not resolvedI have to fly several times a year and when I only have hand luggage I'd like to cycle to the airport. I'm not worried about leaving the bike there for a few days - if somebody drives a van through the barriers and starts their angle grinder to cut the lock, I'm sure the bloke with the machine gun who's standing next to the bike rack might have a word with them...
Anyway, I'm looking for route suggestions from Inch. The first bit through Hermitage of Braid is easy and nice, but from Braidburn Terrace I tried a few different routes and I'm not sure what's best at different times.
One option I tried is Dalhousie Terr - Morningside Drive, then through the Forest (got lost at Craiglockhart Pond last time) to the Union Canal, along the Canal to Gogar Station Rd. I did this last time at 1am at night (after we couldn't disembark for more than an hour as the airport couldn't find steps suitable for the type of aircraft...) and it was great, but how busy is the canal on Fridays around 10 and on Sunday afternoons? Gogar Station Rd was quite ok (with the new road markings) with perhaps 3 or 4 cars even though their drivers apparently did not expect anybody else out at this time.
Instead of the Craiglockhart Pond route, I also tried Glenlockhart Rd to the canal, but this really unpleasant as it's a steep narrow road with speeding cars and no pavement.
On a different trip tried to find a way through Broomhouse and South Gyle but basically ended up along major roads that weren't great (I can't remember exactly where that was, I think Calder Rd and Broomhous Rd.). Roads were all wide but with so many defects that I simply found it really tiring. That was at 5am without much traffic, but how is this during the day?
The cycle path along Bankhead drive along the tram was ok, the industrial estate was sort of ok, but how do you cross the huge roundabout at the end of the bypass?
Finally, is there a way to avoid Eastfield Rd (the bit from Glasgow Road to the airport)? When I was there at about 5:30am, it was packed full of taxis queuing all the way from the airport to Glasgow Rd., each carrying one very important businessperson on their commute to London I guess. I cycled on the (empty) pavement but it's bumpy with high kerbs at numerous side roads/farm entrances etc. Is there perhaps a path near the tram line?
Finally, I also thought about taking the tram for the last part between Edinburgh South and airport. Should be OK if I have early morning/late evening flight but what's the experience of bringing a fairly big bulky bike on board at let's say 10am?
I'm really keen to find a good route because even with getting lost it took only took about an hour (I'm not particularly fast and with hand luggage etc.), whereas public transport is well over an hour and has taken up to two hours as I have to get to Waverley first and the tram trundles along really slowly most of the way. Public transport also isn't an option if my flight is before 7am or arrives after 11pm - the airport bus runs early/late but the other local buses don't.
posts
