CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting

who's commuting

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  1. spytfyre
    Member

    There are a set of tyre tracks along the middle of the canal near me...
    Thing is it makes me want to try it just because
    a) it has been done
    b) so I can say I did it

    Posted 14 years ago #
  2. chdot
    Admin

    I've walked on the canal in the past.

    Think it's reasonable safe to assume that the water has frozen solid enough to take your weight + bike. Try somewhere reasonably open (away from the tenement alley which which is likely to be a bit warmer - not enough at the moment though!) like around Meggetland.

    When thaw starts tends to be thinner near bridges.

    But beware...

    Take a friend (who stays on towpath).

    Bonspiel just cancelled - 'emergency services couldn't guarantee safety of curlers'.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/8448669.stm

    Posted 14 years ago #
  3. SRD
    Moderator

    It's pretty solid here in tenement-land too but only in the middle. The edges are still quite soft, esp. where there are plants or trees, and under bridges (open water). Lots of people, fox and dog tracks, also what looks like ski tracks and sleds. Canal safer than ponds, as it is not too deep, and you are less likely to be dragged under the ice. I hope this doesn't need to be said, but beware -- the danger is not so much drowning and/or hypothermia from the cold, but going under and not being able to find the hole you fell through, but 'surfacing' under solid ice. Not nice. That said, much of the ice has been solid for a week and must be pretty thick. Anyone have an auger so we can test it?

    Posted 14 years ago #
  4. chdot
    Admin

    THIS THREAD JUST MENTIONED ON TOM MORTON, RADIO SCOTLAND

    He talked about riding on the canal (said the towpath would be safer) and the commuting from Aidrie post -

    http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=190#post-1364

    and read

    "I sat it on a plastic bag yesterday so the melted snow didn't make a big mess on the floor."

    "That's what I call intrepid commuting"

    Posted 14 years ago #
  5. rust
    Member

    spytfyre, where about are those tracks?

    Posted 14 years ago #
  6. Funny, I was up looking at the canal at lunchtime today:

    http://www.blipfoto.com/view.php?id=441268&month=1&year=2010

    Posted 14 years ago #
  7. chdot
    Admin

    Looks like tonight/tomorrow is best bet -

    Posted 14 years ago #
  8. nearefare
    Member

    so does anyone fancy hooking up at harrison gardens to take a cycle on the canal then :) I live v close so youcan drop spare dry clothes there just in case lol

    Posted 14 years ago #
  9. chdot
    Admin

    Time?

    Posted 14 years ago #
  10. chdot
    Admin

    A WOW photo

    Paths of leith resistance by beqi, on Flickr

    Taken by a CCE member too.

    Posted 14 years ago #
  11. chdot
    Admin

  12. nearefare
    Member

    easy on time , got a 1 year old to look after, but ya know 11 am ish for a quick blast and then hot drinks afterwards, time limited but a quick blast is all that's needed

    Posted 14 years ago #
  13. chdot
    Admin

    Ogilvie Terrace (Opp Canal Society)? 11.30?

    Posted 14 years ago #
  14. nearefare
    Member

    have txt'd round to see if I can get a few more folk involved, safety in numbers thou not all at the same time LOL

    Posted 14 years ago #
  15. SRD
    Moderator

    Re the weather forecast - my friend in Nunavut, which has been having an unusual warm spell, says that temps there are back to -50, so it looks like weather systems are reverting to normal.

    Posted 14 years ago #
  16. chdot
    Admin

    Riding the canal

    http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=202

    Posted 14 years ago #
  17. nearefare
    Member

    ugghh, slushy snow ice mix on the towpath, A challenge and I'm not 100% convinced worth the effort

    Posted 14 years ago #
  18. spytfyre
    Member

    I would have been there if I had logged into the board after going home :(
    Here's hoping this warm day is not followed by many others
    Rust -> The tracks as far as I was told were around the Ashley Terrace area (me being on Harrison Road), it was dark then and I wasn't going alone to check...

    Posted 14 years ago #
  19. chdot
    Admin

    I expect there will be more snow, but will we have a week or more where the temperature is well below freezing?

    Current 'extreme weather' seems to be elsewhere.

    It will be floods next (but probably not Edinburgh - apart from the aftermath of frozen pipes.)

    Posted 14 years ago #
  20. Min
    Member

    I cycled in this morning (yaay). Tried the Innocent path but it was pretty much unrideable. Rutted ice with slush on top.

    Posted 14 years ago #
  21. spytfyre
    Member

    likewise the trinity roseburn paths - worst riding I have ever done - talk about tense...

    Posted 14 years ago #
  22. kaputnik
    Moderator

    First day back on the bike since Christmas Eve. Wasn't a huge amount of fun, but that was mainly due to the fact I hadn't tested the brakes sufficiently and I had a slight going at full pelt when lights turn red and pedestrian stepped out incident... Lesson learned and fortunately there was no damage done to man nor beast. Hour spent on brakes this evening ensuring everything is in full working order and all the crud is removed from the blocks and rims.

    Only problem was the mountains of ice piled up on either side of the back streets that the oncoming drivers appeared determined to force me into (middle of the road was fine for them, but wouldn't let me have a foots space on the side of the ice).

    Posted 14 years ago #
  23. chdot
    Admin

    100% bike commuter (2009)

    http://tsaleh.blogspot.com/2010/01/2009-year-end-motion-update.html

    Posted 14 years ago #

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