CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 15years old!
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not resolvedAs it says on the tin...
What route would you recommend for an experienced (& traffic adverse) rider get from Ravy Dykes to the Parliament?
I'm inclined to say, wait until Roseburn - Canal & Canal - Meadows are built, but that doesn't really answer the question.
Roseburn Path, then up to the Canal (okay, there is the bit from the zig-zags to, well, the canal to deal with... sorry?), Meadows, Holyrood Park?
“I'm inclined to say, wait until Roseburn - Canal & Canal - Meadows are built”
That would help!
“Not at rush hour” would be another answer.
“but that doesn't really answer the question”
Oh yes it does.
However, NEPN -
Push from Haymarket Yards to Dalry Place, then Canal, Meadows, St. Leonard’s etc. (Push Lochrin Place - Valleyfield if necessary.)
To be clear, did you mean to type "inexperienced"?
Cyclestreets and cycle.travel both suggest Princes Street, then either Calton Road or Jeffrey St.
I'd be more inclined to suggest @unhurt's route for traffic-averse cyclists (using the path behind Lidl and the Telfer subway to get from Dalry Rd to Fountainbridge).
Or
NEPN to Powderhall, new link to Meadowbank, Holyrood Park.
Oh...
@Frenchy, yep, the Lidl path / underpass was the way I meant.
I... would not send someone who doesn't like traffic down Princes St at most times of day - I find buses more predictable than cars but I know friends who find them terrifying just because of size/noise. Calton Road sometimes a bit hairy but suppose without through traffic it's grand?
@Frenchy - Yes - Not for me.
The Telfer subway route is the one we used for Corstorburn PoP feeder ride, but I'm not convinced I know the best way from the Canal to the Meadows - any alternatives to Kings Theatre?
How do you do the Innocent to Parliament?
"Lidl path / underpass"
Depends on confidence and time of day, but that involves Russell Rd & Murieston Cres AND the Telfer ramps & then??
"How do you do the Innocent to Parliament?"
Dumbiedykes, H Park or H Rd.
any alternatives to Kings Theatre?
Leamington Terrace (although it has its own gradient problem), then Leamington Walk, Middle Meadow Walk.
How do you do the Innocent to Parliament?
Rankeillor St, St Leonard's Lane, St Leonard's Hill, Braidwood Gate, Dumbiedykes Road, cut through into Holyrood Park before the play park. There are some steps and missing dropped kerbs, but it is a very quiet route. Braidwood Gate is fairly steep as well.
Alternatively:
Rankeillor, Hermit's Croft, East Parkside, Holyrood Park Road, then onto the paths through the park (not sure about legality of cycling on the paths between Holyrood Park Road and the northernmost roundabout). Longer, but steadier gradient may make it preferable on the way back?
Just looked at https://cyclefridays.wordpress.com
Can't find the advice about 'try route before your first proper commute'.
Thought it was on front page(?)
This is all v revealing of exactly how bike unfriendly Edinburgh is if you aren't happy to joust with motor vehicles and navigate weird sections of almost-steps passing as infrastructure.
@unhurt - I was wondering if it would be worth sending a link to this discussion to councillors.
@chdot - there's a bit on the About page.
@Frenchy, yes, or at least compile the text for them and include a link so they can verify? (suspect not all migh be familiar with idea of internet "handles"?)
ETA I see @HankChief is on it on Twitter already
@ Frenchy
Ta, missed it -
“Try a route (or two) on a non-working day.”
Probably should on Home and/or Routes.
NEPN to Five Ways, Chancelot, WoL to Sandport, Coalhill, Parliament At, Giles At, Leith Links, Restalrig Path to Hawkhill, Lochend Park or Lochend Butterfly, down the wee steps to Lower London Road, through the wee secret path, across to the park entrance opposite Clockmill Lane, across the park,wee bit of the Duke's Walk path, across to the Parliament.
I'll see your Ravie Dykes to parliament and raise you the Inch to Costorphine village.
Edinburgh is actually really frightening to cycle round. I don't know what I've done to the inside of my head over the years to tolerate it.
Just to make it more complicated, the Telfer subway isn't passable for a recumbent handcycle, the 'ramping' of the steps is still too severe to avoid grounding.
It really should have a health warning of restricted access.
@handcyclist - hmm, I imagine it's too tight in the turns for other "non standard" bikes too.
OT for this thread but now thinking: if we switch up the PoP route at any point we had better be sure it's all accessible to all bikes... (how is getting onto the grass at Parliament I wonder, e.g. and can it be made better?)
(not expecting you to provide these answers btw; just thinking aloud!)
All the routes that are safish are convoluted. From NEPN to Russell Road, then instead of Telfer up Dalry Place, Morrison Crescent, Melvin Way, Canal, Lochrin Place, right turn on Home Street (nasty that bit - you might want to walk to the pedestrian crossing), then through to Meadows, St Leonards and down Queens Drive on the path. On a nice day a lot of that would be scenic - the Meadows and Arthur's Seat especially.
If the infrastructure was as it should be it would be NEPN, on to segregated route at Roseburn all the way along Shandwick Place and Princes St to Waverley Street and Market Street. There was once a scheme for a covered way from Waverley Station to Holyrood.
The number of schemes that never made it to maturity is like infant mortality during the Black Death.
@handcyclist, unhurt - there's also a deep, wide gutter where the path behind Lidl meets the subway path; not fun even on a normal bike.
A slightly less awful way to negotiate King’s is where the mythical link will go: do not turn right in Lower Gilmore Place but go on the newly resurfaced bit by the canal and on to Lochrin Place, then get off and cross at the Cameo. From there you can push to Valleyfield St or even get back on the road as though it’s busy you don’t have to do the terrible right turn.
Edit: that’s what Rosie is proposing. Too early on Sat morning
When I did that route (traffic averse, inexperienced rider), I pushed between Haymarket Yards and Morrison Cres, and canal to King's. I'd also push from East Parkside/Holyrood Park Rd til the shared use (unless the footpath was clear of peds). It's annoying but I suppose they're short walks...
Taking a scenic route if convoluted is a plus for me. If I have time I take a longer route to my work as it's by the canal and a pleasant way to start the day.
Thanks all. I think I'll have to do some exploring before I get comfortable to recommend.
I never new about the Dalry Place cut through and have always used the Telfer subway and the terrible ditch from the Aldi path and then the ramps which I can only get up by doing a half pedal each step so as not to ground the tandem (which makes it hard work as it is always the same leg doing the effort.)
NEPN to Five Ways, St Marks Park, McDonald Rd, Brunswick Rd, Rossie Pl, Abbey Lane is one way to seriously limit time on busy roads.
Folding bike and Haymarket to Waverley on a train?
@HankChief - I never knew about the Dalry Place cut through and have always used the Telfer subway
I often take tandem and tours by that route but avoid the zig zag ramps to Upper Grove Place by going back to Drysdale Road on shared use pavement beside WAR. Bit round the houses but bike is 3m long and we're aiming for shop in Viewforth. A Helios tandem will just go round zig zag on way down but generally this is a barrier to cycling and really a 'pram ramp'.
I tried that route yesterday on way to work. Those Upper Grove Place zig zags are very tight. Why isn't one side just a long ramp?
The Telfer subway "evil" stepped-ramp and gutter could be avoided if only they would tarmac the footpath on the North side of the Western Approach road between the bus stop and the toucan...
Now that is the sort of "shovel-ready" project that CEC should be burning up the excess 2017 cycle budget with (instead of gold plating the NEPN)
Wasn't a footway beside the WAR included in the Roseburn-to-Canal link drawings?
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