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.
@jonty- I took the Beeslack School turnoff and then used Mauricewood Road and then about 400m northbound on the A702 It is about my upper limit on that road- have seen some shocking driving there, but it was a steep downhill and traffic is being calmed there due to the building works, so I was on the road for less than a minute and no car came near me.
Mauricewood Road says access only and road closed signs, but I just rode through and there was no problem.
@jonty I normally take road at Mauricewood tho noticed it was maybe closed for repair a few weeks back. If coming on the rose well path mAybe come off at auchendinny and take the longer glencorse mains road that joins the Mauricewood road near the A702. Short stretch then on A702 or pavement if it is passable down to Flotterstone. The Tarmac from there to Loganlea is lovely
Ah that is what I had thought might be the best way, including the calculation about the downhill bit beforehand. Cool cool. I have some Veloviewer grid squares to get out that way so brilliant
Shame to miss out the bit up the military road from Dreghorn to the point I am calling Col de Castlelaw in lieu of better suggestions. Most epic climb in the Edinburgh area?
@jonty- if you are tiling - a couple of slight detours will allow you to pick up some inaccessible tiles. By Glencorse, there is a path on less than 2 mins on foot to enter that tile. Also within Green Cleugh a quick detour up the Black hill path will net you another tile. I missed out on that one as I was already late for work, but always an excuse to go back!
Ha - that's brilliant! Fortunately I have bagged pretty much all of the Pentlands up to the Red Road thanks to a trickle of hillrunning throughout the years. It's Penicuik and the area around Straiton that are currently eluding me really. Think I will have to do this route both your 196 way and incorporating Old Pentland and Bush somehow for maximum tileage.
A suggestion, a book of CCE rides and hints and tips for lothian and borders - suitable for summer, winter etc, with pictures. i would love to cycle just with written notes but i need a map- and the bathgate alps could be included. A good project I think and the book is half written already. What do people think?
A book always a good thing, @Iwrats knows a publisher
That new Gilmerton-Shawfair section of the Millerhill to Roslin bike path certainly makes getting to Ikea much simpler. I ought to stop going along the Wisp on the way back, though.
stop going along the Wisp
Good advice. Good alternatives hard to come by, though.
A link from the new path to Kaimes View is planned. Once that's built, you'll be able to cut through Danderhall without going on Old Dalkeith Road, then get on the paths through the RIE.
Alternatively stop going to IKEA?
I went to the open day at the Fife Cycle Park today. It's a nice circuit of glass smooth tarmac and lots of variation of routes, though the majority of the corners are a wee bit tight for a velomobile rider going at it hammer and tongs. I have the lap on video, so may add it later.
Actually I waited until the event had finished and they'd collected all the cones and markers, as the event'd been really busy and was full of little ones on balance bikes and Frogs and things.
The outward route once over the bridge was Inverkeithing, Crossgates, Cowdenbeath (where I think the red torpedo blew everyone's minds), Lumphinnans, and Lochgelly (and the Maisie art deco ex-cinema). After mucking around at the circuit and a spot of lunch I took in the northern half of the shore around Lochore Meadows Country Park, then found myself doing some comedy offroading on an entirely inappropriate bike, by using the route between the B996 and Maryburgh; it's rocky, mossy, uphill and awful on anything without suspension and big tyres.
I took the B917 south from Kelty, grimaced my way up the Big Horrible Hill towards Cowdenbeath cemetery, but after that the descent from Hill of Beath back to Inverkeithing was reeled off in no time and was brilliant fun.
My legs died as I came back through Barnton, so I stopped for a rest, and the last of my strawberry jam sandwiches, at Laid Back before heading home to shovel in as much food as I could.
Just crept over the metric century (104km) but right now my legs are so tired I don't care!
@arellcat I bet you did blow their minds with the red bullet's grand day out A govt. official I know blew their minds in1979 when she was nebie teacher. She produced a boyfriend, this was unheard of, teachers having boyfriends, he produced a thing called a record player and played records at what he called their school disco.
then found myself doing some comedy offroading on an entirely inappropriate bike
Sounds like a great day out.
We had grand fun whooshing down an empty Donkey Lane yesterday.
Not a lovely day, a lovely week!
The hidden gem of Dumfries & Galloway cycling, based in Kirkcudbright and later Auldgirth. The weather was excellent, the drivers were exemplary and the food was good too. The only downside was the p*******s because of all the autumnal debris.
Hired a couple of Specialized Diverge gravel bikes from Galloway Cycling Holidays, who were entirely marvellous. They organised some routes for us from our accommodation (including maps, cue sheets and GPS files), moved the bikes when we had to change hotels and kept in touch. Five stars.
They also directed us to Kirkpatrick Macmillan's grave, which we would never have found in a month of searching otherwise.
We'll be taking cycling holidays there in future, definitely.
After a busy couple of weeks at work, I decided to take the day off and go cycling today.
Went along the back roads to Humbie, and went into the Humbie Hub for the first time. Soup was very good.
Then came back via Heriot, Carrington and Eskbank. Had initially planned on heading further west and returning via Roslin, but the headwinds were too much.
@frenchy. Humbie hub good. @dougal, d and g also good
Gosh it was cold and wet this morning. I forgot to put on my w/proof shorts, and my thighs suffered as a result. But I had a nice chat to a couple of riders from this side of the bridge onwards, hi to Lindsay and Huge, and then when they pealed off at Cramond, I chatted to a nice lady from Barnton going to her dentist at Golden Acre.
