CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting

Cold commute today?

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  1. chdot
    Admin

    " if a tree falls on me on the Innocent on the way home my primary concern will be that the camera is intact for a quick self-portrait "

    We wouldn't expect any less.

    How would the fire brigade know where you were unless you're geotagged??

    Posted 12 years ago #
  2. kaputnik
    Moderator

    all my car-bound colleagues frantically bailing out of the office...

    Posted 12 years ago #
  3. amir
    Member

    Worst time to go out?

    This always happens in the snow. Folk panic and leave at the least appropriate time.

    Posted 12 years ago #
  4. It's funny, I'm looking forward to the commute home. Knowing if it starts to feel a little hairy and a bit too dangerous I can get off and walk.

    Kappers wrote about this with regard to the snow in winter.

    In a car and feeling like it's unsafe? What can you do? Cycling in awful weather for the win!

    Posted 12 years ago #
  5. kaputnik
    Moderator

    This always happens in the snow. Folk panic and leave at the least appropriate time.

    They are all leaving because of the rumours and gossip that everyone else is leaving. They don't want to be "stuck in traffic".

    They just ultimately end up "being the traffic".

    I might take an extra 5 or 10 minutes getting home. I might be home 5 or 10 minutes earlier. I'm not going to be on the M8 for 2 hours though :D

    Posted 12 years ago #
  6. Exactly. Leave 5 minutes later and they probably wouldn't wind up being stuck in traffic because being stuck in traffic is caused by everyone leaving at the same time to avoid being stuck in traffic...

    Apparently a bit of our building just blew off...

    Posted 12 years ago #
  7. SRD
    Moderator

    Big tree on canal down, but not blocking canal path. British waterways says they probably won't get to it tonight, but hopefully tomorrow.

    I cycled through the meadows (glad of helmet protection from falling branches). Walked Gilmour place - saw ambulance crews treating elderly woman with head injury outside Kings Theatre - just where I'd seen all the stuiff blowing around earlier.

    Posted 12 years ago #
  8. Min
    Member

    I have been able to hear the wind from a rather noisy internal room. Think I'll get a single decker..

    Posted 12 years ago #
  9. steveo
    Member

    It was hard enough to walk round to the bus stop. definitely gungadin weather.

    Posted 12 years ago #
  10. crowriver
    Member

    Sorry for cross-posting. Most of this is also here: http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2997

    The extreme gusts of wind finally claimed my flat cap this afternoon, wrenching it from my head and whisking it 100 yards away, over a wall onto an adjacent road. Bit of a b*gger as I was towing a cycle trailer full of shopping, had to do a swift left turn downhill to retrieve the blighter. The (capless) uphill with 40+ kg of shopping and gusty headwinds was great fun!

    At least I actually managed to stay on the bike and travel in a more or less straight line. The side gusts blew me off course a few times, mind! Possibly helped having a lot of weight to carry and tow. Not sure if I would have stayed upright on a light racer or even an unladen tourer...

    Posted 12 years ago #
  11. kaputnik
    Moderator

    OK, it's rough out there and there's a lot of stuff flying around. Interesting clanking sounds coming from the scaffolding around the partially demolished Fountain Brewery.

    One large tree and a lot of large branches down that I could see in Meadows, but paths and road not blocked.

    I had it in my back and really had to brace myself to stay stopped and upright at some red lights.

    I think the force of the wind is best illustrated by the fact it managed to exert enough force on my lycra shorts to make them resonate!

    Posted 12 years ago #
  12. Morningsider
    Member

    Just back in - lots of stuff flying about. Whitehouse Loan blocked by fallen tree at Bruntsfield end, council in attendance. Massive tree split in two at Bruntsfield Links. Had to dismount at Church Hill and push for a bit as gusts just too strong. Take care.

    Posted 12 years ago #
  13. nearefare
    Member

    tree down on the canal at Harrison Park East, possible to climb through with a bike

    Posted 12 years ago #
  14. Arellcat
    Moderator

    I passed the huge fallen tree on Whitehouse Loan about 40 minutes ago. There was a car underneath it. I also saw three ambulances during my ride home, in various states of emergency.

    I managed ok on my little recumbent, freewheeling into town at nearly 30mph, then a 8mph crawl up the hill out of Morningside with a few quick foot downs along the way. If it's like this tomorrow I shall be taking three wheels.

