CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Leisure

Cycle route to Dunfermline

(17 posts)

No tags yet.


  1. Min
    Member

    I'm trying out a few cycle routes and finally made it on to the Dunfermline one after a few (mainly weather induced) aborted attempts. I rode out of Edinburgh via Granton/Davidsons Mains cycle path and there is a sign posted route continuing from DM via the Forth Road bridge to Dunfermline. At least apparently it goes to Dunfermline...

    This side of the bridge things aren't too bad although there are a few surprise pavement rides which are a bit tricky to spot. Only some of them can be ignored but they are not too bad. Once over the bridge though the route zig zags back and forth across (fortunately quiet) dual carriageway and has several wrong-side-of-the-road pavement riding bits. My GPS conked out and after reaching some new buildings going up complete with roundabout and about fifteen different signs pointing in different directions all claiming to be a cycle route my friend and I gave up and came home. We were only a couple of miles short so I don't mind too much but really it is a completely rubbish cycle route once you get to Fife. I think I will find another way to get to Dunfy!

    Posted 14 years ago #

  2. chdot
    Admin

    It's years since I cycled to Dunfermline. Bike + train a few times.

    No idea whether this is any good - http://edinburgh.cyclestreets.net/journey/109885

    Soup at Abbot House was great. Has an Alasdair Gray mural.

    There's at least one person on here from Dunfermline so may get some more useful info.

    Maybe a 'Bike Week' destination?

    http://www.routes2ride.org.uk/scotland/routes2ride/?tag=Dunfermline - NOT from Edinburgh!

    Posted 14 years ago #

  3. Min
    Member

    I like the sound of the West Fife Way mentioned on the Sustrans site. If I can crack Dunfy I'll head out on it to Culross. I'll have a look at those routes on the first link you posted.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  4. chdot
    Admin

    There used to be a (FREE!) map just for the Round the Forth Route but it's become the NCN Round the Forth map for £3.99.

    This is the original one

    This part of the route is mostly like the CycleStreets suggestion.

    Larger

    The new one covers a wider area.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  5. chdot
    Admin

    This is the 'normal' way to Queensferry (not the Bridge)

    and this is a great way back.

    Leaflet

    Posted 14 years ago #

  6. Smudge
    Member

    Once you cross the bridge, iirc the route takes you up through Inverkiething, from there, as described, once you pass the station you have to cross the main road several times before arriving in Dunfermline proper. If I can get my headcam lined up so it's pointed ahead and not at the road/sky I'll try to do a video sometime soon. Essentially though you reach Dunfermline on Linburn Road so you would then have to take a left turn probably onto either Woodmill Road (at the pub) or Halbeath Road (at the T junction) to head towards the town centre.
    Have a look at Bing or Google maps and it should make more sense... (I hope!)

    Posted 14 years ago #

  7. chdot
    Admin

    http://www.acronymfinder.com/IIRC.html

    Posted 14 years ago #

  8. Smudge
    Member

    :-o sorry... force of habit, I work in an extremely acronym heavy business!!

    Posted 14 years ago #

  9. chdot
    Admin

    NOT a criticism - I really did have to look it up!

    - there are several variations....

    Posted 14 years ago #

  10. chdot
    Admin

    @ Min "after a few (mainly weather induced) aborted attempts"

    "Knowing when to give up and go home is among the most important skills in the outdoor world."

    Posted 14 years ago #

  11. gembo
    Member

    Min - just persevere - once route cracked you are laughing. The route to Culross is particularly good (on hybrid, not road bike - you take left turn once off the bridge and head towards dockyards, all fairly quiet on a sunday despite big roads. You get to cycle passed men with guns. Path then hurtles down to the coast after charlestown and there is a stretch that bikes can do that cars can't Just before High Valleyfield you can get yer haircut for a fiver. Back down again to Culross where the art gallery (hopefully) still has a cracking cafe. You can push on to Alloa, still all off road then head to Stirling and get train back, if tired (some slightly odd bits around whisky bonds etc but all do-able). Or go over the Bridge to Grangemouth then up to Polmont and back in along the canal.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  12. chdot
    Admin

    Presume this -

    http://www.culrosspottery.com/garden/index.html

    Last time I was in Culross it was (by chance) summer fair day, so no chance for a 'normal' look round.

    CycleStreets routes from Haymarket Station.

    Well worth a visit. One day it might even have station again - probably before the South Sub re-opens!

    Posted 14 years ago #

  13. cb
    Member

    The "minor" road between Rosyth and Dunfermline (marked as route 76 on Chdot's map pic) is fairly unpleasant to cycle on, at least that's what I found the only time I have used the road. It was full of fast cars, not too busy as it was around 8pm when I was on it but it could be worse at rush hour.

    I believe the plan is to close this road to motor traffic. (Has this happened yet? It was September when I was on it.)

    The West Fife Way is great. 18km of traffic free tarmac. I used on on the way back from Stirling once.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  14. Dave
    Member

    I used to work in Rosyth/Dunfermline (on the estate beside Sky and the termination of the little motorway stub). The simplest way to there is to take the B980 over the hill (alongside the motorway on the western side) and then go straight across the roundabout in Rosyth onto Queensferry Road.

    This is very direct, not busy and so it's ironic that it is about the only road in that part of Fife that is not on a cycle route!

    It's only once you get to the motorway gyratory that you have to choose between riding on the road (fast & busy, but at least there's plenty of overtaking space) or on the pavement "facility".

    Alternatively you could move across one onto the Grange road (which I didn't know existed until just now) once you hit the middle of Rosyth.

    The NCN1 route goes up an insanely steep hill, but that aside, I'd have thought it was the best option if you value quietness above all else.

    Drivers in Fife are unbelievably bad compared with drivers around Edinburgh, probably just because of their lower exposure to handling cyclists. I would commute around 14 miles to the Forth, and 3 on the other side and had *way* more issues on the latter than the former!

    You would be particularly well-advised to fear Stagecoach buses, and private hire cars, and expect them to do whatever is least ideal for your safety.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  15. chdot
    Admin

    Fife Council did a lot of work as part of the Millennium Cycle Ways project and there's a lot of info still on-line

    There is a suggested Dunfermline Charlestown Limekilns loop.

    The Council even has a few free maps (including Dunfermline Town and Fife-CycleWays) which can be ordered on-line.

    Might be useful if they were available as PDFs too.

    Personally I think Fife starts at Waverley Station.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  16. Kim
    Member

    Is that where you pick up the NCN 1 and follow it to the bridge??

    Posted 14 years ago #

  17. chdot
    Admin

    "Is that where you pick up the NCN 1 and follow it to the bridge??"

    No

    http://www.scotrail.co.uk/sites/files/Fife.web.pdf

    http://cyclinginfife.wordpress.com/getting-there

    Posted 14 years ago #

RSS feed for this topic

Reply

You must log in to post.


Video embedded using Easy Video Embed plugin