🚲 edi.bike | issue 85 | 24th Mar ‘25
your weekly edinburgh cycling digest
📰 News this Week
🎉 Edinburgh to Host Tour de France ‘Grand Départ’ in 2027
Bravely straying from our ‘utility cycle travel’ mainstay for this one - it was announced this week that in 2027 Edinburgh will host the Grand Départ of the Tour de France in 2027. Mark Cavendish was at Edinburgh Castle for the launch; an event that had a number of local (non-cycling) internet haunts querying the cause of the celebratory cloud of yellow smoke rising from the esplanade.
Holding the Grand Départ is typically a big economic boost for the host city - wonder if we’ll manage to have delivered any new European-standard cycle infrastructure by then…
More at The National and STV.
🌄 Dalton on Dawn Patrol
A great video and account of riding with Edinburgh’s Dawn Patrol by Alastair Dalton this week, over at The Scotsman; building on a concept he’d encountered in Oslo, friend of the newsletter Markus Stitz is interviewed in the video and the ride looks to have really connected with Dalton in a way that any good cycle experience can - fond memories and an infectious buzz.
Markus also shared a brief Youtube short, and you can find more info about Edinburgh Dawn Patrol, including starting location and route, on their Instagram »
✊ Edinburgh Critical Mass This Saturday - 29th
This month we'll ride through the centre of Edinburgh, starting at 📍 Middle Meadow Walk as always (2pm), then finishing at Bristo Square. We'll be specifically focusing on George Street, in light of news that plans to make the famous street walking and cycling friendly have been delayed much further, despite it being a critical missing link in the city's bike-lane network. Come along rain or shine to reclaim space for safe cycling, advocate for bike infrastructure, and make a greener, happier world!
🫁 Parents for Future Scotland Host Air Pollution Awareness Event at City Chambers
“Twenty schools recently took part in an Air Pollution Programme organised by charity Parents for Future Scotland, which encouraged pupils to learn about what causes air pollution, research the effects it has on health and wellbeing, and come up with suggestions that would improve air quality in Edinburgh.” — Edinburgh Evening News
Brilliant to see this initiative bring kids, teachers and parents together with Council decision-makers at the City Chambers - as well as some folks from Edinburgh Critical Mass, Edinburgh Bike Buses and other organisations. Time and time again, kids and adults alike are asking for safer, healthier streets, while the Council leader is boasting about Edinburgh’s performance metrics including air quality, and subsequently being challenged on the pace of tackling the issue at Full Council this past week.
🏰 Local Bits
💚 👕 LAST DAY, CLOSES MIDNIGHT MONDAY 24th — Clothing Fundraiser for Zero Waste Cargo Bike Food Runs
Cargo Bike Movement have been running an Everpress clothing campaign to raise money for the continuation of the food collections by cargo bike, picking up surplus food and distributing it to people who need it in Edinburgh.
You can pre-order merchandise now until Midnight tonight, 24th March on Everpress. Garments are made after the orders have closed to reduce waste.
This fundraiser is aimed at covering future costs that may include cargo bike maintenance, insurance, and storage. While we don't know exactly what these runs will look like, we hope funds from this campaign will help guarantee the continued distribution of food to the community.
🌸 Last Spring, the Labour Administration sided with Tory and Lib Dem colleagues on the Transport and Environment Committee and voted to remove traffic filtering from the Braid Estate, forming a key part of the Greenbank to Meadows Quiet Route - filters that had reduced through-traffic in the neighbourhood by as many as four thousand cars per day, a vote in direct opposition to several of the councils’ own policies. After a long design process, the plans for ‘Option 3’ (in a strange, consultation-as-referenda programme of stumbling around local objections and procedural glitches) have finally been made available, providing instead a series of protected cycleways through the streets forming the Braid Estate. Recently, Cllr Ben Parker asked for an update at Full Council and received a number of clarifications from Officers.
Neither pro-filter campaigners nor their pro-through-traffic counterparts are particularly thrilled by the plans, which will be implemented using temporary materials under a new Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO). However, thanks to Labour having tabled a last-minute caveat at the time, the ETRO will include the option to revert and reintroduce filters on the estate without requiring further legal process (e.g. another ETRO design and advertisement), so there is still hope if a case can be made that the goals of the project are deemed to have been compromised by reintroducing through-traffic to a liveable neighbourhood…
You can download the plans here [PDF].
🌿 The Cycling Gardeners of Edinburgh — some of Edinburgh’s more green-fingered cargo bike pilots - are seeking charity projects they can support with free gardening, particularly in central South Edinburgh near their base of operations. You can suggest charities that might want some help with maintaining their green spaces over on their Facebook post »
💙 Riding LEJOG in memory of Tim McKenna — and raising money for charities Mind, Sustrans and Flight Free UK in his honour. Passing through in August, folks can join for some or all of the route by reviewing the itinerary. Thanks to John Robson for the link.
