CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Questions/Support/Help

Need suggestions on where to complete a 3 mile TT

(22 posts)
  • Started 7 years ago by condor2378
  • Latest reply from fimm
  • This topic is not resolved

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  1. condor2378
    Member

    As part of Ironman 70.3 training, my plan calls for a Tempo Time Trial. Warm-up is 15 minutes raising heart rate then complete a 3 mile TT at a very high heart rate with a 15 min cooldown.

    I'm a bit stumped as to where would be a good place in Edinburgh to go fast and avoid pedestrians/traffic lights /general traffic which would put a stop on things, so I'm looking for suggestions

    I'm prepared to put the bike in the car and travel but for arguments sake, is there anywhere which could be gotten to easily starting from, say, the Morningside Clock?

    Any ideas on a flat, car free road or track gratefully accepted.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  2. HankChief
    Member

    There and back on Turnhouse Road?

    Posted 7 years ago #

  3. Klaxon
    Member

    Silverknowes seafront is a flat 2.5 miles from Cramond to the very end. Fine for blasting when quiet, not at weekends or dogwalking hours.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  4. fimm
    Member

    Sliverknowes on-road loop is 2.5 miles (we do it 4 times as an informal 10-mile TT).
    Here:
    https://www.strava.com/activities/713506125
    Not flat, but not too bad. Go anti-clockwise so you turn left at all the junctions. The worst bit for me is just after you have turned left into Marine Drive where you have to be wary because of cars parked on the left.
    Your other option in that area is to go up and down Silverknowes Parkway.

    I wouldn't TT on Crammond Prom.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  5. paddyirish
    Member

    Not Edinburgh, but I did 16 loops of Dalgety Bay Moray Road yesterday morning- almost a perfect 5km loop. I started at 4.30am (don't ask!) and in the 80km I was overtaken by a total of 6 cars - I went through 48 roundabouts and 16 sets of traffic lights, having to check my speed twice. It was as close to closed roads as I could get.

    Not that I ever want do more than a lunch hour's worth, ever again...

    Posted 7 years ago #

  6. fimm
    Member

    Missed the bit about going from Morningside clock - it would be a bit more than 15 minutes from there via the NEPN - it is about 15 minutes from Gorgie.

    Which 70.3 are you doing? The Edinburgh one?

    Posted 7 years ago #

  7. Frenchy
    Member

    Arthur's Seat? Not flat, of course.

    Not Edinburgh, but I did 16 loops of Dalgety Bay Moray Road yesterday morning- almost a perfect 5km loop. I started at 4.30am (don't ask!)
    If you tell us why you were doing this, I won't ask why you were doing it at 5am.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  8. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    The local official time trial courses (for ten miles) are at Kirkliston and Wallyford/Longniddry. The Longniddry one goes from near the "elephant" sale-rooms, through Prestonpans back road and along the dual carriageway to turn at the roundabout at Longniddry station and return to the start.

    Other uninterrupted flat three mile roads are Tranent to Haddington roundabout via Macmerry, the road south of the Tyne from Saltoun Mains crossroads towards Lennoxlove, and the back road from Pencaitland towards Haddington (though that one is a bit up and down). Of these Saltoun Mains/Lennoxlove would have the least traffic.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  9. paddyirish
    Member

    @frenchy

    A pal and I have been doing a Strava Gran Fondo each month for a number of months now. Neither of us wants to break our sequence and "give in" to the other.

    I hadn't done a Gran Fondo in January and can't fit one in this weekend. I had to fit it in somewhere, so an extended commute in friendly conditions with as late a start as possible to get into work for 9am.

    16 laps, then pick up my bag and ride in to work. Job done and he has 6 days to keep his sequence going...

    Posted 7 years ago #

  10. gembo
    Member

    From the morningside clock about day break you might consider braid hills drive? Might have to turn when it starts to descend.

    Flotterstone inn to loganlea trout fishery is 3.2 miles, some climb and obviously not near morningside clock

    Posted 7 years ago #

  11. condor2378
    Member

    Thanks for the suggestions all. On mobile at the moment but I'll get Google maps out and get checking when I'm on pc

    @fimm yes, ironman 70.3 Edinburgh. I won a month's free coaching from performance.me on Twitter so I'm following the head coaches plan at the moment trying to establish my base fitness, hence the Tt.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  12. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Flotterstone inn to loganlea trout fishery

    There's holes in the tarmac that might wreck a fancy bike going fast?

    Posted 7 years ago #

  13. gembo
    Member

    @iwrats, shame I had in my head it was all smooth

    Posted 7 years ago #

  14. fimm
    Member

    @condor2378 a month's free coaching's a useful thing to win... I'm intrigued by the 3-mile TT, to be honest, when I've done similar tests I'm sure it has been a much longer effort. I guess the stats they get out of you give them what they need to know!

    Posted 7 years ago #

  15. ARobComp
    Member

    @iwrats + @gembo - the holes are easily avoidable and the surface not too bad. A few cattle grids in there.

    For my money Silverknowes loop as described by Fimm is the best loop for this sort of thing in the city.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  16. redmist
    Member

    For simplicity's sake what about just heading west out of Balerno on the A70 for 3 miles ? Its pretty quiet outside rush hour.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  17. fimm
    Member

    Redmist, that's a really good suggestion.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  18. gembo
    Member

    I would have suggested, but for the obvious Balerno bias and a bit far from the clock?

    Outside of Penicuick there is a Big saltire flying and if take righ fork t=you have a backroad to west linton that might be long enough? Does start going down. Not a waste of time just going out there as it is cracking

    Posted 7 years ago #

  19. panyagua
    Member

    @paddyirish

    I'm impressed that you were able to tolerate 16 laps of Dalgety Bay without losing the will to live. The most I've managed is about 3 laps, generally at the start/end of a more extensive ride in order to get my distance up to something I deem respectable.

    Mind you, for evidence of a *really* high boredom threshold, the current distance record challenger would take some beating - picking a day pretty much at random:

    https://www.strava.com/activities/842177128

    Posted 7 years ago #

  20. redmist
    Member

    @panyagua
    I know a guy who did laps of Arthurs Seat a few years ago as a charity challenge. IIRC he did 72 laps in 24 hours !

    Posted 7 years ago #

  21. paddyirish
    Member

    @panyagua,

    was a close run thing, but it's January, it was a "get it over with as quickly as possible" one. Hope that will be the last of those for a while (or ever), though could be a useful monthly 25-30km TT over a lunch hour...

    Posted 7 years ago #

  22. fimm
    Member

    @redmist I'm sure I know someone who did that but I can't remember any details nor indeed exactly who it was!

    Posted 7 years ago #

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