A few years ago, someone in my LBS mentioned something about doing the Arthur’s seat challenge on the road bike. I can’t remember the time he said was the time to aim for, nor the route. Anyone any ideas? I assume the route round it is from St Mary’s loch end?

As I recall there is not much to it. You start from the gate by the lake with all the swans at the bottom. Leather it up to the top, and that’s it!

So basically it’s to see how fast you can do the climb – there was a website with lists of times on it I think.

Details are here: http://www.arthursseatchallenge.co.uk/
The actual challenge seems to have finished but you can get the route start and finish there.

cheers 🙂 not too fussed about taking part in the actual challenge – just wanted something to aim for over the next few weeks.

Blimey, some of the times on that site are really slow. How are people on road bikes taking more than 4 minutes for that?

Joe
(103rd out of 112 with a massive 5 mins 45 secs, although in my defence I was riding a Nokian Gazaloddi Downhill tyre, and only one of them)

Sounds awesome 😐

good call. will spice up otherwise dull laps of AS for training…

Coogan you are so friikin gnarly!

Fact.

i did some laps of arthur's seat last night, but couldn't see the line. is it still there and i'm just missing it?

was hurting quite a bit on lap 5, when i had someone on my wheel but there was no way i was going to slow down 😀

As you get to the start of the loch at the top, look for the line on the kerb on the RHS of the road. It doesn't cross the road.

ah, i was looking on the LHS. cheers, will see if i can spot it next time.

It's pretty hard to spot now. Wonder if someone with a spray can might pop up and spot it in the not so distant. (NB this is not me encouraging vandalism of a royal(?) park thingy, just idle ponderings)

Rather than do laps I just go left/back and nip down to the start through the streets rather than spend the 8m or so going all the way round.

Did an official line on mtbing in the park ever get established/promulgated?

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/edinburgh-biking

Summary: stick to the paths and you'll be reet.

cynical, that's a good idea – did seem rather a long recovery session so cutting back/going a different way would be a good thing.

There's a gap in the wall on the left near the top (which you pass on the way up) – just cut back left. There are 2 steps but rideable on a road bike. Takes me 3m or so to get back down – enough to recover.

Cheers Colin. I wonder if this will work…imagine once every mtber in Edinburgh knows this? Will get busy!

I like to do the challenge on my occasional loops of Arthurs seat, i dont think the marking is there anymore, or at least I can never see it.

It makes the loops a bit more interesting.