Advice - not necessarily expert.
Plenty of space on these. Often two 3 car sets to making them roomier than long distance trains. General fold up seat area.
Path quite good in places. Some nice sections beside loch. Goes up and down and round about a bit. Not cycled though.
Dechmont road not that nice last time I went near. May be cycle pavement now.
Kirknewton to Balerno couple of routes. Long Dalmahoy road has a very big hill up to Balerno. Other still hilly way by gliding field takes you onto A70. Quiet roads above Balerno but narrow with risks of getting to them.
Canal - don't know.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Questions/Support/Help
Pedal for Scotland advice
(120 posts)- Started 9 years ago by Greenroofer
- Latest reply from paddyirish
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Posted 9 years ago #
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I have no experience of 10 year olds, competent or otherwise. I do, however, commute to Livingston by train and bike or just by bike. So:
Will we get two bikes on the train on a Sunday morning from EDB to ADR. Do they have good bike storage and is it likely to be busy?
As Laidback said, you won't have a problem. There's a big area you can get bikes in, and if you can't get in there, you can leave them in a doorway on the left facing the direction of travel, all the doors open on the right between Haymarket and Livi North. If you can take a bungee cord along that is handy just to secure the bikes to something.Is the Airdrie - Bathgate railway path any good?
Yes, it is nice tarmac for a long stretch between Bathgate and (I think) Airdrie. You pass right by a couple of stations so you can bail at various points. Note that some of these stations only have a half-hourly service - I would take a timetable along with me to assist in decision making.The CycleStreets Route through Dechmont to Broxburn seems to be beside a busy road (A89?). Is that cycle route rideable with a 10-year old. I don't want to find myself on a dual-carriageway by accident!
I do not know about this - but I had some notion there was a roadside path?Is the back road through Kirknewton to Balerno likely to be reasonably quiet on a Sunday morning? Again, suitable for an accompanied 10-year old
Assuming you mean the Long Dalmahoy Road - well I have to admit that I don't go that way myself, preferring the Lang Wang road which is wider and has a better surface. There's one bit on the back road by the quarry that is shocking. However I'm commuting at commuting time - I would expect it to be much quieter on a Sunday morning.
There is a route through Heriot-Watt and across the fields that gets you to the canal without going up a big hill. I can describe it in detail if you like.Is the canal beyond Ratho reasonably rideable? We've done the bit between the end of the tarmac and Ratho a couple of times, but not particularly enjoyed it on unsuspended bikes
No, it gets muddy and there's no more tarmac. I have ridden it on a mountain bike a very long time ago and run it a bit more recently; I wouldn't take anything other than a MTB along there myself.Posted 9 years ago # -
The CycleStreets Route through Dechmont to Broxburn seems to be beside a busy road (A89?). Is that cycle route rideable with a 10-year old. I don't want to find myself on a dual-carriageway by accident!
There is a cycle path alongside the A89 all the way from Bathgate to Newbridge if you wish to take it. Great for kids but you do need to cross a lot of roads on the way.Posted 9 years ago # -
The CycleStreets Route through Dechmont to Broxburn seems to be beside a busy road (A89?). Is that cycle route rideable with a 10-year old. I don't want to find myself on a dual-carriageway by accident!
I think I've only ever observed the path when passing by car, but it always looks pretty wide and well separated from the road. The OSM mapping, if zoomed in far enough, shows it all as fully segregated.
I suspect the main issue will be the tedium of crossing all the various side roads.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Humpf just re-read my answer - for "leave [bikes] on the left facing the direction of travel" read right because the doors open on the left!
Posted 9 years ago # -
Thank you all for these useful nuggets of information. Looks like the train and the Airdrie to Bathgate path are both goers, but the towpath might be unwise. I suppose if it's been very dry for some time the towpath will be hard and dusty so might be OK (albeit lumpy), but it's never going to be as nice as smooth tarmac. We're not planning to do this route until August, so there may be time for it to dry out.
Posted 9 years ago # -
The train track from airdrie to Bathgate is of course where the path used to be but then of course before that it was a railway. The new path beside the train is fine. Bit more up and down and crissy crossy but largely unused. From Bathgate you can go off road via the pyramids over to the country park which is nice and down to Livingston and almond dell. Comes out at East Calder and there is further off road path to kirknewton. This is all route 75. The back road from kirknewton fine on a Sunday. Ravelrig hill is very steep. As has been mooted you can stay on long dalmahoy then go through Herriot watt and join the canal or indeed gogarstation road and under the bypass and stenhouse tram Tarmac.
