Author Topic: Edinburgh-Stirling  (Read 2283 times)

Manotea

  • Where there is doubt...
Edinburgh-Stirling
« on: 02 October, 2018, 10:10:02 pm »
 What's they best route by bike? I've got a ticket to Stirling but could ride up if the journeys pleasant enough.

Re: Edinburgh-Stirling
« Reply #1 on: 02 October, 2018, 10:19:18 pm »
Over the Forth Road Bridge and along the Fife Coastal Path to Bridge of Allan is quite pleasant.


FifeingEejit

  • Not Small
Re: Edinburgh-Stirling
« Reply #2 on: 02 October, 2018, 10:23:10 pm »
What's they best route by bike? I've got a ticket to Stirling but could ride up if the journeys pleasant enough.

Skinfla....

Head over the FRB, through Inverkeithing onto the coast road, round by Kilconquhar (don't try and pronounce it), up to Crail and then StAndrews, take in the delights of the Tay Bridgehead before dragging your half hung body over The Gauldry; descend to Aberargie before crossing Glenfarg to Milnathort, climb up to the Yetts O' Muckhart before continuing on over Glendevon to enjoy the coast down to Gleneagles; annoy some Gowfers as you head for Kinbuck before turning down to Dunblane, Bridge of Allan and then Stirling...

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Edinburgh/crail/Tayport/Aberargie,+Perth+PH2+9LY/Yetts+o'Muckhart/Gleneagles+Village/Kinbuck,+Dunblane+FK15+0NL/Stirling/@56.16741,-3.2037541,10.5z/data=!4m50!4m49!1m5!1m1!1s0x4887b800a5982623:0x64f2147b7ce71727!2m2!1d-3.188267!2d55.953252!1m5!1m1!1s0x4886f93259ce4b11:0xa4fcf46fb998648e!2m2!1d-2.6275909!2d56.260551!1m5!1m1!1s0x48865943ce9266a5:0xdd295388c9e372e3!2m2!1d-2.8809121!2d56.447996!1m5!1m1!1s0x488630b02d02ae4d:0x46fb69d6583b3111!2m2!1d-3.347757!2d56.327623!1m5!1m1!1s0x48862ba7ea69642b:0x9e872e60b037e7c3!2m2!1d-3.604076!2d56.197135!1m5!1m1!1s0x488882fff226a715:0x14dfa16ec54bedbb!2m2!1d-3.7521744!2d56.2811997!1m5!1m1!1s0x488888b6c9699b45:0x770ba6c5be970d74!2m2!1d-3.947494!2d56.221755!1m5!1m1!1s0x488857d73c437831:0xfbf01f3702d576ad!2m2!1d-3.9369029!2d56.1165227!3e2

As much as that is a joke, it's probably a decent option for a Dart


A more direct route that avoids Skiflats would be as Deano says

I can't remember the route Tour De Forth takes out of Rosyth but I don't remember being on the A985 at all and fairly sure there's a tarred route all the way from the end of the bridge to Kincardine that's pretty quiet


FifeingEejit

  • Not Small
Re: Edinburgh-Stirling
« Reply #3 on: 02 October, 2018, 10:36:32 pm »
Ok some of TdF was on the A985
https://ridewithgps.com/trips/15052661

Culross and Clackmannan are probably the highlights on heading that way.

Re: Edinburgh-Stirling
« Reply #4 on: 02 October, 2018, 10:50:27 pm »
I hear Falkirk is lovely in November.

While in Stirling, the classic cyclist's cafe is Corrieri's at Causewayhead. You would pass it coming in from the Forth Bridge.

Re: Edinburgh-Stirling
« Reply #5 on: 02 October, 2018, 10:50:38 pm »
Mine & Timpsie's cunning plan m'lord is;

Chez Hirondelle - nr Boston
Boston - York
York - Dunkenhalgh nr Blackburn
Dunkenhalgh - Gretna
Gretna - Stirling via Glasgow

Previous experience says that with some research going through Glasgow isn't a problem as it has an excellent network of cycle paths as used on the Lumpy End to End. 

