@gembo
I put this in for you; 'outside the upper Co-op in Balerno'
I thought you might have uptown vs downtown stories.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting
The "I had a lovely ride today, thankyou" thread
(2685 posts)-
Posted 6 years ago #
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Ok, @iwrats, top mid was a margiotta that flopped. I go there when the wine deals have sold out at Bot Mid.
Top mid is a fairly straightforward Spar type convenience store. Bot mid has tried all sorts of delicatessen type things. But let's face it they are just window dressing for the off licence.
Posted 6 years ago # -
“But let's face it they are just window dressing for the off licence.“
R u saying Balerno residents buy their groceries elsewhere, but coop has best deals on booze?
Posted 6 years ago # -
Hmm, I think when we run out of booze we. Hit Scotmid.
Currently, sipping a particularly fine Saint Veran, French white. 2016.
That said, I shop almost exclusively at Scotmid. For groceries and bevvy, as can fit a fair amount into my two old ortliebs
Posted 6 years ago # -
@gembo - A70 to Ayr - 85 miles is a good run. Hills white so pretty and icy as you say. Have you knocked off 170 miles in one day solo? Or resting before return.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@laidback, no I came back on the train. The trip there was tail wind assisted.
I think my route from Balerno to Carnwath, then Carnwath to Douglas, then Douglas to Muirkirk, then Muirkirk to Sorn then mauchline, then Mossblown then Ayr. Is maybe 75 miles. Quite a bit of climbing after Muirkirk.
Quite a lot of old railway down near Muirkirk that could be made into cycle track.
Five miles in Edinburgh at other end also tail wind assisted, even so, the difference twixt Gatorskin and Schwalbe Marathon Plus was very noticeable on my normal commute.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Nice to get back on the bike after 13 days off (due to meetings away, then illness). And I managed to avoid the bad weather :)
Relatively mild but legs a little wobbly at the end. Looking forward to the return commute (when hopefully my newish Brooks is less slippy etc)
Posted 6 years ago # -
Roads in west Lothian have been well patched e.g. Fauchiedean to kingscavil good, also kingscavil down to Linlithgow road good. Indeed a totally brilliant descent.
Coffee at mannerstons then a bit of a struggle back into a stiffening breeze but we missed the rain. Sun even made an effort.
One of those mad three horned sheep (Jacob?) at Parovan hamlet just before mannerstons. Was the wildlife highlight. Lot of rare breed sheep in fact - merino etc. Lot of geese too.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Surely not one of these? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merino#/media/File:Merino_sheep.png
Posted 6 years ago # -
Ah, no Diarmid, it was maybe an Old Norwegian. In other field definitely a Jacob
Posted 6 years ago # -
Today with some actual sunshine at one point we went for granites anti-clockwise from Balerno, down to Innerleithen. Lovely cake as ever at no 1 Peebles road. Then back road to Peebles via Cardrona then up through the meldons on beautiful Tarmac. Main road at edelston thn up and over to junction west of lead burn. Three went left for the apple pie and another 2.5 hours. And six returned via auchendinny. Traffic pothole combo had to be negotiated. Wee Lumps of snow left. Plenty lambikins, also lot of manure all over the roads. Bike now to be cleaned. Home in time to swap two Hunger Games novels for a flymo
Posted 6 years ago # -
No1 Peebles Rd is also my top of choice. They do top toast.
Posted 6 years ago # -
We went to the Whistestop today. They have locks as well as excellent carrot cake.
The Moorfoots wildlife was resplendent
Posted 6 years ago # -
Lovely ride today with Belles on Bikes. 46k mostly off road around Midlothian. Furthest I’ve ridden a bike for a long time. Thanks to ride leaders Ulli and Linda.
Posted 6 years ago # -
We saw a BoB / Hervelo group in the Moorfoots
Posted 6 years ago # -
If you get your kicks from bike carrying options, then Aviemore is the place to see multitudes of estate cars with bikes everywhere. I felt we were holding our own with 7 bikes on, behind & in our car :-)
Our trip today was 4 miles around Loch Morlich, having done Loch an Eileen yesterday. We had a range of abilities/ages, ranging from a balance bike upwards and all managed it well.
