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.
"The coldest place in the UK was Carterhouse, south of Jedburgh, in the Scottish Borders, which touched -7.8C. Gritters took to the streets of the Capital as temperatures dipped to -1.5C during the night while in in Haddington they plunged to -2C."
http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topstories/9am-Briefing-Severe-weather-warnings.6640539.jp
Congratulations on the New arrivals, the two s's. Our experience of the RIE was, er, nothing as tot was tenement born doon in Leith.
If nothing else it saved the walk up the stairs afterwards.
"tot was tenement born doon in Leith"
Would have been my pref too, but as he came out with cord around his neck, all grey and floppy, I was very glad to have resuscitation unit on hand....
It's amazing how good bubs are at doing that at the last moment, very scary end to a scary process, but glad it turned out right for you. They seem to perk up pretty with a little bit of coaxing.
Ours was pretty textbook, although I was sole carer till about oh, an hour before she came through various reasons. Main fear was blow up pool ending up on the floor below, well, my main fear :)
SNOW!!
(But very light. )
Not got studded tyres? Don't panic, here is a useful tip from Seattle, cable ties...
"cable ties"
Only if you've got disk/hub brakes.
Might be fine for snow, but not smooth/unexpected ice.
Down to about -1 C in Airdrie. The last two days have been cold but the roads have been very dry so no ice to speak of however the guy across the road thinks it's a good idea to wash his work tranny in the street. That should freeze up nicely by tomorrow.
No snow yet.
In other news the Volvo passed its MOT for the cost of one £2 bulb which means I'll need to be out on the ice tomorrow morning to get a VED disk from the PO. Trike could do it if I blow up the tyres but I'll aim for two wheels in the first instance. Our physics probationer wants to see the trike for some reason.
Car bulb £2 while a 2.6W 6V bulb for a bike generator headlight is at least £4 and I've had them for as much as £6.
That's more like it.
I'm off for a ride :) thermals on!
Went up Morningside Road / Comiston Road to the top then at Fairmilehead back along Oxgans Road and all the way around to Colinton Road then back through Glenlockhart.
Roads pretty passable, only bits that made me begin to question why I thought it was a good idea to go for a ride was at the top of Oxgangs Road.
Plenty of snowplows out, but didn't seem to be gritting, just scraping. The one going up Colinton Road seemed to be trying to take the top layer of tarmac off. A Unimog gritter powered it's way up Oxgangs road, again not spreading.
Surprising amount of traffic on the roads. I honestly can't say that, once the snow stopped actually falling, that the vast majority of drivers attempted ot moderate their style to suit the conditions. I felt I was getting passed wider, then I realised it's because I was sitting much further out into the road.
Decided it was best to pull in on the ropier bits of Oxgangs Road and let others pass.
Friendly postie sitting in the cab of his mailvan gave me a thumbs up and yelled "good for you". Overheard woman on phone saying something about "there's actually a cyclist out in this". Coupla neds walking up Colinton Road towards Firrhill attempted to give chase yelling something about me working for a bank, or that rhymed with that anyway. Utterly failed to get close enough to "try a shot".
Feet now nicely thawing out. Rest of me stayed fairly warm.
Oh man Rule 9 feels good, Came down the innocent tonight nice and slow about 1030, bout half an inch of fresh snow on the ground and my 32c cross tires ate it up, but I didnt hurry, one other track ahead of me, like i was the goast of another rifer. the unlit section after the tunnel was really magical. Would have been a 'I had a lovely ride today, thank you' except for the howling headwind and needle like ice crystals.. brakes on the other hand totally failing, back brake pulled to the drop and no difference, no lock :(
stopped at the door, keys forgotton in hand, watching the wind whip the snow along the prominade,smilin and shaking it off.
Careful out there.
Probably froze after the snow fell. Looks like it might not rise above freezing all day.
Unlikely to be much gritting of side roads or cyclepaths.
"The whole of Edinburgh will see snow showers, which could continue through to Tuesday. There is definitely a risk of significant snowfall."
http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topstories/Capital-told-to-brace-for.6641982.jp
unlikely to be much gritting of side roads or cyclepaths.
They've dumped a large pile of grit at the foot of Leamington Walk. I wonder if it's a self service pile, or if they will send a man and a shovel out to spread it.
"wonder ... if they will send a man and a shovel"
Do you?
Think of it as an installation and document if it lasts longer than the snow!
Must go out and test some tyres.
