CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 15years old!
Well done to ALL posters
It soon became useful and entertaining. There are regular posters, people who add useful info occasionally and plenty more who drop by to watch. That's fine. If you want to add news/comments it's easy to register and become a member.
RULES No personal insults. No swearing.
resolved"I forgot their tenacity. You don't have to put them on and take them off very often, though. "
I would hope not but the fear of having to do so 30 miles from home, in the middle of nowhere in the sleet because a nail has just gone through them just scared me too much!
Yes you'll need a steel-cored tyre lever to get a Marathon Plus on/off.
I bought my first pair after my first on-the-way-to-work puncture when I started commuting. I just went into the EBC and asked for two of "something that will never puncture, please".
Got them home and busted my Halfords levers trying to get them on, so went back to the EBC to pick up steel ones. Once they were on, they never came off for 18 months though. Ended up getting donated with the bike to TBS.
Then there is the risk of puncturing your tube trying to get the damn things on and having to do it all over again..
[ontopic]Yo Its_ welcome to the wonderful wheely world of the pedaler....
Your Dawes, is it a discovery type? flat handlebars, 32c wheels (says on the sidewall) nice light alloy frame? If it is then i would say just go for it. I asked a while ago if it was worth getting a hack bike for winter, but it was pointed out to me that you feel much better, and ride more with more enjoyment on a good bike than a bad one. Unless your planning on pounding the trails of Glentress then your hybrid should be well up to the job, Id take one up the water of Leith for example, tho you will have to carry it up the odd step.
I had a Discovery 301 for years, I used to use it as a jump bike and did some pretty high speed trail riding as well as leaning how to cycle down flights of stairs. It survived (except the transmission, but I'd never heard of maintenance at that point) 10 years and would still be with me now it it hadnt gotten stolen. grr.
It sounds like you are really enjoying the new bike, so keep with it. I don't know any back paths in the 'burgh to trouble a hybrid.
However having said that fixing the old one up to a good working standard is a great project and way to learn about bike mechanics without experimenting on your new shimano components.
I totally agree with all the other advise here,specially on taking it easy and enjoying yourself.[/ontopic]
2 continental City Contact in the post, I'm well excited as these are the first tires I've ever bought not attached to a bike. More scotchlite, hoorah!
Rugg Tomcat AKA 'wants to be in Tron'
Tron Guy?
no where near as sexy, and in red, but yeah :)
You distracted me from what i was gonna say, about knees, is i read somewhere that weather* the pain is above or below the kneecap tells you if the saddle is too high/low. But i cant remember weather the correspondence is opposite or not....
*yah, i know.
Oh and "REMEMBER always put the back brake on slightly before the front."
Not really Accepted Wisdom is it?
"Not really Accepted Wisdom is it?"
That depends.
It's good advice for kids (this was written for Primary age) as it reduces chance of 'jam on front brake and go over handlebars' scenarios.
Yes I know they tend not to know left from right and which lever operates which brake.
The crucial thing that Sheldon says is -
"If you take the time to learn to use the front brake correctly, you will be a safer cyclist."
Kids are impatient!
the pain is above or below the kneecap tells you if the saddle is too high/low
There was a piece on knee-pain in cycling plus a couple of issues back. It talked about if the pain was above, below, to either side or front or back what it could mean. Down the sides for instance meant that the balls of your feet were in the wrong position on the pedals. Googling will turn up answer for specific ailments.
If you have time on your hands to fix a puncture you don't need Marathon Plus. If you cannot afford a puncture on the commute then it has to be marathon plus - I have had one puncture ever in them [that's it now right enough]. Twas Hawthorn on the Towpath. I can get them on and off using 4 wee plastic tyre levers - it is a footer. They are heavy and slow (I have 28s from The Bike Chain - anything under that is I think unworkable) I have 32s as well - they have seen better days. Wiggle usually have all Continental Tyres (well I have only ever bought gatorskins but have looked at their dear ones). I have given up on Wiggle for ever and am sticking to local outlets such as The Bike Chain (they will probably fit your Marathon Plusses for you if you ask nicely).
kaputnik
Member
Yes you'll need a steel-cored tyre lever to get a Marathon Plus on/off.