Happy to modify the Gretna - Stirling leg for company.

Have previously ridden Berwick - Edinburgh - Glasgow which has worked very well.

Return is the sleeper via Linthlthgo palace.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

Re: Edinburgh-Stirling
« Reply #6 on: 03 October, 2018, 09:10:41 am »
The north side of the Forth is much more pleasant than the south.
If you insist on the south side, the best route is Kirkliston - Linlithgow - Falkirk - Stirling. A lot of main roads, but they are reasonably quiet. Under no circumstances go through Bo'ness or Grangemouth.

Feanor

  • It's mostly downhill from here.
Re: Edinburgh-Stirling
« Reply #7 on: 03 October, 2018, 09:11:17 am »
What's they best route by bike? I've got a ticket to Stirling but could ride up if the journeys pleasant enough.

You can go either on the North or South of the Forth.

Have a look at this tracklog, it does both.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1198008573

The actual destination in this case is Corrieris cafe in Causewayhead, but you get the general idea.
The route was a cut-n-paste from various Audax events.

The start point on that track is the Miller and Carter steakhouse on the outskirts of Edinburgh.
For a traffic-free route to there from the centre of town, look at the start of this track, which starts at my flat but the same route would be appropriate from Waverly.
It uses the network of cycle paths on old railway tracks, and small residential streets.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1300794768

ETA: Oh, one final thing.
There's a new section of cycle path at the North end of the Forth Road Bridge which makes getting onto Ferry Toll Road much easier.
Instead of going around the big Ferry Toll Gyratory roundabout like my first tracklog does, there's a new cycle path which drops down off the west side of the old A90 just north of the bridge onto the B981.
As per this tracklog...
https://www.strava.com/activities/1764832188




FifeingEejit

  • Not Small
Re: Edinburgh-Stirling
« Reply #8 on: 03 October, 2018, 09:50:59 am »
ETA: Oh, one final thing.
There's a new section of cycle path at the North end of the Forth Road Bridge which makes getting onto Ferry Toll Road much easier.
Instead of going around the big Ferry Toll Gyratory roundabout like my first tracklog does, there's a new cycle path which drops down off the west side of the A90 just north of the bridge onto the B981.
As per this tracklog...
https://www.strava.com/activities/1764832188

Aye, it's pretty decent until it lands you at Ferry Toll and has a typically rubbish tie in with the road!
There's also the toucan crossing to get across the (pretty much deserted) roadway to the other side; but the roadway has a very limited exclusion from the "No Vehicles" restriction (buses, taxis and small engined motorcycles) so if traffic plod is both around and bored...

Manotea

  • Where there is doubt...
Re: Edinburgh-Stirling
« Reply #9 on: 03 October, 2018, 02:22:44 pm »
Thanks all. I'll be rolling into Waverley on the 11:20 so plenty of time for sight-seeing, looking at Bridges, etc. and an easy roll up to Stirling. Company always welcome so happy to hang around or meet up en-route.

Re: Edinburgh-Stirling
« Reply #10 on: 03 October, 2018, 02:29:11 pm »
Friday or Saturday?
“That slope may look insignificant, but it's going to be my destiny" - Fitzcarraldo

bairn again

Re: Edinburgh-Stirling
« Reply #11 on: 03 October, 2018, 04:33:05 pm »
Id say thers no much difference between north and south side of forth, both are mostly nice cycling but with short bits that arent dream cycling.

Auld Alliance 400 starts Haymarket and the first 50km or so is the most pleasant south side ride between the two locations imho.  This goes very close by the Kelpies and also the first stretch of road in the UK to have a cycle path (between Bellsdyke & Bowtrees RABs....i dont think they have touched it since.   ;D). 

