CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting

Potential New Commuter - from Shawfair or Newcraighall P&R to Princes Street (E)

(9 posts)
  • Started 7 years ago by hunnymonster
  • Latest reply from hunnymonster

  1. hunnymonster
    Member

    I'm shortlisted for a job at the east end of Princes Street and since I live a zillion miles away (I can see England from my house) will be bringing the car as far as either Shawfair (or is it Sheriffhall?) P&R or Newcraighall P&R (not decided which is more practical to get to in the mornings yet) and biking from there... (Plus if the wind is blowing at 90kts I can use the bus/train with ease)

    I'm a confident sort of chap - not afraid to mix it with traffic - but if I don't have to then I'm happy not to as well...

    Had a play with cyclestreets to get some ideas but they appear to suggest that the ~6 miles from either will take 35-40 minutes (even with the speed cranked up to "high") - I'm happily (adjusted for the need of an iron lung sometimes) knocking out 19-20mph average over 30-50 miles in the Borders, realise traffic/signals etc causes some slowdown but is it really a 40 minuter from Shawfair/Newcraighall to the east end of Princes Street?

    Posted 7 years ago #

  2. Frenchy
    Member

    That sounds slightly conservative, but not too far off, to be honest. I only average 15mph in the Borders though, so you're definitely quicker than me.

    Gilmerton-Princes St (4.5 miles) takes me 20-25 minutes, depending on laziness and traffic. Google Maps says it should take 25 minutes, so it's using a lower average speed than you'll go. It gives a time of 32 mins for either of your journeys.

    For routes:

    From Sheriffhall you basically just take the A7/Old Dalkeith Road/Dalkeith Road all the way in, getting on to Clerk St or South Bridge at whichever point you prefer. The very first bit of this is the only scary bit - from the Park and Ride past Danderhall. There's a shared use pavement on the right hand side from Danderhall to Gilmerton, but crossing over to use this is probably too much faff. Detouring to avoid this scary section will add a mile to your journey - you may or may not decide it's worth it.

    From Newcraighall you have more options. The direct on road route is along Peffermill Road to Dalkeith Road. This is a wide, two lanes each way road. It's pretty busy, but I've never had any problems on it. Cars often stick to one lane, leaving an entire lane for filtering cyclists (this might not happen at rush hour though). Alternatively, you can get onto the Innocent Cycle Path from Duddingston Road West or Hay Avenue, which will allow you to skip a load of traffic lights, but force you to interact with the odd dog walker.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  3. southsider
    Member

    If you're coming up the A68 then both Newcraighall and Sherrifhall are equally easy to get to. Shawfair is not as convenient for car from the bypass, or bike into town.

    "Peffermill Road to Dalkeith Road. This is a wide, two lanes each way road. It's pretty busy, but I've never had any problems on it. Cars often stick to one lane, leaving an entire lane for filtering cyclists"
    -except Niddrie Mains Road through Craigmillar where the inside lanes are now pavement buildouts and parking, forcing all traffic to share one narrow lane in each direction. Coupled with slow traffic lights at the Craigmillar Castle Road junction, the traffic along here is horrendous at rush hours and it is not easy to filter through on a bike.
    The Innocent railway is fast and direct and doesn't have that many dog walkers. Just watch out for broken glass. Join it from Niddrie Mains Road at Hay Avenue and you'll avoid the snarl up at Craigmillar and it is a nice steady gradient all the way up to St Leonard's.

    Not sure how this compares to the A7 in terms of speed but the A7 route would involve more ups and downs.

    Assume you have ruled out the train from Tweedbank-Waverley?

    Posted 7 years ago #

  4. nobrakes
    Member

    I live in the Borders and was doing a similar thing - I was driving to Sherrifhall Park and Ride and cycling from there to Edinburgh Park, using the innocent railway and then the canal towpath.

    My experience was that the A7 is OK in the early morning (i.e. 7AM) but was brutal on the way home at night. The bit down past the Wisp to Danderhall was nose to tail traffic, lots of buses and fumes and I didn't really enjoy it much. I am on a recumbent though, so visibility was much worse than you'd get on an upright.

    The best route I found was up the wisp from the park and ride, down the other side, left at the bottom onto the innocent railway and into town that way. It's a bit slower but much nicer.

    I was doing sherrifhall to Edinburgh park in under an hour and you sound fitter than me, so to the east end of princes street is bound to be faster than that. 40 minutes sounds pessimistic, I would have thought 30 would be doable. You could try coming along the innocent railway, then down through holyrood park, past the parliament then back up towards princes street along that road that I always forget the name of (the one that joins onto the east end of princes street)? That would minimise traffic light stops etc and you'd get a good blast down through the park.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  5. hunnymonster
    Member

    I have to admit I was erring on the side of Newcraighall over Shawfair/Sheriffhall :)

    Some routes to check out (if I get the job) there - thanks all

    Posted 7 years ago #

  6. Frenchy
    Member

    Good luck wi the job as well.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  7. Coxy
    Member

    Hi.

    I did this route from Newcraighall for the Sestran commuter challenge earlier this year.

    Newcraighall Road, turn right onto Hay Drive. Straight through Bingham and onto A1. Then A1 straight into town.

    OK if you are confident. I did in in under 25 mins.

    Neil.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  8. crowriver
    Member

    If you really want to avoid traffic, much of the route could be off road, but will take longer as you can't go so fast (however few if any traffic signals to worry about).

    Here's a quiet route you could try. Googol maps says 40 minutes, but it could probably be done a bit quicker.

    https://goo.gl/maps/JFidgPwFQWN2

    Faster would be to just connect to the Southside at Newington, but then you're in pretty heavy traffic from then on to Princes Street...

    Alternatively, cycle fast to Tweedbank and get the train to Waverley? :-)

    Posted 7 years ago #

  9. hunnymonster
    Member

    Well - via Tweedbank was a consideration until I worked out that it's only an additional 7 miles to the A720 and multioption multimodal cycling commuting nirvana... Also the road to Tweedbank is crappy in comparison and not a bikeable option (muckle big draggy hills and basically into the prevailing wind - cycled that way once for a "jolly" and it was awful)

    @Coxy - noted :)

    Posted 7 years ago #

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