🗺️ New to us: online route planning tool Veloplanner - not exhaustive coverage of Edinburgh (where’s our famous Leith Walk zigzags?) but always interesting to compare route mapping tools;
🍘 Item 8.17 at the Full Council meeting on Thursday was tabled by Conservative Cllr Munro, assumedly looking to concern troll push along work already ongoing by Officers to engage with food delivery companies and their riders on issues of safe riding, respect of pavements, etc. As pointed out by SW20, interesting to see such ’concern’ around the dangers of deliveries by bike without any acknowledgement that these could otherwise have been more cars on the road, and what of the dangers then? Robustly defeated 49 to 10 by a composite amendment by Green, Lib Dem and SNP councillors, also backed by the administration.
💚 Cargo Bike Training Sessions from Cargo Bike Movement
“Cargo bike training, providing in-depth instruction. The course will give you Cycling Scotland accredited training for cargo bike use, and we’ll have loads of fun!”
Email jamie@cargobikemovement.org to sign up to the remaining March training session from 1-4pm this Wednesday March 26th.
🖼️ Speaking of Cargo Bike Movement - some nice shots posted of the team earlier in the week, and a great wee article from The Bike Station:
“Everything Starts with a Bike: The Role of Cargo Bikes in Sustainable Cities”
…and a few photos from our visit to their family treasure hunt activities around the Meadows on Friday:
🇬🇧 National
📷 ‘Scenes and stories from the Scottish cycling community’ — worth following ‘Our Cycling Stories’ on Instagram if this sounds like your cup of tea!
💼 New Cycling UK Jobs listed in Midlothian and Aberdeen, this week;
📰 Following on from How Britain’s Most Bike-Friendly New Town Got Built, Laura Laker’s written more behind the scenes of her trip to Waterbeach on her Substack;
🛣 Route Closures and Issues
⚠️ Following the opening of the Roseburn to Fountainpark (not canal, still, no, sorry) link, concerns were expressed by a number of folks about the speeds on the West Approach Rd and the threat of speeding traffic to users of the new Toucan crossing. Photos this week of a crumpled railing at the crossing further demonstrate that the 30mph speed limit for the road, agreed by the council years ago, should clearly be implemented - what are they waiting for?
📹 A nice wee feature at the Edinburgh Evening News - you know, once you stop the irrelevant video embed from autoplaying and sweep away the badvertisements - following the completion of the anti-flooding works at George V Park;
📪 The week’s road closure info - many thanks to regular contributor Robbie for collating and preparing these:
ℹ️ Encountered unexpected road issues? Find out how to report them with this guide from Spokes. The team at Edinburgh Travel News are also keen to hear about cycle path alerts and can be contacted on Threads or Facebook.
🦋 On Bluesky? Follow the #EdTravCyc feed - anyone can use the #EdTravCyc hashtag to share route issues they encounter;
🏡 Leith LTN: Closure of Duncan Place until late May ‘25 for footway resurfacing. During this period, traffic will instead primarily access the LTN via Links Gardens, with the bus gate suspended. The modal filter on Wellington Place may provide quieter cycle access.
🌳 Wester Hailes Road: closed at Lanark Rd for resurfacing until Wednesday. Access via Viewfield Rd isn’t possible without dismounting, however the offroad paths at Woodhall Millbrae and opposite Hailes Gardens are marked as cycle paths on the council’s cycling map, and may provide alternate routes.
🚧 Redford Road: closed at Colinton Road for resurfacing from the 31st March for one week.
🏫 Canaan Lane: closed at Morningside Rd for Scottish Water repairs from the 9th of April for two weeks. It will still be possible to use the Greenbank-Meadows Quiet Route. However, be aware of vehicles turning and exiting this space via Woodburn Grove, especially around school-run hours.
⛰️ Duddingston Low Road in Holyrood Park: Ongoing inspection works have identified a risk of rockfall, resulting in a closure until further notice. Dismounting to pass is not possible. The innocent cycle path is currently unaffected; however, this may change.
🌉 Harrison Road: two bridges closed due to structural concerns with micro-cracking in the original cast iron beams. Until works begin, a pleasant temporary low traffic area has been created; however, access to cycles is being restricted as works begin.
- The west bridge over a small path is having its deck rebuilt until September 2025. The roadway is closed to cycles, though the footway remains open for now. A closure of the path underneath is also expected, which may include a signed diversion.