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28630702

Or if you fancy north side the AA does that too on the return

 https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28630773


Re: Edinburgh-Stirling
« Reply #12 on: 04 October, 2018, 12:31:37 pm »
If you want to make a day of it, the canal is quite nice.  Hop on at Fountainbridge and take it all the way to the Falkirk Wheel.  Busy for the first 5km or so, but then dead quiet.  Then join the Forth And Clyde Canal heading briefly eastbound to the Kelpies.  After that it can either be N or S of the Forth- N has paths almost all the way.

hillbilly

Re: Edinburgh-Stirling
« Reply #13 on: 04 October, 2018, 02:21:21 pm »
What's they best route by bike? I've got a ticket to Stirling but could ride up if the journeys pleasant enough.

Skinfla....

Head over the FRB, through Inverkeithing onto the coast road, round by Kilconquhar (don't try and pronounce it), up to Crail and then StAndrews, take in the delights of the Tay Bridgehead before dragging your half hung body over The Gauldry; descend to Aberargie before crossing Glenfarg to Milnathort, climb up to the Yetts O' Muckhart before continuing on over Glendevon to enjoy the coast down to Gleneagles; annoy some Gowfers as you head for Kinbuck before turning down to Dunblane, Bridge of Allan and then Stirling...


This is a nice route Paul, pretty much along the whole length.  Generally fine for fixed as well (some lumps though). 

If you don't want the full 140 miles, either you could get an extension to Kirkcaldy, Cupar or Leuchars and start from those (picking up the route at wherever is convenient for what's in your legs).

Manotea

  • Where there is doubt...
Re: Edinburgh-Stirling
« Reply #14 on: 04 October, 2018, 02:48:57 pm »
140 Miles? Its only about 45 miles from Edinburgh to Stirling! I'll have to think about this...

Um, I was rather late arriving at the reunion last year.... I had forgotten to set Gmaps to km, and my ride up was closer to 100miles rather than 100km (and being in Wales, it wasn't exactly flat either). Oops. :)

Re: Edinburgh-Stirling
« Reply #15 on: 04 October, 2018, 03:13:10 pm »
Although I get why there might be a tendency for those of us in the know to put the boot into a Skinflats route (and certainly navigation along the north side of the Forth is, I think, more straightforward) you'd miss the opportunity to see the Kelpies and if that's something you've never done, I recommend it highly. There is also something quite TdF-going-through-northern-France (minus the fields of sunflowers, of course) about the section between the Kelpies and Kincardine Bridge if you hack across country and, even more so, on the other side between the bridge and Clackmannan.

Just some mid-afternoon musings... when I'm stuck at work and would prefer to be out on a bike.
Your next 1200's your best 1200.

FifeingEejit

  • Not Small
Re: Edinburgh-Stirling
« Reply #16 on: 04 October, 2018, 03:59:51 pm »
Aye my route suggestion was largely in jest but of course if you're wanting to put a Dart in then it's not a bad option to get the 200km+ required.

I think I've only ridden the Skinflats twice; they're flat and boring but not all that long really; you could be similarly bored in uninspiring parts of Ayrshire, Larnarkshire and West Lothian which aren't even flat!

Kelpies definitely worth seeing, though better to go into them rather than see them from the other side of the motorway. (Link path from Auldtown to them beside the canal just off the lifting bridge).

Really depends on what you're wanting though; Dart, Transport or sightseeing (and there's a lot of sights to see in a small distance)

bairn again

Re: Edinburgh-Stirling
« Reply #17 on: 04 October, 2018, 04:26:57 pm »
I'll keep an eye on the weather and might do a Dinner Dart on Friday 16th. 

May as well take advantage of the fact that the reunion is somewhere that's within range.       

Working it back from the last train home to Edinburgh from Bridge of Allan at just after 11pm that probably means taking a half day off work.   


Feanor

  • It's mostly downhill from here.
Re: Edinburgh-Stirling
« Reply #18 on: 04 October, 2018, 05:19:32 pm »
Bah.

My Pink Slip has been rescinded on account of Other Things.