It is possible if you really want to visit balerno to come off long dalmahoy slightly further east of Ravelrig. This road connects to old new mills road. Slight issue of crossing the railway line. This is doable. And although old newmills road is very steep, it has no traffic at all and you can push up you can then take newmills road onto a70. There is a flight of steps that take you onto WoL path.
Rewind to almondell and you can exit from its north gate and take reasonably quiet road down to the canal west of ratho. This takes in the almond aqueduct which is nice.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Loch Leven loop?
It's 13 miles and totally off road. A couple of minor inclines but nothing too onerous.
Posted 9 years ago # -
@HankChief. Interesting idea. In the Greenroofer household Mrs G doesn't ride bikes for fun (just to get to work!) and I don't drive cars at all. This makes trips to Loch Leven for a bike ride 'challenging'. This is why I'm looking at routes that can be ridden from home.
I'm taking the view that riding to Waverley to catch the 0838 to Airdrie on a Sunday morning is pretty much going to be a 'traffic free' ride even though it's through the city centre.
I'm slightly worried by gembo's description of the road to Balerno. It's clear from my Strava route (now he mentions it) but not from the NCN route description that the hill up to Balerno is very steep!
Posted 9 years ago # -
It is particularly steep at the end of a ride. Going down is fun as quite good surface except at the blind pinch point so you have to watch for craters and cars.
Very likely a child would have to push, which would probably be O,K.
At top there is a flat section up to the A70. Turn left down to the traffic lights. I would perhaps use the pedestrian crossing to affect the right turn needed to get to the start of WoL path.
If you brave the main kirknewton road up to the a70 it is a bit busy, bits of it are pavemented. Once on the A70 there are two roads off to the right. The first leads eventually to glenbrook road. Bit of a climb. The second goes through the hamlet of glenburn, bit more rolling. Both quiet and arrive at balerno a few yards apart near former nice pub johnsburn house. Now a mansion for sale.
Posted 9 years ago # -
How about starting from Slateford (trains only every 2 hours approx on Sundays) to Kirknewton or Livingston?
Posted 9 years ago # -
@chdot. Good point. I'd been fixated on Waverley and completely forgot about Slateford! I shall investigate...
Posted 9 years ago # -
Here's my less-hilly route from Long Dalmahoy Road to the canal:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6625918Note two spots where the presence of a 10 year old might make your decisions different to mine:
1) the right turn at the roundabout coming out of Heriot Watt. It is a big roundabout and not very busy when I've gone through there. Your alternative is to push the bikes across the road. But it is quite a fast road, is walking across it any safer?!
Note that when you do come left off the main road here there's a bit of a climb to be ready for. Then you get a nice farm access road (tarmacked) across fields to a level crossing which you do have to walk across: I think a child would enjoy the adventure?
2)the crossing of Wester Hailes Road. You might prefer to stick to the left and walk across the crossing. Or you might be able to get on the canal at an earlier spot than the one I've shown.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Oh yes, the NCN route to Balerno is steep...
There's another road a bit further along which is less steep.
Slateford (to Livi South and onwards) trains used to have hangers for 6 bikes, IIRC.Posted 9 years ago # -
Yeah I always go along passed the school rather than up that hill.
Posted 9 years ago # -
@ Steveo you mean right to the end of long dalmahoy then turn right where fimm's route turns left. I like fimm's farm track. It does at one point reach Donkey Lane which is actually a stream but ok in summer that goes along the side of the golf course and up to nether Currie.
If there is a strong desire to not use the canal but the WoL path then the right turn at the end of long dalmahoy takes you up to Currie. Fairly easy t get on to the WoL path from there.
Posted 9 years ago # -
More great food for thought here. I'm minded to turn north from fimm's route at Heriot Watt and go the canal on Gogarburn because that's a route I know.
One thing I've found really useful on Strava's route planner is that you can overlay the Strava heatmaps to see where other people have been.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Makes sense, through the west gate at Herriot watt then along the cycle path, pass the barrier, turn right take road round to the roundabout inside Herriot watt, turnleft take that road for 500 yds and there is a little snicket on the right where the recycling used to be, little sloping Tarmac takes you down to a path. Turn left follow path to pedestrian crossing, turn right keep eye peeled for signage and arrows on the ground you take a left through empty business car park, this is the sustrans route I believe, the path is a pavement other side of the hedge from the road. Emerge from the car park turn left and the cycle lane takes you down to pedestrian crossing over a71 that takes you to hermiston village, go through infamous chicane, turn right road goes along to very top of gogar station road, cross and take pavement down to canal.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Mini-Greenroofer is improving all the time. We did 25 miles to Dalkeith and back on Saturday.