Nah - we use the standard plastic Pedros levers in the shop. The Park ones are too brittle. Pedros just go on forever.
Nah - we use the standard plastic Pedros levers in the shop.
They're made form steel in comparison to Bikehut levers!
Blimey - thanks everyone for the tsunami of info and the gentle encouragement..!
Now, where to start?
I'm quite impressed / happy that most folk think that keeping the Falcon MTB has some merit. I must have an alternative bike (just in case...) and if it just takes new tyres and a few bits and bobs to get it up to spec, that's great.
@amir : thanks for the tip, will try to get along to EBC this weekend.
@chdot (and others). The knees were <cough> less than perfect before my recently rekindled interest in bikes (>twenty years of footy, mostly on artificial pitches, being the primary cause...). I find riding the bike is actually hugely benficial to them: one of the reasons why I'm so keen to cycle regularly.
@anth at work : I'll stick with my Falcon as backup / thrash bike then. I should maybe make clear that I haven't started this commute yet (I only started the new job last week) but I've been practising the distance locally. I'll be going from Silverknowes to Riccarton. Until today the journey was a gentle 20 minute pootle in the car (sorry) but today the schools went back and it turned into a 50 minute nightmare. Seven miles by car took fifty minutes - utterly insane. But it has strengthened my resolve to get to/from work without the car. I'm pondering the best route for the commute, but maybe that's a topic for another thread.
@ruggtomcat : the Dawes is a Geneva (illustrated here but bought locally from TBC). It came supplied with Schwalbe Road Cruisers, I think. The knobblies on the Falcon are originals of indistinct origin but wearing thin, so replacing them sounds like a good idea. I'm not convinced the wheels are still true though, so maybe.....
@gembo : .....if I took the whole thing along to TBC they'd have a good look at it (and only guffaw discreetly when out of my earshot).
Thanks once again to everyone for the advice: every comment is greatly appreciated.
"I'm pondering the best route for the commute"
I'm sure some people will be able to comment on this -
@chdot. Yep, I looked at this. The alternative route that occurred to me was on the Silverknowes - Roseburn cycle path to the very end (Russel Road) and then a quick run up to Harrison Gardens and the canal path out to Riccarton. Longer at roughly nine miles, but far less interaction with motorised traffic and fairly level on the cycle paths at least. Thoughts?
"Thoughts"
Longer but flatter, probably good choice.
RR to HG probably a bit clogged at 'rush' hour, but you'll probably beat the traffic - of you can get down the side of it.
Watch for buses on Dalry Road - narrow with bus stop 'in' bike lane.
Try route(s) on a Sunday so you can check junctions etc. without so much traffic to look out for.
http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=678#post-5982
You can get from Barnton junction / north end of Drum Brae to South Gyle almost traffic free if you are looking for a quieter route.
Cyclestreets doesn't seem to want to use it but there is a path that roughly follows a line to the east of the Maybury Road. Have a look at the mapping on Cyclestreets (zoomed quite far in) and you'll see lots the path marked as a dotted red line.
This brings you out onto Craigs Road. The next bit isn't mapped but you can cut down the side of Craigmount High School onto North Glye Loan, although there are a few steps to go down.
Not sure of the legality of this route for cycling or the practicality when school kids are about. I've taken a group of scouts this way with no problems.
It's possible to get from North Gyle, to South Gyle and Edinburgh Park pretty much traffic free, but it's not the shortest route in the world (the route on the south side of the railway has been discussed on these pages several times).
Don't think we've discussed bags? As someone who blithely used a bike to get to school and uni for years, as well as shopping, day-trips etc, all using a backpack, can I speak strongly in favour of panniers? The difference is amazing, and they are well worth the investment.
"can I speak strongly in favour of panniers? The difference is amazing"
This is an interesting one - I'm not disagreeing.
I have panniers, they get used occasionally, but for daily use I mostly use courier bags.
There's no doubt that for long trips you don't want to carry stuff on your back.
But for shorter journeys especially ones involving (for instance) local shopping a bag on the back is more practical.
For commuting it depends on distance, weight (and to some extent bulk).
