the hills!

    Posted 10 years ago #

  24. wingpig
    Member

    "(or the other one a bit further west)"

    Cambusnethan Street, apparently. Google Maps on the phone doesn't zoom in far enough to show it.

    I've always assumed both it and Wishaw Terrace are both the same sort of one-way to prevent people steaming through them from Marionville Drive to avoid the (London Road traffic-favouring) lights, but it also means people approaching them have to do so from the more aggressive four lanes of London Road. Maybe it's to prevent people wanting to do something risky like emerge from them into London Road, which would probably require more light-control.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  25. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Cambusnethan is my new street - although we face onto Dalziel Place (London Road). It's one way accessed from Londinium Road, so in the morning I end up coming out of it the "wrong way" by launching myself off the pavement in a gap of traffic. It's not ideal, but it's better than going up onto Marionville Road, across the stupid shopping park roundabout and then waiting for ages at the junction to get back onto London Road.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  26. smsm1
    Member

    It's not been added to the main site, as it's older, and it's not been a high enough priority yet to implement. There's been a lot of refactoring done to progress towards making the via points available.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  27. smsm1
    Member

    It's also worth noting that the routes generated on any version of CycleStreets can be viewed on any other by taking the journey number and entering it into the other app. Ideal for sharing a particular route or getting different features, or accessing it on another device without doing a full replan.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  28. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Lochend Park very nice of a morning, I think I'll go that way most often and hang the extra distance.

    The new ride is 10.3 miles, the old was about 6-6.5 depending on the route.

    I've gone from taking 25 minutes to taking 35 minutes. That's 40% longer timewise to cover a 70% greater distance. Goes to show just how inneficient my old route was waiting on red at all those stupid crossings on the Broomhouse Path and also the junctions at the Kings, Henderson Terrace, Fords Road...

    Posted 10 years ago #

  29. wingpig
    Member

    For anyone else who had never heard of Allanfield, here's what it looks like:

    [+] Embed the video | Video DownloadGet the Flash Video

    Posted 10 years ago #

  30. chdot
    Admin

    Thanks for going!

    Hardly a 'fast commute' road, but perhaps more pleasant than Brunswick Road at rush hour(?)

    Posted 10 years ago #

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