Edinburgh commuters - route help please

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Edinburgh commuters - route help please

13 posts & 8 voices | Started 2 years ago by dirtygirlonabike | Latest reply from juan

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dirtygirlonabike - Member

I need to be in the Grassmarket once a week by 5.45pm. I'm riding from Corstorphine, and the first part of my route is fine - this takes me to Fountain Bridge. However, from Semple St, crossing over Lothian Rd, Bread St and then down to Grassmarket is awful - lots of vans trying to push us off the road/out of lane.

I can't really think of another way to go through due to tram works etc. Anyone any route recommendations/thoughts of another way i could try? The timing doesn't help as its full on rush hour by that point, but i can't change the time.

Posted 2 years ago #
MussEd - Member

Go down Lothian Road, round past Kings Stables Road car park, brings you out at bottom of Grassmarket.

Posted 2 years ago #
druidh - Member

Your only real option is Haymarket, Shandwick Place, Lothian Road, Kings Stables Road. It's gonna be just as busy though. That's quite a short distance you're complaining about though. Mibbe you have to be "owning" your lane a bit more so there's no squeezing past by other vehicles - or you just walk that bit

Posted 2 years ago #
dirtygirlonabike - Member

i might try the king stables option.

and yes druidh, i know its only a short distance but we tried riding side by side and then a bit more aggressively to see if it made a difference and it didn't. that stretch of road isn't good as people change lanes/in wrong lane etc etc. i was just interested to see if anyone could recommend a route that i hadn't thought of that might be better - had wondered about going up the road that takes you round the back of the castle, cutting onto george 4th bridge and down Victoria St - but that doesn't fix the Semple St/Lothian road bit

Posted 2 years ago #
druidh - Member

How about heading up to Gilmour Place, left at the Kings, Tollcross and up to Lauriston Place? At least the lanes are pretty clearly marked and I reckon there's less lane-skipping going on.

Posted 2 years ago #
cynic-al - Member

KS Road FTW IMO.

Riding assertively is good.

Posted 2 years ago #
dirtygirlonabike - Member

liking the gilmour place option so will give that a try for a few weeks as its not usually as bad as lower down. i'm just a bit concerned for when it gets darker and want to be comfortable with a route by then.

i have no issues with riding assertively, but its tricky when its you vs a delivery van who is in the wrong lane all the way round and forces his way into the right lane!

Posted 2 years ago #
V8_shin_print - Member

If you do try gilmour place then there is a handy shortcut up past the job centre (high riggs) direct to the pubic triangle. I used to take this on a regular basis to get to the grassmarket. You need to take a more 'relaxed' view of the traffic laws to cut straight the oncoming traffic to rejoin bread street but might be worth a try.

Posted 2 years ago #
thebikechain - Member

want me to send the 'boys' to sort the vans oot?

*preps aweosme fighting force of Druidh!*

Posted 2 years ago #
cynic-al - Member

i have no issues with riding assertively, but its tricky when its you vs a delivery van who is in the wrong lane all the way round and forces his way into the right lane!

Fair enough, it's just odd that you have so much hassle with other road users, I must be lucky.

Posted 2 years ago #
Shandy - Member

The problem lies with the mentality of the average white van man. Whilst they are highly attuned to identifying aggression in other males, their attitude to women leaves something to be desired. They will bully whoever they can get away with bullying.

Posted 2 years ago #
dirtygirlonabike - Member

ah, i know that shortcut up high riggs, that'd be a good option

cynical, i've never really had an issues with traffic, but friday night rush hour, 2 females on bikes and a white van man who wanted to get from the inside lane to the outside and then back again, acting like we were invisible put a different perspective on things. it wasn't just the one white van, there was another one nearer grassmarket that nearly pushed me into roadworks trying to get past. i don't mind so much when its light, but concerned on dark winter nights.

Posted 2 years ago #
juan - Member

preps aweosme fighting force of Druidh!

Now why did that made me laugh a lot

Posted 2 years ago #

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