CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting

Routing asymmetries

(7 posts)
  • Started 13 years ago by Dave
  • Latest reply from ExcitableBoy

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  1. Dave
    Member

    Today - going on two years since I first sat on a recumbent - I rode mine through the fountainbridge underpass from the cinema towards the Roseburn for the first time. In that period I have ridden through the other direction often - how curious.

    When I think about it, the way I get around town is powerfully asymmetric and I wonder if everybody is the same, or it's just me.

    - I often ride via Duddingston and the A1 to Leith through Jock's Lodge, but I've never ridden home that way.

    - I often ride home via Holyrood park but until a couple of weeks ago, I'd never tried riding in that way.

    - I often ride to Marchmont from the Roseburn (via Fountainbridge underpass) but never the other way around.

    - I often ride home via Chambers St, MMW and Marchmont, but never in that way.

    Is this sort of thing normal? :-)

    Posted 13 years ago #

  2. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    More often than not I use the Innocent to ride to work, but the back park road to get home (though in the summer I tend to revert to the Innocent to get home)...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  3. chdot
    Admin

    "Is this sort of thing normal?"

    Normal??? Cycling??

    I think it's partly due to odd bits of Edinburgh road system - one-ways around Fountainbridge, (now) no right turn into Princes Street, etc.

    Also hills - some cycling is about 'hill avoidance' - I'd much rather go up The Bridges or Lothian Road than The Mound (now the tram lines at the RSA add another disincentive). Down The Mound (and Dundas Street) is more attractive.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  4. steveo
    Member

    I've started going over Hutchison Crossway instead of up Henderson Terrace mainly because last week when the roadie gears were broken the hill is a little less abrupt and the stops are at the top of the hill not half way up. But now i like it becuase its five minutes of traffic free quiet.

    I used to go down Carricknow and along St Johns road into town to avoid turning right at Haymarket if i went along Roseburn.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  5. wingpig
    Member

    I sometimes go up the Royal Mile from the parliament to the Hub to get to work but only generally go down the uncobbled Canongate section to avoid shaking things too much; related to this, I'll usually try and avoid going down St Mary's Street (I have to brake to mitigate the shake which results in impatient cars lightly butting me up the rear mudguard) whereas it's fine upwards.

    Getting into work is affected by the one-way systems but escaping isn't, though I tend to lenghten the morning commute (from the minimal Cowgate or PS route) by heading round the hill and through Marchmont/Bruntsfield whereas I'm more likely to loop round somewhere to the north in the evening, slightly due to tending to avoid going south on Lothian Road in evening rush hour (though I've never avoided heading north in morning rush-hour). I'll sometimes take slightly meandering routes to avoid excessive lane-dancing or waits at particular junctions in particular directions.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  6. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    I go up Calton Road to work but down the Canongate on my way home. I like seeing the tourists in the afternoon on the Mile and the right turn at the bottom is a bit easier than trying to get out of Calton Road.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  7. ExcitableBoy
    Member

    How strange, I was thinking the same thing at the weekend. I generally don't plan my route but go on 'auto-pilot' in the right general direction. Some roads/paths seem to appeal in one direction but less so in the other.

    Posted 13 years ago #

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