South West Team @southwest_team
"What do you think of Harrison Park? How could we improve it? We'll be there today on the canal from 4pm to 7pm. Come and tell us!"
Free coffee for all cyclists? what do others think on here?
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh
Harrison Park improvement
(55 posts)-
Posted 12 years ago #
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Free coffee sounds good...
They should look at all the accesses around the park and onto the canal -
Posted 12 years ago # -
What? Today? (Wednesday)
There were some people doing some sort of a survey or something on Saturday morning (we avoided them by running away from the canal just before we got to them).
Posted 12 years ago # -
"What? Today? (Wednesday)"
Seems so, let us know what you find!
Posted 12 years ago # -
"
South West Team (@southwest_team)
4/18/12 4:53 PM
@cyclingedin also, the guys will be back at the Park again on Sunday from 1pm to 4pm. Pop into the boat and see us. ^G
"
Posted 12 years ago # -
Don't really have time this evening, but will try and remember about Sunday.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Popped in just now and verbally re-tweeted(or as the kids today call it: said) SRD's suggestion for the dropped kerb by Polworth church, and also suggested traffic mirrors for the far side of the bride underpasses. They said they'd pass on my grievance with the bike-not-detecting traffic lights by Polworth church to the people that do that kinda thing.
The access point chdot pictured is infamous; they're onnit, so I was assured.
Met a member of public type chap there who said it's a British Waterway bylaw that we've got to dismount under the bridges, but I can't find it on britishwaterway.co.uk or anywhere else on Google, so I'm saltily pinching it.
Posted 12 years ago # -
@uberuce - does this link help? Apparently we do not need permits in Scotland but in London you do and other parts of England.
http://www.waterscape.com/things-to-do/cycling/hints-and-tips
Posted 12 years ago # -
It does indeed.
"Please note cyclists no longer have to dismount to go under a bridge." - London's COC. Presumably if the place you need a permit to cycle at all doesn't require dismounting, then an NCN path really won't.
Also, there's no signs on any of them except the Leamington and the aqueduct.
Posted 12 years ago # -
@claggy cog I liked that link, e.g. thorny bushes can give you punctures. Trying to be helpful the site goes on to state
Staying safe
You should always take care when cycling by the water, particularly near
locks and other areas of deep water.
Access paths can be steep and slippery. Join or leave the towpath with care.
You must get off and push your cycle beneath low or blind bridges, and where the path is very narrow.
We recommend that you do not cycle towpaths after dark, but if you do, please use front and rear lights. Look out for mooring ropes and pegs where boats are tied up.
Thorny hedge trimmings can cause a puncture at some times of year, particularly spring. When cycling in rural areas, always take a spare inner tube or puncture repair kit, and consider plastic-reinforced tyres.Plastic indeed - it is Kevlar bullet proof vest lining [will still succumb to hawthorn].
So looks like Mr Public Man that Uberuce met had a certain logic. Some bridges are lower than others and some are more blind than others. I have seen people obeying the dismount sign on the aqueduct but I have never seen anyone dismount under bridges. You would be there all day.
Due to detour home from Stirling tonight I can confirm the canal path at Falkirk was less wet than when I cycled it last year, also if you know your Aidan Moffat lyrics - the once bright roof of the pub was now a dull pastel green
Posted 12 years ago # -
@uberuce - to be more specific.... if you open the tabs on the top of the waterspace page for your area this is what it says about the Union Canal but on the home page for Scotland it does say to dismount at bridges etc., however, it does not say it is a bye-law
http://www.scottishcanals.co.uk/our-canals/union-canal/cycling
Posted 12 years ago # -
I wonder if the four cops seen in the Spotted thread dismounted?
Posted 12 years ago # -
@Claggy Cog
Another good link. THe comments were not many. Barry then Kg Salmo twice. Kg's second post was to point out to BWS that they weren't replying to posts, but here is his first post which is how we cyclists can be seen by some people and is food for thought [I think Kg is on the Slateford Aqueduct from his description)
Very informative site with simple rules but a lot of cyclists appear not to know that there are rules and most do not comply. Just a few days ago I was asked to ' move' by a cyclist wanting to pass on a bridge (over the A70); he had coughed loudly as he came up behind me (no bell!). When advised that the path, at that point, is not wide enough for a both walker and cyclist he insisted but not too bravely as he forced past on the the side nearest the rail - not the water. Othe cyclists ride far too fast and it is alarming for walkers who invariably have to step off the path to avoid collision. It is clear that many cyclists assume they have sole rights to use the path. I walk the canal path everytime I visit Edinburgh and feel increasingly uncomfortable with the arrogance of a lot of the cyclists. They should understand that canal paths were originally for transit by people and horses - bicycle use came later. They must not be allowed to assume exclusivity by intimidating other users. I suggest that the rules for use of the canal path be posted at the access points along the canal - and at bridges - then enforce them (the fines might be a nice revenue source).
