CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting

More of 'us' ?

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  1. Arellcat
    Moderator

    there was only about one person who was wearing obviously cycling clothing

    I resemble that remark. I tried to find clothes I was happy to cycle in that didn't involve lycra, and I mostly failed. Endura MT500s are just too comfortable, and my Hummvees were probably covered in cat hair.

    I compensated somewhat by wearing a merino l/s top.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  2. fimm
    Member

    Arellcat, I hope you don't think I was criticising... it was just something I noticed!

    Posted 9 years ago #
  3. Stickman
    Member

    " ... my Hummvees were probably covered in cat hair."

    I gave up the battle with cat hair some time ago. It's now just part of who I am.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  4. sallyhinch
    Member

    Anecdotally, people put a fair bit more thought into what to wear to the WCF than they would to most cycling events. I suspect a mixture of flying the flag for 'cycle chic' (or in my case 'cycle-scruffiness') and knowing they'd be in a room with more people who would actually notice their outfits. I'm quite relieved that my various campaigning commitments mean I am justified in turning up at any cycling event in a (usually POP) t-shirt, so don't have to worry about being smart (irrespective of how I travel, I can't manage smart, even when I try)

    Posted 9 years ago #
  5. chdot
    Admin

    I've taken photos here before, but the number of bikes seems to be creeping up.

    Hard to see in photo, but there are two simple, sturdy, horizontal bars.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  6. Nelly
    Member

    Argyle place, just up from the yoga cafe?

    Does look busy, wonder if more businesses placed simple locking facilities on their wall if that would encourage business?

    I might use The Argyle pub more if they had those horizontal bars fitted.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  7. jdanielp
    Member

    As I passed under the second canal bridge heading out of town this morning, I was confronted with a train of something like ten mixed cyclists heading towards me as I negotiated the metal chicane - luckily I arrived there first else I could have been in for quite a lengthy wait. Impressive...

    Posted 9 years ago #
  8. gembo
    Member

    @nelly, argyle should just let you take your bike into the pub or you could just walk? Unless you hVe moved?

    Posted 9 years ago #
  9. Nelly
    Member

    It would take me longer to get the bike out the shed than walk there, true!

    I was more thinking the "en route home post work pint".

    Never had good experience taking bike in most places - was asked to leave a scotmid once as bike took up too much space........

    Posted 9 years ago #
  10. chdot
    Admin

    "was asked to leave a scotmid once as bike took up too much space"

    Well that would certainly be the case in the one nearest the Argyle!

    Posted 9 years ago #
  11. Greenroofer
    Member

    Coming home from my trip to Manchester today I de-trained at Haymarket at about 1730 and rode home along Dalry Road to Morningside. There were bikes everywhere. I don't normally go that way at that time, but it was totally awesome. I was particularly taken by the chap in front of me on Ardmillan Terrace who was sporting leather cycle clips on his ankles. We were part of a convoy of four bike making our way up that road: him with his leather clips on a hybrid bike, me on a Brompton in a shirt and tie, a proper roadie and a chap on a hybrid in baggy shorts and a t-shirt. No matter what we ride, so long as we do!

    Posted 9 years ago #
  12. AKen
    Member

    Coming home along the canal last night, there were 14 cyclists on the Slateford aqueduct at the same time. Slow progress - but better than the night before when one cyclist was both on and in the aqueduct.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  13. Stickman
    Member

    " one cyclist was both on and in the aqueduct."

    Schrodinger's Bike?

    Posted 9 years ago #
  14. Snowy
    Member

    Last year I witnessed three 'swimmers' at the aqueduct (not on the same day). None so far this year. Might be my turn eventually but I cede priority to everyone because life's too short to forget to look at the view from there.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  15. gembo
    Member

    @snowy, when you say cede do you mean push? The common factor is your good self? I saw one person go in at the west end of the duct many years ago and then this year I came across a very wet chap who had been fished out. But three in one year is clear pattern.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  16. Snowy
    Member

    heh - no, I happily give way to everyone, is what I mean.

    Best one was the chap in front of me somersaulting in when he clipped handlebars with the (stationary) person coming the other way.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  17. Neil
    Member

    Jeez....This might sound daft but I never actually imagined people mucked up and fell in there! My mum has done a tremendous job of instilling a deeply ingrained fear of falling in the viaduct :P ;-) I always dismount and walk

    Posted 9 years ago #
  18. gembo
    Member

    Worse than that smashfacethecat there is a Scottish or Eastern European cross dressing male to female who tries to push you in

    Posted 9 years ago #
  19. Neil
    Member

    Has he ever ended up in himself in the ensuing struggle?

    Posted 9 years ago #
  20. gembo
    Member

    He/she is somewhere ahead or behind me going in the same direction so I never encounter her/him but he/she is tagged on here quite often. I think you might be OK if you are pushing but can't guarantee that.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  21. wingpig
    Member

    Six or seven cyclists heading along West Coates was weird enough, but shortly afterwards there were as many as twelve just amongst the right-turning-into-Torphichen-from-West-Maitland traffic.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  22. Stickman
    Member

    @wingpig: yes, I was going to join that group at Torphichen but realised there wasn't enough space in the ASL so hung back in the queue of cars.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  23. Min
    Member

    wasn't enough space in the ASL

    Ding ding ding ding! We have a winner!

    Cool. :-)

    Posted 9 years ago #
  24. The Boy
    Member

    Was very busy today on my four hour round trip up and down the NEPN. Mostly well behaved too.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  25. wingpig
    Member

    I was worried that the half-empty racks and changing-room hooks on Friday signified the start of the dropoff, either prompted by the weather forecast, the resultant actual weather or the imminence of the resumption of school runs. However, racks and changing-room-hooks were busy again today.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  26. Stickman
    Member

    I struggled to get a space in our bike shed this morning. A lot of spaces are still taken up by fossil bikes, but there are definitely a lot of previously unseen bikes belonging to new commuters.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  27. jdanielp
    Member

    Three new bicycle shelters were installed near my office at Heriot-Watt in late July (I suspect that others have been installed elsewhere on the campus, but I have yet to find them) featuring a five bike Sheffield Toastrack per shelter. These are already 'full' (at least one bike per loop) before the students return in any real numbers.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  28. cc
    Member

    Just to buck the trend, I've switched to walking and bussing until the end of the festival period, to avoid the crowds milling about on the MMW cycle path.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  29. jdanielp
    Member

    @cc I've found that the relatively newly painted bicycle symbols on NMW have made quite a difference since last year, but MMW, especially the upper section from George Square, remains a challenge to navigate on my way home.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  30. cc
    Member

    @jdanielp I agree, the symbols helped a lot. The current trouble seems to coincide with the festivals - groups of people all chatting as they walk down the cycle lane, or families with lots of young children scampering about the cycle lane, or large groups of people walking through from George Square onto the MMW cycle path then stopping dead as they debate where to go next. I suppose their heads are so full of Festival Fun that they don't notice the symbols.
    All minor problems. I put up with it patiently for a couple of weeks but that was enough.

    It doesn't help that the University Festival Fun Park has opened up what's normally an emergency exit door that gives straight onto the MMW cycle path, so that customers can get to its old medical quad bar/venue more quickly.

    Posted 9 years ago #

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