- The east bridge over the Union Canal has been inspected and may also require repair works. Friend of the digest Oli posted a photo of the impressive inspection vehicle on Bluesky
⛔️ North Bridge: closed to northbound traffic until April. It is possible to pass via Cockburn St and Waverley Bridge or on the footway by dismounting. Signage has been adjusted to allow two-way cycling on part of the bridge and warn vehicles of overtaking in narrow lanes.
🚂 Waverley Bridge - concrete barriers have been placed across the southbound lane with no gap. Council officers are planning to replace them with temporary barriers with a southbound cycle lane. Be aware a suspected faulty sensor is causing airport buses to enter the ‘bike box’, further restricting access.
🧱 Ellen’s Glen Rd, a quiet link in Liberton, closed at the modal filter to repair flooding damage until late May ‘25. Closure includes pedestrians and a diversion is signed via Malbet Wynd;
💧 Union Canal: Towpath improvement works are ongoing from Leamington Lift Bridge to Edinburgh Quay until May ‘25. A section of towpath is closed with diversion across the lift bridge and along the southern side of the canal - more info at Scottish Canals;
⚡ Ongoing: The questionable Network Rail ban on ebike parking at Waverley Station - best to make alternative parking plans if travelling from this station at present;
🏹 Lawnmarket and Upper Bow: Road improvements are ongoing until July ‘25; be sure to read the Council’s page about the closures, which managed to completely omit arrangements for a certain human-powered transport mode so mind how you go.
📣 Help edi.bike ✍🏼
- 🗣️ Recommend us to someone - why not forward to a friend, or just point them to edi.bike online
- 📝 Share a story / issue - If you run into anything that might be a good fit for next time, feel free to send it over.
💜 Join the Supporters Club for £1/month to help us cover costs and promote to a wider audience. More info below.
🎉 Events and Happenings
📆 Upcoming / Ongoing
🤔 A tough call this Saturday with competing events from Edinburgh Critical Mass, Linlithgow’s Festival of Movement — or, if you prefer, a chance to help raise funds for Porty Community Energy by visiting their 🚿 Spring Bike Wash event [fb], 2-4pm on the 29th on 📍 Porty prom.
🎊 Festival Of Movement — this Saturday 29th March, Linlithgow
"Scotland’s first Festival of Movement is coming to Linlithgow on Saturday 29th March for a packed day of fun filled activities for all ages and abilities to explore movement in our everyday lives. The festival is free to attend, all welcome! Follow along as we share more about the programme for the day, which includes workshops, taster sessions, discussions, led walks & cycles and more."
The full programme [PDF] is now available, and includes:
- The ‘Cyclo-Pedia’ at the West Lothian Cycle Circuit will give opportunities for the whole family to try a range of different bikes, working with our partners West Lothian Bike Library, Cycling Without Age Scotland, Cargo Bike Movement, In Tandem East Lothian, Vie Velo and Thistle offering advice and taster sessions on adaptive, cargo, e-bikes and tandems and more.
- Taster cycling skills session will take place at the West Lothian Cycle Circuit with Woman’s Hour, and sessions for families and kids; there will also be a beginners led ride leaving just after 12’noon.
- The Mini-Atlas of Active Travel will host projects from across West Lothian and the central belt who are working to make walking, wheeling and cycling better for everyone come together with creative workshops, exhibitions and activities for all the family…
…and much more!
🚴🏼♀️ Ongoing SCORE Scotland weekend cycling training over the remainder of March:
‘Advanced Cycle Training with Safety Advice and Route Planning’ at 📍 Rannoch Community Centre — 6 Rannoch Terrace, Edinburgh EH4 7ES
🗓️ Saturday 29th March, from 3pm to 5pm
🗓️ Sunday 30th March, from 11am to 1pm
Booking is essential: Call / text Madhavi on 07496190752
⚙️ Spokes, the Lothians Cycle Campaign, latest ‘Action Update’](http://www.spokes.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2502-25-action-update.pdf) [PDF] includes details of their next public meeting, featuring Transport Convenor Cllr Stephen Jenkinson and Deborah Paton, the Council’s Head of Transport, Strategy and Partnerships:
This will be our first public meeting with Transport Convener Cllr Stephen Jenkinson, who took over when Cllr Scott Arthur was elected as an MP... He will speak on the place of cycling within Edinburgh’s overall transport policies, and what we can expect to see happening this year. Also speaking will be Deborah Paton, Head of Transport, Strategy and Partnership at the Council. As a senior officer, whose remit includes active travel, she is knowledgeable both on detailed active travel issues and on how individual projects fit into overall council transport plans. Deborah previously worked at Glasgow City, drawing up their new Local Transport Strategy, and before that preparing West Lothian Council’s Active Travel Action Plan, thus rising rapidly through the ranks!
