CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting

Candidate commute..?

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  1. Dave
    Member

    This morning we rode out to Penicuik and then did the candidate commute. Didn't take too long, and this was on the MTB and riding with the wife.

    http://connect.garmin.com/activity/123959392

    I was pleasantly surprised by how well behaved my fellow commutons were (we did have to pull over for a truck on the way out, as there's definitely no space to share with passing traffic at those pesky islands).

    There are quite a few points demanding firmness (mainly roundabouts around and south of the bypass, although also pulling out into the stream around obstructions, and a couple of bus lanes that just disappear).

    On the whole though, it was OK. It's a little hard to tell because we were riding as a pair, and I've always found that improves people's manners.

    Am riding back to Penicuik this evening, then immediately back home so will update later with the full commuting forecast.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  2. amir
    Member

    Are you going to try other candidates or is that your preferred option?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  3. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    How feasible is the off-road path from Penicuik to Dalkeith? Not sure how many miles (if any?) it adds. Rode it once and it was a bit muddy, but certainly sections of it I've seen since have been tarmacced...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  4. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    anth: "How feasible is the off-road path from Penicuik to Dalkeith?"

    I think amir might be able to answer that better but I rode it back in May. There are some muddy sections. It is a bit longer. From Dalkeith I think I would head over to Gilmerton but from then on it's similar to the candidate route. I would prefer the partially off-road alternative - it's a lovely route - but it's adding a fair distance to what is already a hefty commute, especially the return.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  5. Dave
    Member

    We went to see a handful of houses yesterday and by chance the first one was populated by medics who bike in to Straiton then off to the NRI and they said that they wouldn't bother with the path and just went in on the road. So we thought we may as well try it.

    From experience on audaxes it rates as my least favourite of all Edinburgh roads but I guess that is at weekends, not rush hour (people were much better behaved this morning than I expected). The infrastructure is really terrible in parts though.

    If I can figure out the route I may try to return home from Penicuik via the off road path, which you can cut off to get to Loanhead (to go via Dalkeith would add a lot of distance I think - even the Cyclestreets Quiet option doesn't attempt that).

    However, the obvious problem apart from mud (??) would be the hillyness (you have to winch up the steep road at the one-way bridge on the Penicuik bypass, for starters).

    Cyclestreets fastest option takes an interesting turn in town, going east side. There's definite potential for commuter racing and PB setting on something which such a large average distance between traffic lights.

    http://edinburgh.cyclestreets.net/journey/1233316/

    Posted 13 years ago #

  6. amir
    Member

    It's been a while since I have been on the Dalkeith-Penicuik path but I think the surface was improved up to the south end of Rosewell. Once you're into the N Esk valley woods it can be pretty muddy.

    I am not sure if you can get through on the road between Roslin and Rosewell on a bike - it's always nice to have a variety of routes to commute on, especially when it's lighter.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  7. amir
    Member

    A fairly quick but nice alternative (in the light) if you're at the south end of Penicuik is to slog up Pomathorn Road. Then straight over the B7026 and turn left onto the A6094. You can then whizz downhill past Rosewell and onto the Bonnyrigg/Eskbank area whence you make a choice of routes onto your final destination (e.g. via Whitecraig, Inveresk and Musselburgh).

    Posted 13 years ago #

  8. slowcoach
    Member

    re Dalkeith-Penicuik path: between Harpers Brae and Valleyfield is getting surfaced now, between Beeslack School and Auchendinny should be soon (if it's not been done already), in Roslin Glen its been left untarred to be less urbanised, before crossing back onto asphalt at south end of Rosewell. The Roslin -Rosewell road B7003 is probably not open to bikes but is being worked on to re-open to all traffic in a few weeks. Hope this helps.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  9. Dave
    Member

    Thanks (I had to look at the map to figure out where you were referring to, but I follow it now).

    I'll give this a spin on the way home and see how I get on. Three times up the big road in one day will be plenty.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  10. amir
    Member

    Dave, if you now change your workplace to somewhere starting with B e.g Barnton or Balerno, you could have a PBP every day.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  11. Dave
    Member

    Heh, that's true! I can be a 10x PBP veteran in no time!