    Posted 12 years ago #
  15. Min
    Member

    Dismounted from my bus at South Bridge since there seemed to be a lot of traffic. Just as well as there was a stupendous bus jam going all the way down North Bridge and partway along Princes Street. Went to look but there didn't seem to be anything in particular causing it. Knock on effect down Leith St/Waterloo Place as well. Lots of branches everywhere plus the roof blown half off a bus shelter. Bit scary!

    Posted 12 years ago #
  16. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Blues and twos zooming up and down Melville Drive for last hour or so. 2 large trees down in meadows and innumerable branches of all sizes

    Posted 12 years ago #
  17. kaputnik
    Moderator

    some photos of damage in the Meadows (click for set).

    Posted 12 years ago #
  18. wee folding bike
    Member

    Small diameter wheels aren't quite so much like a sail.

    No problem at all today, outwith the branches on the ground and the hair grit.

    Posted 12 years ago #
  19. chdot
    Admin

    Bruntsfield Place


    Photo by Leigh Shek (or possible Lei) on BBC site.

    Posted 12 years ago #
  20. SRD
    Moderator

    oof. look at the lamp-post.

    Posted 12 years ago #
  21. wee folding bike
    Member

    I saw a lamp post with the top arm hanging by the cable.

    I laughed and pedalled on.

    Posted 12 years ago #
  22. gembo
    Member

    Resonating lycra shorts Batman

    Came back on the Water of Leith path, strewn all over with fallen branches, all the way along and quite dense in spots. None of the big trees right over the path so it was p[assable at 5.30pm. Less dangerous than road I reasoned.

    Posted 12 years ago #
  23. Smudge
    Member

    Left Colinton at 4, down to Haymarket in fine style :)

    However at Haymarket I saw it was VERY busy, and they were "running an emergency timetable" so I jumped on the first westbound train, which waited, and waited, then the station announcer said "all scotrail services across Scotland are now cancelled", so we waited, and the driver/guard announced that they were waiting on a tree being cleared and we might go, then, eventually, we were told nope, the train terminates at Haymarket.

    Still the station announcer was telling us that all services are cancelled and that due to the scale of the problem no alternative transport would be offered (we've taken your cash, you're on your own suckers) and apologising "for any inconvenience caused"...

    Had to then cycle out to Currie to borrow a tin box to get home, heading west out of town was blowy and hard work in the gusts, once onto the old railway it was fine.
    More than three hours to get home (didn't fancy riding 30 miles into that headwind next to grumpy and impatiant cagers) cheers, AGAIN, Scotfail :-<

    Mrs Smudge is still trying to get back!

    Posted 12 years ago #
  24. screech
    Member

    Roseburn/ferry Road cycle path literally carpeted with branches/twigs/leaves etc tonight and no less than 4 trees fallen over across it. Three of em could be climbed over without too much bother but one was a giant mofo - you needed to clamber right up the banking to get round it. I don't think its gonna be easy to remove this one - can see the path being closed for a bit?

    Posted 12 years ago #
  25. Greenroofer
    Member

    A work colleague was subject to an unprovoked attack by a rampaging wheelie bin that knocked him from his bike.

    (I think what actually happened is that it was blown out in front of him and his brakes didn't work quite as well as usual due to the wet so he piled into it and came off).

    Posted 12 years ago #
  26. chdot
    Admin

    "Other motorists - including two in Bruntsfield and Leith, Edinburgh - had a lucky escape when their vehicles were crushed by falling branches."

    http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/news/High-winds-bring-death-and.6773326.jp?articlepage=2

    Posted 12 years ago #
  27. amir
    Member

    Large tree down and crossing Innocent Path just East of Duddingston Road W. Possible but tricky (with loaded bike) to scramble around the root end.

    Posted 12 years ago #
  28. Min
    Member

    Ah, I was just about to post about that. :-) I'll report it but it might take a while for the council to get round to it!

    Posted 12 years ago #
  29. kaputnik
    Moderator

    3 minutes slower than usual in to work today. Balances out the 3 minutes slower home last night. Harmony has been restored.

    Posted 12 years ago #
  30. chdot
    Admin

    "Balances out the 3 minutes slower home last night."

    Presume you mean faster...

    Posted 12 years ago #

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