The highlight was my attempt at crossing a ford, which I managed on the tandem without putting my foot down. It was deeper than I imagined, but gave further proof that my ortliebs are waterproof in that our lunch wasn't wet despite a temporary submersion.
Sadly my eldest tried to copy my attempt and only made it half way...
Posted 6 years ago # -
...I hope at least one Ortlieb contained a change of clothes?
(ETA that this reminded me - have an Ortlieb that has finally developed a small hole. It's been suggested it would be worth getting a professional patch instead of having at it myself with glue etc. - anyone have suggestions who in Edinburgh might do that?)
Posted 6 years ago # -
McNett Seamgrip waterproof glue like what you use for tents glued my ortliebs back together nicely. Lasted several years. Professional patch? Get a grip. A McNett seamgrip
Posted 6 years ago # -
Shandon to Porty and back with 4yo in tagalong and 9yo under own steam (first time she’s ventured that far on the bike). Went swimmingly (though why is signage for Portobello non-existent on the Innocent Path and beyond? One would think it’s the safest way for families).
Posted 6 years ago # -
Mr and I had a grand jaunt to the shore at Cramond yesterday. Probably our longest/most demanding ride to date. Better still, we don't hurt today. My favourite part was a hot and irritated traffic jam coming through Cramond village. I've never gaily wended my way through stuck cars like that before. It felt goood.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Am I allowed to say I witnessed someone else having a lovely ride?
This afternoon I was walking along the Pinkhill path and a dad was teaching his wee girl to ride her bike. She was almost there, almost there, almost there and then she got it and she was off!
It was a lovely thing to see and a great way to finish off the PoP weekend.
Posted 6 years ago # -
work stress induced insomnia meant I was out and about while the clock still said 05 something. Pedalled / meandered around, working my way down Leith Walk with a I wonder what's down here motive, eventually ended up at office.
Turns out it's lovely when there's no cars - who knew ??
Posted 6 years ago # -
“Turns out it's lovely when there's no cars - who knew ??”
Which of course is a BIG part of the problem - ‘decision makers’ tend to be ‘rush’ hour travellers.
And not enough are prepared to think ‘what can we do to get less traffic’ rather ‘traffic is inevitable, we must cater for it and make it flow’.
Posted 6 years ago # -
On the way out of the allotment this afternoon, on the Elephant Bike, I picked up a 10kg bag of rock flour (as you do) and put it in the front basket (rated for 20kg). It didn't affect the handling very much at all, although the performance and acceleration took a bit of a hit. I can usually power the EB up the very steep slope from the A70 to the Canal/WoL path, but found that with 10kg on the front I couldn't. I also abandoned the ascent of Craighouse Hill part way up.
All that notwithstanding, it was a lovely ride home on a sunlit towpath feeling gently smug about the general wonderfulness of the EB and its ability to carry anything. Of course there are lots of bikes that will carry 'anything' (I'd like one of these for example) but the EB is so cheap.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Nice wee run out to Musselburgh and the ash lagoons this afternoon with No.1 son today. My it was warm, but a sea breeze kept it fresh. Mother, father and grandfather of all queues outside St Luca's on the way back. Considering how dry it's been lately, the Esk was pretty high. Maybe the last snow melting off the Moorfoots?
Wonderful cycling weather, and lots of riders out. Good to arrive back into Holyrood Park while still closed to motor vehicles, so much more civilised.
One thing I did notice now my son is 13 - he's getting fast on the bike! Gone are the days when I had to wait for him...
Posted 6 years ago # -
Careful review of the label on the (surprisingly small) bag of rockdust that came home on the EB yesterday shows that it was 20kg, not 10kg. That explains the impact on acceleration better.
Posted 6 years ago # -
That would definitely have an impact @Greenroofer.
Do you work in a bank though? If so how often do you get 10 and 20 mixed up?
Posted 6 years ago # -
in fact I had two lovely rides this weekend
Saturday along Canal to Spylaw Park
Sunday along Roseburn path to Cramond Brig then back up via the beach.Incidentally does anyone know what the works going at the sides of Roseburn path are? Putting in benches for seating?
Posted 6 years ago # -
Pretty sure that's the case, aye.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Think they've also been putting in new drainage parallel to the path as well.
Posted 6 years ago #
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