    Sadly my original suspicions about the commute were borne out in style on the return this evening, which I found pretty grim (too grim to imagine doing it for any length of time).

    http://connect.garmin.com/activity/124095266

    Considering that for years I happily rode out on the A90 towards Fife and back, this is saying something... it might be OK with a (two wheel) trailer or the deaf vest, but neither of them is really a solution, so-

    (It's also a crikey-inducing 70 minutes return, versus 50 minutes in. That's almost half again as long..!)

    I then experimented with this path concept on the way home. The surface to Auchendinny (that is to say, this section here) was unsurfaced but not muddy to speak of - at least it gave me no trouble on a Gatorskin, it was literally muddy I suppose.

    The building site was rather confusing, because I wanted to exit to Auchendinny up the road I half-remembered, which now seems to be part of a building site (although they're clearly maintaining access along the path using fences, so a bit puzzling). Since there was nobody there I just went through the site, but naturally rather disappointing.

    It's a fair winch up to the turn-off for Roslin, although it doesn't really take that much time. Round by the landfill was deserted and from Roslin to Loanhead is actually an extremely fast and well surfaced ride. I passed two anti-disabled barriers but they are of the canal-style staggered type, so didn't require me to slow down.

    Loanhead to Straiton by that time was pretty dead, although in rush hour it might be slightly grim as you've to climb slightly at the end with very little width for anyone to overtake. It does make it very easy to negotiate the roundabout, which was a nice bonus. And then in to town as expected for a total of 40 minutes (moving time - plus 5 minutes being lost). So yeah, it's a third longer despite being just 9/8ths of the distance...

    http://connect.garmin.com/activity/124095649

    (Here you can see that I'm dying of hunger and wind exhaustion as much as a reflection of the hillyness / roughness of the path).

    Posted 13 years ago #

  12. chdot
    Admin

    Worth factoring in this -

    "Priority system for winter gritting routes"

    http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4223

    Wonder if MidL is publishing such detailed info?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  13. Dave
    Member

    They'd never treat any of that off-road stuff, that's for sure. But then, everybody who cycles to Fife / the west via the A90 path is familiar with completely untreated conditions, since that path has not been treated since 1987.

    TBH I think Penicuik is out, although it's such a shame as the house and neighbourhood were a total winner. Even when there's a roundabout way to avoid a direct and dubious road, it would be too tempting just to drive it I think.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  14. chdot
    Admin

    "1400 homes line up for Borders rail link"

    "AT least 1400 new homes are set to be built in Midlothian ahead of the arrival of the Borders Railway.

    Two major developments are planned for the former mining village of Gorebridge and another for Penicuik to meet the demand from workers looking to commute to Edinburgh."

    http://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh-evening-news/edinburgh/around-the-capital/1400_homes_line_up_for_borders_rail_link_1_1928261

    Posted 13 years ago #

  15. amir
    Member

    "TBH I think Penicuik is out, "

    Where's next then?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  16. Dave
    Member

    Dunno. We have friends with quite a nice place in Loanhead. The problem with that (and Roslin, for instance) is that there's not a handy secondary school.

    We did check out a couple of places on the Balerno corridor but the road was horrendous even on a quiet Sunday - definitely not a winner.

    Perhaps all this new build will flood the market and drive the price of other properties down. I guess they're smart enough to release in limited quantities to minimise that effect.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  17. Dave
    Member

    Also, as a curious footnote for anyone interested in relocating - council tax outside of Edinburgh is vastly higher than council tax in the city, even though we have to pay for the trams. Who would have thought?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  18. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    I'm paying £185 a month here in Musselburgh. What' is the typical council tax charge in Edinburgh?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  19. kaputnik
    Moderator

    With single occupant discount, I pay under £100 (I'd have to check paperwork at home to work out exactly what). But then again it's some ridiculously low banding.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  20. gembo
    Member

    @Dave

    We did check out a couple of places on the Balerno corridor but the road was horrendous even on a quiet Sunday - definitely not a winner.

    road surface horrendous?

    Many alternate routes - long dalmahoy, high road, WoL

    £200 pcm Poll Tax as was

    Posted 13 years ago #

  21. Dave
    Member

    Yeah, the banding was higher now that I've taken another look, something like £120pcm up from £80 now, for a property of equivalent value... ouch! Over ten years that's 5k, the sort of thing you need to think about when dithering over equivalent properties, I guess. (I am not typically this foresighted).

    @gembo - not the road surface - just the road users really! It's funny, because it doesn't really go anywhere (has everyone moved to Carnwarth?) but there was more traffic on the A70 on a Sunday afternoon than on the A702 in rush hour!

