CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure

Cycling to school

(15 posts)
  • Started 13 years ago by recombodna
  • Latest reply from crowriver

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  1. recombodna
    Member

    Ok my kids are keen to cycle to school which is great and we do it as often as possible. We cycle up Polwarth Gardens onto Gilmore place and right turn onto viewforth terrace. Since there is no cycle path we have to make a choice. Cycle on the busy road ( 8 year old on a bike 12 year old on a bike 5 year old on a trail gator) and hold up traffic or cycle on the busy pavement and annoy pedestrians.
    Now I don't mind cycling on the road but I feel the eyes of motorists burning into the back of our slow moving heads as they wait for a moment to blast past us shaking their heads and also some parents on the pavement and in cars commenting on the fact that " oh you don't let them ride on the road do you?"
    I would teach the kids to stay as close to the left as possible but a couple of weeks ago my 8 year old got a car door opened on her and nearly came a cropper.
    The kids are good safe cyclists (when they're with me) they wear h****ts and gloves and I feel it's good to learn at a young age to be comfortable in traffic.

    What are peoples views on this??

    Posted 13 years ago #

  2. SRD
    Moderator

    Couldn't agree with you more, but also (facing the same route in a few months!) agree that it is not a nice route for kids - especially the roundabout, and the horrid parked cars on Polwarth gardens. (Actually, suspect I would go down TPC rather than PG, but let me not derail your thread with route planning).

    Posted 13 years ago #

  3. recombodna
    Member

    Yeah good point ( route asymmetrie's ) gonna do that. But it's still the roundabout and Gilmore Place to deal with unless I took the mews Hmmmm...it's all in the route planning I guess. I long for a cycle path down Gilmore though. Maybe we could buy some paint and make our own!!!

    Also though in general cycling with kids round town.....they don't make it easy!

    Posted 13 years ago #

  4. SRD
    Moderator

    Well, next year, we will have either one mega-convoy or two mini ones, and the drivers will have to take notice! Afraid the next door neighbours drive theirs.

    Routes: When we have small bike and pushchair, we often avoid roundabout by going up the bottom end of Merchiston Ave, but that is one way the wrong way, so only good for the pavement riders. Although, as you suggest, along the mews is do-able.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  5. SRD
    Moderator

    Perhaps the reason Sciennes seems to do better than others in cycling numbers is just that their roads much more friendly to cyclists? Although disparity (if it exists) with Gillespies would then need to be explained!

    Posted 13 years ago #

  6. spytefear
    Member

    I like the Mews way, nice and quiet - cycle along the gutter in the middle to avoid cobbletastic bone shaking

    Posted 13 years ago #

  7. chdot
    Admin

    "Perhaps the reason Sciennes seems to do better than others in cycling numbers is just that their roads much more friendly to cyclists?"

    To some extent. Certainly Sciennes pretty much 'pioneered' Safe Routes to School in Edinburgh.

    A small group of parents got the thing started and were crucially backed by the Head Teacher. A lot of work was done by children including presentations to councillors.

    Melville Terrace was a rat-run. The council was persuaded to add some traffic calming (humps).

    There was a strong attempt to get the road shut in front of the school - and extend the playground!

    This hasn't happened (yet) largely due to concerns about ambulance access for the Sick Kids.

    The current Head Teacher (and other staff) continue to encourage cycling.

    The Edinburgh rack - Sheffield cycle rack with extra, lower, bar - was 'invented' at Sciennes after it was noticed that small bikes fell over when leant against the standard rack.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  8. SRD
    Moderator

    Melville Terrace was a rat-run. The council was persuaded to add some traffic calming (humps).

    As compared to the horrible road surface and parked cars which make it impossible to do more than crawl on now?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  9. chdot
    Admin

    "As compared to the horrible road surface and parked cars which make it impossible to do more than crawl on now?"

    Well yes, but don't forget a lot of SR2S was (and still is) about pedestrian safety - slower vehicle speeds and easier places to cross the road - plus things like dropped kerbs and replacing steps with ramps.

    This was done at Melville Terrace. Of course it might be better if cycling was allowed on the parallel path.

    Well actually it is - The Council just hasn't removed the No Cycling notices...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  10. crowriver
    Member

    I have revived this thread in order to share some parental pride in my son, who decided he wanted to cycle to school.

    Problem is, his school is nearly 3 miles away, and the fastest route would take him through the busy and hazardous city centre. So yesterday we figured out a safer, but longer route, involving the shared use path adjacent to Queen's Drive in Holyrood Park, and connecting to the quiet route / segregated cycleways that link up to the Meadows, where he can safely carry on to his school, which is right next to the Meadows. We also figured out the safest, quietest route to get to Holyrood Park, which for us involves a detour via Lower London Road and a cut through under the East Coast mainline to Ann Terrace and Spring Gardens.

    We did a test run together yesterday, and then it was first time solo for him today. He arrived home this afternoon earlier than usual, and apparently everything went fine. Mission accomplished! He will now cycle to school as the weather allows, rather than walking. There's still the bus for when it's pouring down...

    Posted 5 years ago #

  11. gembo
    Member

    Bravo, you should buy the lad a present

    Posted 5 years ago #

  12. Snowy
    Member

    Chapeau!

    Posted 5 years ago #

  13. rbrtwtmn
    Member

    Dear Crowriver's son:
    Well done!

    Posted 5 years ago #

  14. crowriver
    Member

    Second day successfully completed. Luckily it is mostly downhill on the way back, as he had double PE today also. He's keen to do tomorrow and Thursday too, but we'll watch the weather, maybe pack a waterproof jacket if it looks like rain/sleet.

    Using his bike more regularly brings up niggling mechanical issues: stuff rattles loose, brakes need fine tuning, etc. So I gave the steed a quick check over this afternoon and adjusted things where required.

    We will keep an eye on pannier choice too, but will wait until the current single pannier system has bedded in over a few weeks to see if it needs changed. One possibility is to swap to twin Dutch style panniers, permanently affixed to the bike, then he can just chuck his stuff in them, fasten the covers and off he goes. Might be more convenient than lugging a single pannier to locker and back.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  15. crowriver
    Member

    In case you'e wondering, he is a junior patron of Lothian Buses today.....I wouldn't send him out on the bike to school in this!

    Posted 5 years ago #

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