CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure

Tracks and trails suitable for cross bike?

(11 posts)

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  1. Hopey
    Member

    Went on a Falkirk-Stirling ride a few months back. Ended up following a couple of mountain bikers through an off road section for a few miles. Was edge of your seat stuff, but I loved it.

    I was a keen mountain biker back in the Borders in my teens. Just now I have a Steel cross bike and am using it for commuting and weekend rides here there and everywhere but am craving some off road fun.

    Don't have the money for a MTB right now. Aside from the obvious Pentlands tracks, does anyone know of some fairly tame single track/off road paths I could get my feet wet with on my steel CX? Preferably near Loanhead/South Edinburgh.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  2. Frenchy
    Member

    There's definitely options in the Lammermuirs.

    In an attempt to reach the furthest away point visible from my house, I went this way on my road bike once: https://www.cyclestreets.net/journey/57998040/

    Whilst I think I was lucky and didn't get any punctures, I would have been very glad of a more suitable bike at the time.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  3. gembo
    Member

    @ hopey, very good trail over fala moor, look out for fala tower. We went up the wee road from Stow until it ends then a7 briefly then up to the farm ( WW2 plane wreck at farm Brothershiels through gate and trail marked). You then have a trail which is easy in parts and trickier in others but can do on a gravel bike. On descent towards fala look out for fala tower ruins and then nearer the bottom watch for three very extreme speed bumps that you need to take very slowly.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  4. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    If you're looking for somewhere quiet to have a laugh and see what your bike can do before you hit the trails I can recommend Craigmillar Hill.

    It's criss-crossed with all sorts of paths on all kinds of surfaces and gradients. Also, it tends to have few visitors because of its name.

    There's been a cyclo-cross race there recently at Halloween.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  5. Murun Buchstansangur
    Member

    Gembo's Moor road suggestion is a good one but very muddy around the field gates you have to open & close, go when it's dry

    The tracks used by last weekend's East Lothian Rough Stuff Audax are worth looking at too

    There was chat on a previous thread about a Cross Borders drove road - conclusion was most of it was possible on a cross/gravel bike

    Posted 6 years ago #

  6. Cyclops
    Member

    There's all sorts of routes in the Lammermuirs. You've got the old drove roads - the Herring Road and the Priest's Road, and now a new network of tracks thanks to the windfarms. There's usually a bit of pushing required as some of the climbs are too steep, even for MTBs. However, once you're up on top of the Moor it's a lot easier

    Posted 6 years ago #

  7. Hopey
    Member

    Thanks all, will give each of them a try when I'm back from hols. Never cycled A68 before, but driven many times. What's it like cycling on it to Fala?

    Posted 6 years ago #

  8. Frenchy
    Member

    If you turn left in Pathhead, then turn right, you can get to Fala without going on the A68.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  9. Cyclops
    Member

    You can get to Fala mostly off-road from SE Edinburgh but it's longer

    • NCR1 to the site of Smeaton station then up the hill to:
    • railway path to West Saltoun
    • pick up the track in Peaston Bank that goes via East Peaston and Peaston to Whitburgh Mains Farm
    • down the hill to Fala Dam and back up again to Fala

    Posted 6 years ago #

  10. paddyirish
    Member

    Just spent a very pleasant hour and a bit with Mrs Paddy in Tentsmuir Forest. A huge range of terrains and trails if you are happy to let yourself get lost. Easily accessible from Leuchars station.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  11. Colin
    Member

    Another option is to take the Longniddry cycle path to Haddington, then follow the River Tyne riverside path to Belhaven Bay.

    Plenty of opportunities to get very muddy, get stung by nettles and enjoy a wide range of wildlife too,

    Cheers
    Colin

    Posted 6 years ago #

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