Also if you carry tools, spare tubes etc that are not for use at work leaving them in a pannier, or even a saddlebag, would be good - if security is reassuring enough.
hmmmm....i suppose i should try a courier bag first, but the idea os something slung somewhat insecurely over my shoulder doesn't appeal. but remember, i do most of my cycling with a child as well, so don't need anything to distract me. hence pref for basket, pannier and rucksack. i also tend to transport stacks of books, for which panniers particularly good.
"For commuting it depends on distance, weight (and to some extent bulk)."
And also depends on if you cycle in your work clothes. A rucksack and, to a lesser extent, a courier back will help to contribute to a sweaty back.
I cycled to school then uni with my bag on my back but ever since then have always used panniers. But when I started doing a regular short ride to Haymarket I got a courier bag: ride is so short that over heating is not an issue; locking the bike and heading into the station is a few seconds faster without panniers - those seconds count.
I'd agree with chdot on the other convenience points of a courier bag.
"i suppose i should try a courier bag first"
Not really.
You are contrasting something on your back with something on your bike and have made the decision that suits you.
Your childseat passenger will be glad you have panniers..
As cb says a sweaty back can be another side effect.
On nice days, riding in the Roseburn path and out the canal might be quite nice, but it will be very slow compared with the direct route, and your chance of puncturing is much higher.
Depends what you're looking for really - as a keep fit option that's definitely what I'd recommend.
If I had that commute, I'd either ride the 'red' route from the link below, or the 'balanced' one except I'd ride the red version at Quality St junction. Depends what Calder road is like VS the slowness of access to/from the canal - but everyone's preference is different.
Do you work ordinary hours? I wonder if we could find a CCE'er to accompany you at some point.
http://edinburgh.cyclestreets.net/journey/419720
PS. when you look at cyclestreets, you should note that 'hostile' is not a valid measurement of traffic density. Traffic on the A90, for example, is far more tolerant of cyclists than on a smaller, "safer" road where people actually can't overtake.
but the idea os something slung somewhat insecurely over my shoulder doesn't appeal
That's why they invented the chest strap :)
I can speak in favour of both panniers and courier bags as I use both, basically dependent on how much stuff I've got to carry as my courier back is quite small (but perfectly sufficient for a shirt, tie, change of frillies, room for wallet/phone/keys/survival tools and my all important lunch(es)). Some people (e.g. couriers!) carry epic quantities in their courier bags.
However can strongly speak in disfavour of a rucksack. Not only for sweaty-back-syndrome, I find that it interfered with looking over the shoulder and with certain riding positions it interefered with the helmet (that may have had something to do with the particular make of bag, an EBC/Vaude one).
It was also nigh-on impossible to get anything out of the bag without stopping and taking the bag off. With a courier bag you can undo the chest strap and swing it round (this may not be too important for commuting).
I also didn't like carrying so much weight high up.
Whatever you choose, can I recommend that you buy one made of waterproof fabric - rather than one that you have to put a waterproof cover over. There's no cover that doesn't need to have apertures to let straps / clips / fittings poke out of it that will let the rain and muck in. Wateproof fabrics are wipe clean and if it suddenly starts to rain, you don't need to worry about stopping and putting a cover on only to find out that you've forgotten it...
I'm obviously in the mood to disagree with Kaputnik today :) "I recommend that you buy one made of waterproof fabric - rather than one that you have to put a waterproof cover over"
We got a pair of panniers from EBC 2.5 years ago, and while their fittings proved a real weak point, we have both used them regularly to commute -- including a full week's worth of food, clothes etc -- and take books, exam scripts etc to work, and never had a problem with them getting wet, even without putting the little orange covers over.
"That's why they invented the chest strap"
Never actually used one, prefer the extra freedom, don't mind the occasional 're-positioning flick'.
The one I got with my new bag doesn't fit.
I'm not that big...
I do a similar route sometimes from Leith if I want to see the river (and have a slice roll from the van at Granton sq). My route would be just to go over the Maybury hill, it's not actually, or it doesn't feel like a constant incline, there's just a short sharp bit before the roundbout and you have the unrestrained joy of going past all the cars on the way down.
I just use the western side pavement on this route, as it's wide and pretty much a de-facto bike path, from there you just pootle through the gyle and embra park and hermi gate and do the wiggly bit at the end.
had a problem with them getting wet, even without putting the little orange covers over.
Perhaps they're made from waterproof fabric then :P
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