CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 16years old!
Well done to ALL posters
It soon became useful and entertaining. There are regular posters, people who add useful info occasionally and plenty more who drop by to watch. That's fine. If you want to add news/comments it's easy to register and become a member.
RULES No personal insults. No swearing.
I can't tell if that's ironic/sarcastic or not.
Hardly. That is exactly what I did in June 2012. When I finished the Kirriemuir 100k I had my bridie, a cup of tea, a wee rest and a chat. Then I cycled 50k to Perth to catch the train. It's mostly flat you know.
That you thought I might be taking the mick speaks volumes.
It's what I'd love to do to take part in an event.
What of folk with partners or families for whom 15 miles is currently hard work and who don't feel safe on the roads? (or those people who can't spare two nights away either side of an event?).
What of folk with partners or families
I think I am in both categories.
I didn't say it would suit everyone. However I reckon most respondents on this forum who cycle regularly are capable of cycling 50 fairly flat kilometres after a 100k ride. Whether one can get a leave pass away from home for a day and a half is another matter. For me it's a question of negotiation.
"What of folk with partners or families for whom 15 miles is currently hard work and who don't feel safe on the roads?"
Thinking primarily of going for rides with partners and families.
50k of fairly flat is still an extra 50% of the ride you've just done. My first audax was a mere 60k, starting at Dalmeny and only 10 miles there and back (20 total) from my house at the time - I was absolutely wrecked after 60k. Now, as you say, I wouldn't give it a second thought really for that distance. But if I was to be riding a 200k (say) I'd consider driving the bike a similar distance because that's probably at the upper end of my ability.
So yeah, depends on the individual, the ride, the distance and terrain toa nd from the start, the accompanying party, etc etc etc.
My boyfriend and I dodn't drive somewhere to cycle very often (not owning a car has a lot to do with this. Boyfriend does complain that it means you do the same routes a lot - if we did own a car we might choose to drive somewhere in order to cycle a different route.
As it happens we went to see my parents at the weekend, and ended up hiring a car and taking our bikes. This meant we ended up doing a lovely route in a remote area near Yethom on the way north. Cycling is meant to be a pleasure, sometimes, not just a chore...
To be fair, it was only three years ago when 100k seemed like the end of the world. It's the old "miles in the legs" thing.
As for the unsafe roads, well I took the quiet roads between Kirrie and Perth (very pleasant route, lovely countryside, and recommended even for pootlers). Only encountered half a dozen vehicles, plus a few other cyclists, before reaching the outskirts of Perth.
For longer audax rides, I will only enter if the start is reasonably simple to get to from a train station. So I'm looking forward to the opening of the Borders railway as the Gala rides will be more accessible...
I remember when I first started occasionally commuting it was car aided. I lived at Mayfield above Dalkeith and would drive in and park in Comely Bank, ride home that night, ride in in the morning, then drive home that night. Rinse and repeat.
But then at that point I had to stop about 3 times on the climb up from Dalkeith towards Sheriffhall and had the same problem heading south on the climb after the hospital.
Definitely miles in the legs - now I'd have no qualms about cycling both ways each day all week...
My other half has actually expressed a desire to take a train out to a point away from the city and spend the next couple of days cycling back. Probably only be about 80 miles total, but it's another step - but will still need careful route planning (if only because the nights away will have to be in comfy beds and sadly not camping ;) )
Boyfriend and I cycled to Durham over three days last summer and got the train back - that was a very good trip.
Might be better to cycle somewhere and get the train back... ;-) Maybe a day ride is a good starting point: Dunbar?
We have in the past done some long rides. Pedal for Scotland, and some 40 milers down in the Borders (lovely quiet country roads) - but a big gap in cycling caused by an aggresively violent Saxoman (while in his car) and then a broken leg set things back almost to square 1.
New bike though, making inroads.
I've upped my cycling game recently putting in more miles and I'm already starting to get fairly fed up of the routes out of the city. It's just such a nightmare sometimes.
Still it's forced for to come up with new and innovative and interesting routes around these bog standard routes - however that required me to buy a (not very fancy) GPS in order to plan routes. This has made all the different, however it's another barrier to distance (I rarely ride <30km in any one ride apart from commuting) That might mean people would rather drive out to somewhere a bit less convoluted than a city and then to have a nice ride.
I do like "going somewhere" though so am planning self 400km one weekend soon where I'll ride 200km there and 200km back which should be a nice weekend away!
You could pop your bike on a train to certain places too. For routes out of the city, the Spokes map or even Googol maps are agreat aid to planning. Cheaper than a GPS too.
@crowriver, is the hall open the night before the snow roads? It leaves about 6 a.m. Is that right? Makes sense if the hall is open on the Friday night. I have only Done the one that goes over cairn o mount once. It left at 8am, back by 4pm excellent macaroni pies and clootie dumpling which I pretended was vegetarian. At the time, I would not have thought I could have slept in the hall or Thrumms Through the window hotel and risen next dAy for the third event of the weekend, but subsequently I have cycled 160km and slept the night and then done 130km. Is there much snoring in the hall or is everyone so knackered they just sleep?
@gembo, I can't vouch for the night after the Snow Roads as I was off to Perth at teatime. I slept in the hall the night before, it needs to be arranged through the organiser and there was a modest additional charge. You pick a bit of floor, unroll your mat and sleeping bag, and kip down at a reasonable hour. The organisers laid on a communal evening meal, and breakfast too. I'd say we were well looked after.
There was alas a guy snoring two berths away from me, which kept me awake for a bit as I'm a light sleeper. I can well imagine, had I ridden the Snow Roads and kipped there the following night, I'd have slept like the proverbial lump of wood.
@crow - think it might depend on how many events there are, so the time I did half the snow roads, there was an audax the net day so there was kipping the night the snow roads finished. Definitely well looked after.
I drove to the Ferrytol this morning, put my helmet on, got out of the car......nah......got back into the car and drove to Barnton and did the short commute instead. Foul weather!
Came to work by car one day in January 2009. Before that it was early 2006.
Outwith that I use a bike/trike.
Hope this was nobody on here!
Meadows this morning - around the Croquet lawn at the west side.
A dad (I guess) was taking his three kids (from balance bike to MTB age) out for a wee shot on the meadows.
Which at first glance is good and positive.
What irked me a tad was that he had parked his bloody great 4x4 on the cycle lane in order to facilitate said trip.
I place that on almost the same level as people who drop their kids off at school using the zig zags - i.e. his couldnt give a sh*t-o-meter was at number 9.
He probably took them to krisky kreme for lunch....
or am I just being grumpy?
Cycle facilities need good parking.... With the QBC they combine both ;-)
I agree though. That's rubbish.
I have seen parents park up beside new play park at east end which also irks me. The thing is it's so unusual...
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