What it the surface like on the route via Hopeton House and Blackness? Asking for a friend with road bike.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
Coast route from South Queensferry to Bo'ness.
(25 posts)-
Posted 5 years ago #
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@biketrain, the path was updated from Borrowstoneness to Blackness. Not sure after that.
Often tempted in Bo’ness to go that way to avoid the hill up through Muirhoouses but always end up staying on the road.
Posted 5 years ago # -
It's been several years, but I have been that way on a road bike.
My recollection is that the surface between Hopetoun and Blackness isn't great, but is passable. There was at least one spot where I got off and pushed for a short distance (going round the side of Hopetoun House).
Someone has tagged it as "smoothness=intermediate" on Openstreetmap.
Between Blackness and Boness there is a wonderfully smooth cycle path.
Hopefully someone who's been there more recently/with a better memory can confirm/update.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Last time I went (about 6 months ago) it was similar to the dalmeny route to Sth Queensferry. Personally I wouldn’t take a pure road bike on it but gravel bike ok. Others might be more adventurous
Posted 5 years ago # -
Between Blackness and Boness there is a wonderfully smooth cycle path
Most of the section in the woods (approx 1km) is not tarmac, but reasonable-ish hard-packed surface. Caused the 6 year old to moan about it when we went that way on Sunday.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Coming from Bo'ness I recall; really nice cycle path, then usable path through woods to Blackness, then "please ride your bike across this field" at which point I went a different way.
Posted 5 years ago # -
There is a relatively new section of tarmac between Blackness and the start of the path heading east through Hopetoun Estate. This used to be a field. A new bridge has also been installed at the bottom of the field. The coastal route from Blackness through Hopetoun Estate is a hard packed surface and I ride it regularly on a road bike with 28mm tyres. Sometimes a few muddy patches after heavy rain but normally fine.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Posted 5 years ago #
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Posted 5 years ago #
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I walked this exact route with the family just the other week. There are two wooded sections where the path is forest trail instead of tarmac: one between Hopetoun and Blackness and the other closer to Bo'ness. Personally I wouldn't ride either on a road bike, even with 28mm tyres. A tourer on 32mm+ tyres, gravel bike or MTB would be no problem, however not sure how great the surface would be after heavy rain.
Posted 5 years ago # -
The coast route from Bo'ness to Blackness is a lovely cycle, by the Forth with a view of Blackness Castle.
The link from Blackness through Hopetoun has improved now. You used to cycle across a muddy field, now it's tarmac.
The woodland is fine on a hybrid. The surface isn't bad.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Biketrain’s pal may be able to push his road bike 28mm tyres on the woodland sections to the par court?
Posted 5 years ago # -
@gembo, the wooded section is about 3km. Pushing the bike might be quite enjoyable through the woods, if a bit slower than a road bike rider is used to.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Bit like the cleuch in from the end of Loganlea tarmac to the top of beech avenue. Often tempts me near the end of longer rides instead of Midlothian and Fairnilehead. Tho bit gravelly and up and down so i never do that
Posted 5 years ago # -
I've ridden S Queensferry-Blackness on 25mm slicks. The forest path from the Hopetoun estate church to Blackness is fine IMO with the following caveats:
1) Best left after heavy rain or with leaf mulch on the ground
2) the hairpins down from the church are gravelly and I take them exceedingly gently
3) upthread it sounds like the situation might have improved, but the previous marked path through the estate with the full-height kissing gate and the grassy path was a PITA. Coming from SQ, I always continue up the estate road, exit the estate and follow the tarmac road on the outside of the estate wall (heavily potholed in places but passable) to the church.Posted 5 years ago # -
'Rode' through on 37-633 20 years ago - tolerable - but this was a bike that I was using to ride on railway ballast (fixed wheel too) when surveying cycle routes, took it through Gaick Pass too.
RSF would class the route then as rideable on most decent tourers.
Posted 5 years ago # -
"I've ridden S Queensferry-Blackness on 25mm slicks"
Ditto. The forest section was perfectly fine, though not at full speed. Definitely better than the estate's sandy/grassy sections. At the time I classified it firmly as a "summer only" route on that bike.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Thanks for all the info on the route.
Cycled it last night and had no complaints from my friend. Very enjoyable ride.
She had many issues with her clipless pedals not releasing. Fell at entrance to Hopeton House electric gates, with results in a 20 cm cut to her calf. Spend a bit of time stopping the flow of blood. Then I backed off the springs on the pedals as much as I could. Still have trouble releasing, so I checked again and found the cleats were lose. These were new shoes and cleats provided/fitted recently by a LBS. I tightened up the cleats and this made releasing a lot easier.
We stopped a friend's in Blackness, who cleaned out the cut and applied tcp. Bleeding had stopped.
Then onto Bo'ness for ice cream before returning to Dalmeny without incident.
On balance a great evening's ride.
Posted 5 years ago # -
20 cm cut sounds bad
Posted 5 years ago # -
Yes it is quite impressive. Amazed that she soldiered on, lesser folk would have turned back. The promise of ice cream may have had some influence.
Posted 5 years ago # -
TCP. Amazing stuff, a real childhood smell. Bought some a month ago, wife is horrified by the smell.
Did anyone ever actually properly finish a bottle? I suspect not.
Posted 5 years ago # -
@IainMcR
Oddly I am about to finish my first bottle. Has taken some years right enough. Great stuff though.
Posted 5 years ago # -
What did you mix it with?
Posted 5 years ago # -
My blood.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Hardcore.
Posted 5 years ago #
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