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First sight of the new Toptreck covering on Pencaitland Railway Path.
Looks great.
(but did seem to deteriorate quite a bit even by the time I cycled home again)
https://twitter.com/DaveOsborne/status/722771154381971456
Looks like they've prepared the path from the A6093 to around Elphinstone so I presume that whole section is getting done
It can only improve. I was on it last weekend and didn't see this, but there was machinery and part of the path had been graded. Most of it was only fit for a mountain bike, which I wasn't riding. If this goes along the whole path I'll be very pleased indeed.
It was bad anyway, but they seem to have kind of scraped the surface of the path (prior to grading?) and it's terrible to ride on like that.
I'll not be back until they've had a chance to crack on with the Toptrec.
Are they doing anything about the flooding or is it still going to spend half the winter underwater?
"I get the feeling the resurfacing is starting from about here eastwards"
Going east from there (apart from the random tarmac section that ices up in winter) is already a lot better than heading west (huge puddles, drainage channels across the path and the path gradually eroding into the burn). Are they resurfacing it because it's busier, especially with dog walkers?
"Are they resurfacing it because it's busier, especially with dog walkers?"
I don't rightly know why they've picked that bit. I would agree it's the part which least needs it (at least before, until they've started the levelling - now it all needs it).
There's some sort of strategy involving linking the villages so maybe they prioritised more direct paths between Elphinstone/Ormiston/Pencaitland.
Also I heard there's some sort of problem establishing ownership of a stretch - that might be a delaying factor also.
Yes this was Community Links funded I'd since seen so that might explain why they've missed out the part that doesn't directly linking Fa'side villages (although is important if you want an off road route to Musselburgh which we *almost* have)
Community Links Funded Projects 2015-16:
• Tranent to Ormiston – Phase 2 (shared use pavement)
• Elphinstone to Pencaitland Railway Walk
• Section of the Pencaitland Railway East to Puddle Bridge for c. 1.7km
• Section of the Pencaitland Railway Walk east of Puddle Bridge towards Pencaitland for c. 1.8km
There's also talk of Tranent to Ormiston Phase 3 getting funded which completes the shared use path between the 2 villages. (involving a "new footway and footbridge" adjacent to the Puddle Bridge)
"Yes this was Community Links funded"
https://sustranscommunitylinks.wordpress.com/2015-16-projects
That seems to be them finished.
Not to seem ungrateful but so far I'm hating it - really bumpy and gravelly... but maybe that's just because I've been cycling on the road for so long now I'm just used to it.
I'd be curious what others thought.
Sounds disappointing.
If it doesn't 'settle down' in a week or so, maybe contact Sustrans and find out if they have got what they paid for...
It's pleasant compared to the old (lack of) surface but finished quality varies from dusty to rumbly. There's loose stone up to probably 5-8mm on the surface in places which is a lot different from a made road. It makes me think some gangs were better than others at laying it.
It could probably do with a couple of roller trips to pack the whole lot down before maintenance vehicles ruin the whole job by packing down two tyre track lines.
They were still working on it today; improving the drainage. The new work seems to start up in Elphinstone. It meets the PRP here:
Pencaitland Railway Path by Tom Orr, on Flickr
Then the new work continues intermitently all the way to where it crosses the main road. The new surface is rougher to ride on than the existing surface which has settled down well since it was worked on last year.
Typical new surface:
Pencaitland Railway Path surface by Tom Orr, on Flickr
Hopefully it will also get better once it's been compressed by users.
At this time of year it's a great bike ride.
It was actually a lot better yesterday. Not sure why. It seemed very damp and much smoother
(sprayed it down and sent the roller along it again?)
Had my annual winter solstice ride to Pentcaitland to deliver a Christmas pudding.
The state of our infrastructure. Muddy, indirect, confusing and downright dangerous in parts. I'd hesitate to send a confident adult rider out on this let alone a vulnerable person or a child. Very cheap or very expensive bikes could easily get broken by some of the track surfaces.
This path is reverting to farm track quickly. Nice for recreational MTB riders, but as a practical means of getting from the city to a mid-sized dormitory town? Farcical.
There's a bridge on the Pentcaitland path with a collapsible steel bollard. It's been laid down, right in the middle of the path , just on the downhill ramp off the bridge, and nicely hidden by a clump of grass. Just waiting to catch several unsuspecting cyclists unawares.
It's pretty rough and ready. Not that useful for commuting but I prefer it to the road in the dark when I'm heading in the uphill direction (and before it's annual flooding of course).
I notice a new stretch of shared use path East Lothian Council have just built between Ormiston & Tranent (a genuinely useful route), must about around 1m wide at the most.
Seems a bit strange to be building something so tight from scratch.. I guess they don't want to narrow the road any.
I guess they don't want to narrow the road any"
Something not unique to ELC!
The path from Crossgatehall to Saltoun Station has deteriorated to the point where it's almost as bad as it was before the work was done last year. The puddles are back. The surface has been washed away in places. And the leaf mulch has turned into mud. That bollard is a serious danger. They have repaired the wooden handrail on the bridge though.
This reminds me of the Water of Leith path from Balerno/Currie into town. We never use it. (Sometimes on a blue moon in high summer I rode up it to get a gravel workout).
I take the main road, I can't be bothered to get everything so covered in crap. SWMBO used to ride everywhere when we lived in town, doesn't ride because of the poor state of the path (surface/lighting).
Between Ormiston and Saltoun Station large stretches of the path have been resurfaced and widened, the trees have been cut back and an old pond has been revealed near Ormiston Station. It's impressively smooth. Pretty amazing really if you remember how it was.
@Cyclingmollie
I use this path once every December to deliver a Christmas pudding. This is a very welcome development - it was like a rubbish mountain bike trail before.
There is no such thing as a rubbish mountain bike trail.
Embrace the opportunity to shred the gnarr.
There is no such thing as a rubbish mountain bike trail.
Mmmmm. Flat and lacking in challenge?
Oooh. Will definitely try this out if we get some drier weather.
I think the surface is good enough for fairly narrow tyres. However the first stretch from Crossgatehall would be more challenging - lots of wet, muddy bits
So that's where the concrete from the St James Centre has ended up. Did wonder why so many tipper lorries were heading out to East Lothian...
Took the tandem onto it today. Both Mrs LB and other rider was impressed, as was I.
Haddington, Gifford, Pencaitland path loop by LaidBackBikes, on Flickr
Haddington, Gifford, Pencaitland path loop by LaidBackBikes, on Flickr
Path is bit rougher towards Cousland. Ideal for quad biking - spot wee family group of bikers, quad bikers.
Haddington, Gifford, Pencaitland path loop by LaidBackBikes, on Flickr
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