The leaves are geiing a little slushy now. I think is may be time to pop the Studded tyres on.
I must admit I have been enjoying these recent commutes in dark awful weather even if it's type 2 fun sometimes. It's just good to realise that it's not that bad (if you see what I mean).
It does mean a lot more time though (more clothes to put on and take off, all the lights to put on and take off and charge, longer hot showers afterwards, slower commutes)
A suggestion, a book of CCE rides and hints and tips for lothian and borders
This was started a while back. Then, the problem for me as a contributor was that there was no easy way to display the rides in a map view with downloadable routes as GPX. That's not an issue now with so many ways of doing that now available without the need to log-in/join up etc. I don't know ahat happened to the site though. chdot?
I don't how you would produce such a book yet keep the cafes secret.
I rode my fancy birthday present bike along the towpath to work today, ostensibly so that I could experiment with a new saddle before taking it on a long ride at the weekend.
It was so fast, so comfortable, so quiet and so everything compared the bike(s) I normally commute on. I'm still grinning. The only downside is that using this bike for commuting just isn't financially sustainable, even if it is totally awesome fun.
I transferred my hybrid from her previous stable in West Edinburgh to my place. Door to door by bus takes about 1hr15 which is the exact same time my unhurried and highly enjoyable ride took. I also confirmed that without a motor weighing me down, I really don't need a motor. My wee leccy bike is going to see less and less action, I feel.
Tough 110km today.
Blerno to Kaimend. I then misdirected the peloton to narrow road behind Carnwath. Lot of stables, no hedges. This took us on to the main road from Carnwath to biggar. Not so nice so we soon diverted to Quothquan and from there descended to Biggar on the back road. Sound system blaring in Biggar in prep for the armistice commemoration. Biggar to Broughton is a lovely valley. At broughton we stopped at laurel bank tearoom. Welcoming to Seven cyclists. Though my Victoria sponge and Americano extra shot was a full five pounds dearer than apple pie. In fairness a fresh out the oven scone and cup of tea was a bargain four pounds. From broughton it was Dreva where I struggled. Then flat stobo road which was easier then meldon climb which is kind then ship law road climb which is less kind. A701 into Edinburgh less nice but we knew that was coming.
Scotland was looking lovely in sunshine and showers. Could not persuade the peloton to stop in eddleston to look at the three D map of our wee country.
Somewhat gubbed as lot of hills
“I really don't need a motor. My wee leccy bike is going to see less and less action, I feel.”
Care to start a new thread about how your electric bike encouraged you to cycle more and got you fitter(?) and/or more confident?
Or any other reasons for you decisions.
I had a day-pass this weekend, and having looked at the weather forecast I abandoned Saturday's Plan A (train to Perth, then ride to Dunblane via Fortinghall, Ben Lawers and Glen Ogle. Train home from Dunblane) and opted for a ride today, which was supposed to be nicer. There aren't any worthwhile trains today, so the next-best option was to address some unfinished business with a route to Moffat via the A701 and back via the A708 past Grey Mare's Tail.
It occurred to me as I set off that, given my usual speed over the ground, I might get to Moffat at 1100, so I had half a plan to get there for their Remembrance Day, as I've eaten many a sandwich by the Moffat War Memorial. At 1030 I was slogging up the long drag on the A701 towards the top of the Devil's Beef Tub in the pouring rain, and at 1050 was pedaling at top speed down the Beef Tub to Moffat. I just made it, and was able to join a poignant ceremony in the town, for some reason made specially moving by the heavy rain. Emotionally drained, mildly hypothermic and soaked through, I then headed home via St Mary's Loch and the Granites. Riding at this time of year is certainly different from the long days of summer.
It was a lovely ride nevertheless, for several reasons. Firstly, because all time on a bike is time well-spent. Secondly because 'they' have resurfaced a chunk of the A701 near Romano Bridge, which is splendid. Thirdly because I experienced considerable glee from confirming that 32mm tyres at 75psi, a new Brooks B17 and (I hope) a fancy titanium frame really do take the sting out of the rough parts of A701. I felt as if I was floating over the bumps (and that wasn't just because many of them were under water).
Three excellent ride reports - @greenroofer "all time on a bike is time well-spent".
@gembo - looked at your route last night and thought it looked ambitiuos. Eddleston via Shiplaw is a Dave Martin of Bicycle Works favourite. He does it with only one gear change I hear (!)
@trixie / @chdot - agree any info on why e-bikes aren't always 'the answer' is worth posting.
Cyclingmollie and I had a great cycle today. I've long planned a route down by Ettrick but it had to wsit yet again due to a less than positive weather forecast. The same forecast pushed us further east. So Stow, Lauder, Duns, Hungry Snout, Gifford and back. First cafe stop was the Spotty Dog in Lauder. I've not been before, but it's got great coffee and food. The other cafe stop was at the Lanterne Rouge, wonderful as always. Our plan worked well as we only had a bit of rain coming down from the Rigg.
@greenroofer we had some of that rain near Carnwath and quothquan but brightened up en route to Biggar.
We had some of that new Romano Bridge Tarmac last week. Nice.
Had planned to do 100 miles via Dunbar and Duns, but after some unforeseen circumstances* I reached Dunbar and realised there wasn't going to have time to go to Duns and still make it back before the rugby started it got dark. So I took a more leisurely shortcut home, and stopped in Gifford for coffee, where I was served by the young lad who spoke at Thursday's Spokes meeting.
*I was 5km down the road before realising I'd left my water bottles behind, and then took some wrong turns on the back roads of East Lothian.
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