Thats two weeks of snow and I'm missing my cycling. Is there anywhere in the Edinburgh area that is safe to cycle? Even the main roads yesterday looked bad :(
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Leisure
Anywhere to cycle in this weather?
(25 posts)-
Posted 14 years ago #
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I grabbed the opportunity to cycle on the bike path in north Edinburgh yesterday after the fresh fall of snow but already it was feeling slippery and my back wheel slid out a few times. Still good fun though and I am really glad I did it since the forecast for the foreseeable looks awful.
Posted 14 years ago # -
Saw quite a few people out yesterday in and around Holyrood (we were sledging/walking) - including a road bike, but mostly mountain bikes.
Posted 14 years ago # -
Almost anywhere WITH CARE.
Been riding my cyclo-cross style bike the past few days.
Yesterday afternoon was a bit surprised to find that city centre bus route roads like Buccleuch Street were covered with slush - fortunately no ice underneath.
Sciennes Road was solid white - but rideable - it's only smooth ice that causes real problems.
Watch out at junctions where cars have spun the snow into ice sheets.
If in doubt walk. HOWEVER I maintain that cycling is safer than walking at the moment!
Posted 14 years ago # -
Just been out in the snow sorting things for tomorrow. Trike needed some repairs because it hadn't been used for a couple of years. Headset spanners, WD-40 and a new gear cable have it going again. Brompton just needed a squirt of WD-40 on the gear cable & indicator chain.
If things stay as they are just now it will be the Brompton, if I think it has iced up more then it will be the trike.
I have been using Green Oil on my chains in order to save the planet but it seems the weather has taken control and the oil has waxed up inside the bottle. Back to the spray on environment killers.
Posted 14 years ago # -
The Lang Whang has been ploughed now, so if no more snow and gritted tonight - passable as on 26.12.09 and 01.01.10 but that has been it this holiday
Posted 14 years ago # -
Wee folding, have you tried a Scottoiler? I have one on my commuting mtb and it works great for winter riding. I haven't tried using Green Oil myself as I'm still working my way through a bottle of Triflow for my other bikes.
My road still has loads of snow, despite being sort of gritted, so cars are getting stuck from time to time. Knobbly tyres are just the job on the bike though!
Posted 14 years ago # -
I'm starting to think a cyclecross inspired beater is required, chdot is that a retail frame or did you rehome a poor lonely bike?
Low profile tyres and race (ish) geometry are not much fun in this weather.
Posted 14 years ago # -
I took the Roseburn/Trinity route on my old MTB with a badly buckled back wheel, wonky gears, functional brakes and a light that ran out of battery. The slush on the cycle lanes was just too damn slippy whereas the cycle path snow and tyre tracks were not so bad.
Posted 14 years ago # -
Arelicat,
I have considered it but they don't seem to have a way of fitting it to the Brompton jockey wheels. The jockeys aren't normal as they have lateral movement on the 2 and 6 speed models. A wee changer plate under the RH chain stay moves the top jockey to change between the sprockets. There is a guy in Sweden who uses it but it's a three speed Brompton and even then he just has it dripping onto the chain. He didn't use the normal reservoir as he couldn't find a place to fit it where it was the right way up when folded so he fabed a wee bottle which is fitted to the chain tensioner.
Posted 14 years ago # -
"that a retail frame or did you rehome a poor lonely bike?"
Both!
Originally an unknown maker's 531frame with vinyl 'branding' for a shop - which peeled off easily.
I got it on eBay about 18 months ago for about £50 (as a complete bike) - yeah I like bargains.
It had 27 x 1 1/4" wheels which must have put bidders off.
But it meant I knew I would be able to fit 700c wheels with fatter tyres than the originals. Fortunately there was room for knobbly ones!
Posted 14 years ago # -
The snow has been a good excuse to get the mountain bike out to play. Especially if taking the cyclepaths. On the roads I could probably manage with the road bike, and certainly in the city centre plenty people seem to be, but by the house there's still a fair amount of loose snow; hard packed shiny snow; and ice. This feels a little more sure-footed a way to travel...
Posted 14 years ago # -
Red bikes rule...
Posted 14 years ago # -
It's orange!
Posted 14 years ago # -
Mmm
Seems same colour as the Sustrans sticker.
Posted 14 years ago # -
Orange orange orange!
:P
Posted 14 years ago # -
Pink
Posted 14 years ago # -
Looked up cyclocross on wikipedia! Yes. that is probably what I saw. Learning something new everyday on here :)
I felt pretty good on pseudo-mountain-bike today (first day out), but must admit that we are doing nursery runs by bus, but mostly because of the number of cars we have seen with ice encrusted tires, and driving too fast on very slippery road surfaces. Lots of people taking it easy, especially when there are other cars around, but any number who would be in really bad shape if they had to brake suddenly.
Posted 14 years ago # -
Black (gloss or matte, I don't mind).
Posted 14 years ago # -
Gloss is better
Black, White, Gunmetal Grey, Red, Green, Blue all good for me.
Used to have a really nice Pink Specialized.
Not as pink as this though.
He has another machine
Posted 14 years ago # -
Looks like an S2L-X with a telescopic seat pin. I've got a matte black one but I wouldn't put Marathons on mine, it has Stelvio Lights, and I don't need the telescopic pin. I've got the Brompton folding pedal on mine because it makes quite a difference to the folded size.
There is some discussion in Brompton circles as to the merits of the matte paint. I've only seen it in black and I think it's OK.
Posted 14 years ago # -
I had a yellow bike once...
Now it's been out all day in the slush there's not much frame colour showing.
No I haven't taken a pic!
Posted 14 years ago # -
Tips on riding in the snow from the Guardian cycle blog
Posted 14 years ago # -
SRD - did you mention you had a bike seat I could try out? When suits you and what length of seat stem do I need free? (that may rule out the hybrid)
Posted 14 years ago # -
Yes, but it needs a blackburn rack - it doesn't attach to seat stem, so you will probably need to borrow a bike too.
Posted 14 years ago #
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