    I went on another Penicuik escapade this evening with my headcam, which I'm trying to make something of presently...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  22. kaputnik
    Moderator

    @DAve - think a lot of the traffic on that road is from people who live in Lanarkshire and commute into Edinburgh or in West Lothian but want to avoid the M8/A8 and take the back road up from West Calder instead.

    Unfortunately, when everyone starts taking "the secret wee short cut" along the minor road, it becomes an unpleasant road to cycle.

    On a quiet Sunday though it can be lovely. Speshly with a honking tail wind

    Posted 13 years ago #

  23. gembo
    Member

    @Dave - Lang Whang after Balerno - the A70 in open countryside? Busier on a Sunday than A702 in rush hour?

    I am thinking must have been especially busy day? Eg if A702 was closed and all M74 traffic was coming in that way? THe normal sunday has little traffic at all am and a smidgen more pm. Choc full of cyclists, the Glasgow - Edinburgh 100 mile route comes right along it. Bit of a slog into the wind but Kapps can do the 20 miles from Carnwath to Balerno in half an hour with wind behind. HE then sits on a post and waits at least 15 mins for me. I have seen him try to freewheel the entire 8 mile downhill stretch from Harperig just to give me a fighting chance of keeping up.

    However, any car you encounter is tanking it, but they normally leave you enough room and sight lines are good. The A702 may be a little narrower?

    When I moved to Balerno I was aware the morning rush hour was busy [bus before 7.50am was do-able into town but after that took ages, easily quicker on bike]. THe people who we bought the house from were bemused at my return in the evening to check the traffic then - generally much more dispersed.

    Carnwath I think is on the up. Has little craft shop and cheapest espresso [known as expresso] in eastern scotland in Apple Pie Bakery. Hagrid's House is for sale - round house on A70. Very bleak out there in winter

    Posted 13 years ago #

  24. Dave
    Member

    Yeah, I think there were more people on the A70 (not in open countryside - we were going to viewings from town) than on both my trips up the 702. The 702 is curiously unbusy, in fact, it's just terribly laid out.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  25. kaputnik
    Moderator

    In my defence, the apple pies and espresso on offer in Carnwath were so delicious and full of sugar and caffeine that it was hard not to fly. Actually it was more like 40 minutes. Speed didn't dip much below 30 the whole way back to my fence post.

    Must do it again soon one Sunday. Think it was not long after last Christmas that we headed out to Woolford and left the offering of Christmas cake to the SPT in the abandoned bush shelter.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  26. Dave
    Member

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

    Ocean point to Penicuik in five minutes...

    (Will take an age to upload - probably ready in the morning!)

    The best I've managed with the off-road (via Loanhead/Roslin) option is 35 minutes extra in the morning, 45 minutes extra in the evening. On the road, it was more like 40 / 25 (and I didn't need to shower because of all the mud!)

    Made a bit of an error this evening as I thought the Roslin glen path would connect without 200 feet of stairs!

    Jury's a little bit out. If they surfaced the path between Auchendinny and Penicuik to tarmac, the way it's been done from Dalkeith south, that would make it considerably quicker and cleaner. It would be a question of eating one extra hill.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  27. gembo
    Member

    Dave - only other explanantion for overly busy A70 on a Sunday would be big offers on at Asda and LIDL causing Sunday shopping. The road is only ever busy normally MOn-Fri - 7.45 - 8.45

    The Roslin Glen bit is muddy even in height of summer - features in a round the Pentlands sustrans route I like [virtually all downhill from Balerno - well seems that way]

    Kapps - col du climpy or Winter Woolfords sounds good

    Posted 13 years ago #

  28. chdot
    Admin

    Old thread - Commuting from Midlothian

    Posted 13 years ago #

  29. amir
    Member

    Dave - or anyone else wishing to travel on a good surface from Penicuik.

    I have just been reminded of the Midlothian Access Forum - minutes at http://www.spokes.org.uk/wordpress/documents/members-campaigning/midlothian/

    This gives info about off-road routes e.g. Dalkeith to Penicuik and Penicuik to Peebles (potential). If you need to know more about the future plans for e.g. surfacing Dalkeith to Penicuik railway path, I suggest you contact Dave Kenny, who is the cycling officer.

    Posted 12 years ago #

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