However a high point this evening was climbing Craighouse Hill after a 10-mile ride this evening (a total of 45 miles in three days). There was an adult going up in front of her, and not only was she keeping up with him but I could see she was contemplating an overtake on the hill.
She wisely chose not to. 'Wisely' because (a) she wasn't going that much faster than him and (b) I guess he would have been utterly devastated to be overtaken on the hill by a 10 year-old...
Posted 9 years ago # -
I am doing the Pedal for Scotland for the first time this year. Should I be cycling up Craighouse Hill? I have only ever cycled as far up as the gap for access to the woods!
Posted 9 years ago # -
@jdanielp - It's a vital part of our training plan...
...because we live at the top of it, so any trip out north or west requires that we climb it on the way home.
It does rather defeat the advice about building a 'warm down' into your routine. By the time we've gone up it we just want to go home and lie down rather than spend a further 20 minutes warming down.
Posted 9 years ago # -
"Should I be cycling up Craighouse Hill?"
Presume you mean the actually hill.
Well worth it for the view!
Posted 9 years ago # -
Oops. No, I meant Craighouse Road hill. I do walk up the actual hill semi-regularly, but I have not tried cycling up there either. I did see somebody mountain biking down the far side from alongside the golf course down towards the pond one time though. It looked like fun, but rather beyond my current mountain bike capabilities I'd fear...
Posted 9 years ago # -
You don't need a mountain bike to get to the very top...
If you take the track up the south side of the hill, starting from Craiglea Place you can ride to the top on an ordinary bike. It's a bit bumpy, but I do it on my commuting bike with 35mm Marathon Plus on it.
We quite often take a kite with us, because that's a good way of guaranteeing no wind at the top of the hill.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Well, we're booked on PfS and still training.
I was havering about putting this in the 'lovely ride today' thread, but decided here was better in case it's useful to anyone.
Mini-Greenroofer (now aged 10) and I left the house at 0740 this morning and made our way to Waverley via Canaan Lane, Marchmont, Meadows paths and George IV bridge. We arrived at the station 40 minutes before our train to Airdrie (this paranoia being due to having arrived 10 minutes before last time, and having had a stressful experience trying to buy tickets and take bikes on two lifts to get to the train). This time we had left plenty of time.
At Haymarket MrSRD and Mini-SRD joined us, and we trained it to Airdrie. After a short pause on Airdrie station to free Mini-Greenroofer after she locked herself in the toilet we joined the Airdrie to Bathgate cycle path.
The bit as far as Plains was frankly rubbish: convoluted, glass-strewn and utterly subservient to the motor car. At one point we gave up riding on the 'cycle facilities' and went on the A89 because it was preferable. From Plains to Bathgate it was pretty good: the cycle path beside the railway is lovely and smooth, the weather was glorious and we basically had it to ourselves.
We paused in Bathgate Tesco for lunch and suncream then continued on pleasant paths to Mid-Calder (great zip-wire in the park) and Almondell Country Park. After an ice-cream there and a pause to wipe incriminating ice-cream stains off faces of MrSRD, Mini-SRD and Mini-Greenroofer we joined the canal and followed it back to Edinburgh. The unsealed bits of the canal between Almondell and Ratho were rough and hard on those of us on narrow-tyred road bikes, but once on the tarmac we fairly motored to Harrison Park and home.
45 miles at an average speed of 9mph isn't bad for two primary-school aged children (and their dads!), and it's a testament to Sustrans that (apart from Airdrie) the vast majority of it was on pleasant, well-marked, traffic-free paths.
A great day out.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Nicely done.
I've only ridden that railway side path once, but I was very impressed with it.You'll have passed fairly close to my office...
Posted 9 years ago # -
Chapeau! I don't think we've managed 45 miles in a family day out, maxing out at a miserable 40 (Bethany Sportive this year, miserable due to weather conditions!).
Sounds like a good route to attempt some time.
Robert
Posted 9 years ago # -
We are doing it this year with my 9 year old and a few other 9 year olds and some 41 year olds. @SRD are your guys signed up?
Posted 9 years ago # -
My 9yo did Ed-St Andrews.
Then (some years later) Lands End to JoG.
Posted 9 years ago # -
My reading of the terms and conditions for PfS suggest that you need to be 10 or over before you can do the ride on your own bike (as opposed to a tandem or tagalong). Maybe something to consider when you make your booking. I can't see how it's practical to enforce it...
Posted 9 years ago #
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