I'm sure I read somewhere that this trial was successful and they're planning to upgrade more of the path.
Can't find it again now; am I just making it up?
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
Upgrading WoL path to Balerno
(72 posts)-
Posted 5 years ago #
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think you might have made that up @Frenchy. It has only very recently been subjected to any frost at all given the mild winter. THey delayed laying it in April as conditions were rank.
It is however a winner. If the horse riders can be forced to stay off it for the period at the start [they ignored this which was not great given how mediocre the laying was already).
I think they improved the drainage as it is way more dry than the rest of the WoL. Also when the path really dried out in the summer it was softer than the path thus helping the runners.
It really is fab.I know the guy who helped to uintroduce it and will be lobbying hard for CALA to stump up funding.
Posted 5 years ago # -
think you might have made that up @Frenchy.
Blast, I was fairly sure you'd said it too. Ta.
Posted 5 years ago # -
@frenchy, yes I said it, (see above) it is a success but no one else apart from me is saying it in an official way, but this is how it begins
Posted 5 years ago # -
Having argued the path should be tarmac'd a few years ago I've found myself riding up there on average 3 times a month in the last year or so, to get in to the pentlands, and now I'm starting to worry about the wear on my (fairly) expensive mtb tyres*.
What bits were done a few years ago? How is this stuff on soft rubber?
*yes I'm a hypocrite**
**actually I still think its a win for the greater good but those tyres are more expensive than the last set I put on the car.
Posted 2 years ago # -
after the old railway was turned into the wol path it has had a variety of surfaces but mostly hardcore and mud. the whin dust was a disaster. the path is hard as rock in summer but soft as mud in winter
the ultitrec starts with a degree of bounce then beds down after a year to be like the rest of the path in summer and a bit more dry in winter.
there is a diversion at redhall now as they have started at the east end where the path is already paved.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I'm trying to work out what bit was done before (5 years ago?) and how much I may have ridden on it before. But it looks like it was from Balerno down? I don't usually go much further than Colinton before slogging up.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Yeah, only from Currie kirk upstream towards (but not quite as far as) Balerno.
It's definitely better but it's not great. I'm not sure about tyre wear. I guess it will be in between dirt and tarmac, closer to dirt as the top surface is still relatively loose.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Aye, I've probably not used it much. I generally go up and come down before there. Having said that I have come down there a few times recently and never noticed much of a difference in the surface, hopefully be a bit less muddy.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Is this the same surface as the Pencaitland path? That surface is much better than what was there before. I have seen plenty of roadbikes on it. It is a bit dusty on dry days and the bike will need a clean.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Can't remember if it had Ultritrec but the SRUC at Oatridge has a demonstration site for path surfaces, as well as other path features
Posted 2 years ago # -
Another thread implies the Pencaitland path is Ultitrec - see http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16289
It seems to be in reasonable nick after a number of years, even with horse riding on it.
Posted 2 years ago #
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