POST TEST
There is a grit bin around the corner from me, but it would seem that I might be the only one that actually throws grit on both the road and the pavement. A man walking his two dogs had a right "pop" at me for filling a bag with grit so that I could do the pavement outside of my house, saying that it was for everybody. Uh huh, doh, does that not include me who lives around here? How's about you just look at it but not actually help anybody by throwing some of the stuff around? When stocks ran out round the corner I scoured the entire area for grit, with no luck... but then I was about the only one on my entire street that actually cleared the pavement, other than one eighty year old resident up the road.
Mid-ride report.
Nice day for a ride (if you have enough layers).
Sun hiding behind a cloud so slightly cooler than earlier.
Roads in town much as you'd expect.
Leamington Walk has been gritted - but not enough bikes to spread evenly - ped side clear.
MMW very wet, hope there's enough salt on the slope to stop it freezing tonight.
Innocent crunchy but not slippy.
I'm first bike of the day along new Peffer path.
chdot Careful out there.
Probably froze after the snow fell. Looks like it might not rise above freezing all day.
I went out around 9.45 on Fuego. Main roads were ok but when I turned off up by Sciennes the bike was sliding a bit so needed care. Meadows path was not advisable I reckoned. Got to shop and Andrew was chipping ice of pavement helped with some salt.
I had a family turn up though for a tandem demo as Argyle Place was ok in centre and not much traffic about. Was in two minds but by 11am ice was melting.
Just cycled back across Madows as I think council had cleared around 10.30? By København standards it's nothing but sharp braking and turns are out.
Headed out about 1230, through MMW (clear but wet) then around to Innocent. Extreme care needed making the turn into Parkside and round into the tunnel - cars had compressed the snow into a smooth, shiny layer offering no traction.
Built up plenty of speed in the tunnel but had to apply the brakes on the way out as there were too many pedestrians around to go barrelling through. Turned off at Duddingston Park and back into town. Made it along to MacDonald Road without incident (the banked corner of Brunswick Road was a bit ropey) and down Powderhall Path and onto the old railways. Down the Bonnington Path and back Hawthornvale path all the way around to Roseburn. Around to Haymarket and then back through town and home.
Can report that not one teaspoon of grit has been deposited on any of the cycle paths. Generally passable today, made a steady 11-ish mph. Not too much sliding around to worry about, except on sections where there is a steeper slope or a tight bend, where already it's causing concern. Surfaces vary, a complete spectrum of slush and snow and frost and ice. If, rather when, if freezes it take great care and caution and concentration to navigate.
BBC predicting -6 overnight for Edinburgh then heavy snow from midnight through to sunrise. If that plays out according to plan should make interesting surfaces - thick, powdery snow over a frozen base layer. I don't like that "cold" snow one bit. It sticks to the bike, refuses to melt and bungs up the space between the wheel and the guard and the brakes.
Car wouldn't get up the hill and even the 4x4s were sliding on the way down because their brakes are just the same as ours. Took kids home and put them in the bike trailer with stroller conversion.
The trike has been out and about to check it's all working since last winter. I can't see a way to use the kid trailer on it. The towing arm fouls the nearside rear wheel if I fix the clamp to the chain stay and the tubes round the diff are no good, too curvy.
Pashley has been out too, Brompton might be required tomorrow.
Thinking of replacing the trailer hitch with a Carry Freedom hitch. Everything will fit OK, it will be faster to attach and it will not mess up the paint. I'll need to drill a new hole in the towing arm.
"refuses to melt and bungs up the space between the wheel and the guard and the brakes"
Etc.
"There is a grit bin around the corner from me"
Mine seems to be empty!
I was out last night flinging grit on the road where the clown had washed his tranny.
Etc.
new forum game - find a discussion topic about cycling in Edinburgh that chdot hasn't got a photo on flickr for :)
where the clown had washed his tranny
ooh er
"find a discussion topic about cycling in Edinburgh that chdot hasn't got a photo on flickr for"
Nah
I'm psychic - took both those pix today, before those posts.
Main problem is remember what I might have called pix I've put on FLickr (or finding ones I remember taking but are still somewhere on a hard drive!!!)
Bet you don't have an image for this
"clown had washed his tranny"
""clown had washed his tranny"
'tis true - in context at least.
And I didn't take a pic of the tranny that 'had to' overtake me in Forbes Road last night, white of course, no logo. Didn't bother to record his (presumably) number.
Though I found this the other day...
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