Posted 12 years ago # -
The request to dismount at the aqueduct is on a notice board with a lot of small writing, if you were cycling along you would be forgiven for not seeing it, in my opinion. I think the aqueduct is a place where "Cyclists dismount" is appropriate - the path is very narrow and awkward. I don't have the nerve to cycle it, myself!
Not that this has anything to do with Harrison Park.
Posted 12 years ago # -
"it is alarming for walkers who invariably have to step off the path to avoid collision"
Although my experience of riding on the canal is admittedly limited (I only took it up for a while last summer for PBP training, based on chat from this forum):
When I transit between Canonmills and Ocean Terminal on the paths (WoL or Roseburn), which I do twice daily, if people move aside for me I ride past, but if they don't, I don't smash into them before collapsing in a bloody heap, and would be even less likely to if the result included fishing around in the canal for my bike.
At the end of the day each user of any transport mechanism impinges on all the others. When running I hate to be held up by sluggards, and on foot normally I detest cyclists and runners, not to mention cars, while in my car I can't stand pedestrians, cyclists or indeed other car drivers.
It must generally suck to be afraid of dogs when every man jack has their dog running loose as soon as it isn't likely to attack a car and come off worst.
However, an appeal to age is a weak way of going about precedence. By that measure, bikes should have priority over all motorised traffic, while dog walkers would certainly take priority over those johnny-come-lately pram pushers.
Neither do rules work, as we can see by looking at the general public's obedience of any of a wide swathe of rules and regulations. (Anyone broken copyright law by copying music from a CD they bought onto their computer? Tee hee!)
Posted 12 years ago # -
Oh, and I don't bother to dismount on the aquaduct unless there's someone coming the other way.
Sure, you might *prefer* to dismount, that's true anywhere, but I never understand why people think it's better to have slippery plasticy shoes/cleats on the ground instead of a bunch of super grippy rubber.
You should have seen 50 audax riders trying to walk off the ferry last Easter because riding is "too dangerous" - a few just about went in the sea! :P
Posted 12 years ago # -
Any bike that I might ride along the canal path, I ride with flat pedals and non-cycling-specific shoes. If I want to ride my road bike, I ride on the roads. (I rarely cycle on the canal path because I am a speed merchant at heart and the canal path is a place to cycle slowly and with respect for the other users of the path. IMHO of course.)
Posted 12 years ago # -
Hmm. I suppose I could buy flat pedals and change them over whenever I think I might end up using a stretch of canal (just the one bike, you see).
It's amazing how quiet the canal is really if you're using it outside of rush hour - I would typically pass the rowing squad then maybe half a dozen people all the way to Ratho. Great stuff.
The bridges are dodgy though, I always worried someone would come flying round them and end up in the canal. In practice, self preservation seemed to make everyone pretty darn sensible there.
Posted 12 years ago # -
There are currently two active discussions - Harrison Park and Leamington Bridge that have both 'drifted' to more general discussions about usage, sharing (pedestrians, dogs, prams) and rules - dismount, 6mph etc.
New thread -
Posted 12 years ago # -
I bought new spd's from Rose cycles last week which came with cleet style pedal adapters on so clips one side and flat the other. these black adapters also have yellow reflectors on. I'll see if I can find a link.
Posted 12 years ago # -
i've got an electronic copy of the feedback form. if anyone wants one, pm me your address
Posted 12 years ago # -
i've got an electronic copy of the feedback form. if anyone wants one, pm me your address
Are we back on topic with Harrison Park here? Feedback form for what, exactly? (Could well be interested.)
Posted 12 years ago # -
yes. ON topic. it's the harrison park east consultation exercise. there's a one page form, where they want you to list your prefs for what to have in park (includes bike racing circuit!). if you go along on Sunday, they'll give you a hard copy. or email pat@re-union.org.uk and ask for a copy
Posted 12 years ago # -
@SRD, thank you very much.
Posted 12 years ago # -
hmmm - might try to make it to the barge on Sunday but I rather think the drop kerb and the double yellow parkers blocking access rather covers the improvements I could think of
Mirrors under the bridges to see oncoming ped/cycles is genius too.Posted 12 years ago # -
spytfyre - i'll email you the form. it mentions bbqs and picnic tables!
Posted 12 years ago # -
oooh now we're talking
Posted 12 years ago # -
there used to be a bike racing circuit in Harrison Park so it is nice to see it as an option
Posted 12 years ago # -
@gembo - indeed - much better than another skatepark in town eh?
Posted 12 years ago # -
Serious missed opportunity here -
Very recent pavement repair.
A dropped kerb c/should have been created.
It had been on another part of CEC's 'coming soon' list for a while.
It's not just about joined-up-thinking, more about thinking.
Posted 12 years ago #
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