CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure

Innocent Path Icy Again

(14 posts)
  • Started 14 years ago by Wilmington's Cow
  • Latest reply from LaidBack

No tags yet.


  1. To be expected I guess. But the roads seemed mostly dry and clear, so I blithely assumed the Innocent would be as well.

    Rode down to it and found that the snow of yesterday hadn't quite cleared, and the tyre tracks through that had frozen overnight, so it was a rutted nightmare (at least for the 100 or so yards I could see). I've come off on that before, so just carried on through an underpass to Craigmillar and went on a longer road ride to the office.

    Posted 14 years ago #
  2. Min
    Member

    Yes, I optimistically went down it today. I remained on the bike from the tunnel to Craigmillar but it was hairy. The approach to the tunnel through those flats was dodgy as well.

    Posted 14 years ago #
  3. Kirst
    Member

    I knew it would be bad - it never even occurred to me to try it. The temperature is well below freezing and it's still too early in the year for the sun to make it to big sections of the path, so the ice just won't melt. We need a couple of mild days with heavy rain, unfortunately.

    Posted 14 years ago #
  4. Kim
    Member

    Unfortunately there is more snow on the way...

    Posted 14 years ago #
  5. chdot
    Admin

    Went for a look at lunchtime.

    Rideable with care (was riding slicks - didn't lose traction but skittered a bit), downhill might be more of a challenge.

    BUT it really shouldn't be like this -

    [+] Embed the video | Video DownloadGet the Video Widget

    It's a key commuter route.

    What's North Edinburgh like?

    Posted 14 years ago #
  6. I avoided it altogether again this morning. It was almost exactly this time last year that I came off cos of the ruts created by half-melted then frozen snow. I 'aint gonna repeat that - sticking to the roads for the time being.

    Personally I'd like one of two things to happen: either the council actually starts delivering when it says it wants a 'model cycling city' and looks to models elsewhere in the world (those Dutch roadworks bridges would be a good place to start) and actually makes it seem more like genuine belief and less like something you say to calm people down; or ditches the idea completely and spends the money that would have been spent on 'facilities' (i.e. painted lines on the road) filling in the potholes instead and simply admits that it's really not all that bothered about increasing cycling in the city at all.

    At least the second option would be more honest than what we receive at the moment.

    Posted 14 years ago #
  7. chdot
    Admin

    "
    Thank you for your email.

    This has been passed to our Weather Emergencies Team, and the reference number for this is 98228.

    If you have any other queries regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us.

    Regards

    Customer Services Contact Centre | The City of Edinburgh Council |
    Chesser House, Level 1, 500 Gorgie Road, Edinburgh, EH11 3YJ | Tel 0131
    529 3080 | Fax 0131 529 3066 | clarence@edinburgh.gov.uk |

    "

    Posted 14 years ago #
  8. Kim
    Member

    Well said Anth!

    Posted 14 years ago #
  9. cb
    Member

    On a more positive note Middle Meadow Walk was gritted yesterday (after 07:50 and before 18:45). It was quite icy in the morning and I crossed a couple of quite icy looking bits rather gingerly.

    Posted 14 years ago #
  10. Arellcat
    Moderator

    I suspect Anth's second proposal is close to the truth. Until cycling in all its forms is treated as an equal (if not leading) transport option in the city, two things will continue: separate departments maintaining and developing incompatible policies, and consequent underbudgeting for what we, the cyclists, see as essential projects. And unless there is a sufficient stick for reneging on commitments and failing to meet targets - even interim targets ... no-one will ever care.

    What we do see is a Council that has left its own road and path network to rot for decades and, while blowing its budget out of the water to build a modern form of transport that will serve only a minor segment of the population, is trying to make up that lack of attention. But with those most changeable aspects of local government: money and rules, having changed, we see neither the financial willingness nor the upholding of quality.

    I noticed during my commute this morning that the sun-sheltered footpath alongside my local school was very icy - and all it took was two days of snow. The grit bin at one end still had plenty to go round, but I wondered if no-one would dare to spread it for fear of somehow breaking the law.

    Posted 14 years ago #
  11. chdot
    Admin

    MUCH worse problem in Cambridge

    http://cambridge.cyclestreets.net/location/20464

    Posted 14 years ago #
  12. LaidBack
    Member

    Sorry. Technique, bike, ice all wrong.

    That was never going to work... never

    Posted 14 years ago #
  13. chdot
    Admin

    Would have been all right if the ice was thicker.

    Posted 14 years ago #
  14. LaidBack
    Member

    I may do a recumbent canal trial when the ice returns to a proper thickness ...

    note word 'trial'

    Posted 14 years ago #

RSS feed for this topic

Reply

You must log in to post.


Video embedded using Easy Video Embed plugin