Wednesday 30th April, 📍 Augustine United Church. 7.30pm - 9.30pm, with doors open from 6.45pm for coffee, stalls and chat, including a special stall to join Spokes or renew your membership
💯 Reader Alastair shared with us an ongoing campaign by cycling club Edinburgh RC celebrating its hundredth year in 2025:
As part of the celebration of our Centenary year, we are launching our 100x100x100 women's challenge. This aims to get 100 women of all cycling abilities to ride 100k. If you are an experienced rider, why not encourage some of your family or friends to take part in the challenge? If you are nervous about rising to the challenge fear not, ERC is ready to help.
More info at Edinburgh RC »
🖼️ The Spokes, Infrasisters, Bike Buses and Edinburgh Critical Mass co-curated campaigning exhibition ‘Pedal Power’ is open at its new venue [IG] of Duncan Place in Leith - well worth a visit.
🔁 Weekly Events
- 🍃 Mon, 12-2.30pm: Free, fun group ride on paths from Bridgend Farmhouse;
- 🌅 Tues, ⏰ 5.40am: Edinburgh Dawn Patrol - Meet St. Andrew Square, same route each time - more info on their Instagram;
- ☕️Tues, 5pm: [National] Active Travel Cafe on Zoom
- 🛠️ Weds, 3pm: Bike Kitchen at Edinburgh Tool Library
- 🌅 Thurs, ⏰ 5.40am: Edinburgh Dawn Patrol (same as Tues, details above);
- ✴️ Thurs, 5-8pm: Bike DIY Session at The Wee Spoke Hub
⚙️ Sat, 2-4pm: ‘Bike Cleaning and Oiling’ drop-in session at The Wee Spoke Hub
🔁 Monthly Events
- 🚲 First Friday of the month: Inclusive social bike rides with A Wee Pedal, 1-3pm, from Bridgend Farmhouse;
- ✊ THIS WEEK: Last Saturday of the month: Critical Mass Edinburgh, Family-friendly mass protest / group ride, 2pm, Middle Meadow Walk;
🫂 Help Needed
🚐 Could you shift a bike donation into Edinburgh on behalf of Bikes for Refugees? “Milnathort, Cairneyhill or Troon 💪HELP needed! Can you collect/drop a bike donation on your commute to Glasgow or Edinburgh hubs?” — bikedonations@bikesforrefugees.scot
Ongoing: 🚌 Marshal for School Bike Buses | 🙋 Help with school programme ‘I Bike’ | 🗨️Join Spokes’ Planning or Resources group | 🆘 Donate money or bikes to Bikes for Refugees | 📦⚡️ Hire Community Cargobikes, E-bikes or Trailers from SW20, Porty Community Energy or Banzai | ♻️ Donate old bikes to The Bike Station, The Wee Spoke Hub or ‘Brake the Cycle’.
🌈 Infrastructure Progress & Consultations
✨ This section of the digest will receive a revamp in the coming months to move long-running, detailed consultation information onto web pages, and instead publish a list of links for open and recent consultations (along with summaries for anything actually new). In the meantime, anything new or changed is found near the top. ✨
In Previous Updates:
📋 Consultation: Edinburgh BioQuarter Active Travel Gaps - Sheriffhall Park & Ride to BioQuarter Campus Route
Now closed (2nd March at 23:59): Consultation spotted by Spokes this week; seeking to connect up both some missing internal links in the active travel pathways around the Edinburgh BioQuarter site at Little France, and also deliver protected cycleways and quiet routes between the site and the Midlothian Council park and ride facility at Sheriffhall:
“Edinburgh BioQuarter partners (City of Edinburgh Council, NHS Lothian, Scottish Enterprise and The University of Edinburgh) are in the process of improving active travel routes and facilities in and around the campus…
The improvements being looked at within this project will see the development of a new active travel route to Edinburgh BioQuarter from Midlothian in the south to plug a 'gap' in the infrastructure. Eliminating the 'gap' will improve accessibility for walkers, wheelers, and cyclists during everyday journeys.”
Detailed Plans and Rationale on the project’s StoryMap »
🗺️ East Lothian Council are carrying out consultations on proposed improvements between Prestonpans and Levenhall; there is of course some local resistance, and it would be great to see folks who feel able to comment responding to the consultation.
Download the (muckle!) combined plan [PDF] or browse the list
🍃 Spokes recently highlighted a new consultation from Midlothian Council to create Active Travel provisions along the A7:
The aim of the project is to improve active travel connections within the study area making it easier for people to walk, wheel and cycle for their everyday journeys and to connect to public transport services more easily. Currently, there is no or limited provision for walking, wheeling and cycling along the majority of the A7 corridor.
The consultation has a deadline of 30th March for comments and input;
📋 Following the recent deadline for the ETRO (Experimental Traffic Regulation Order) consultation for the Northern ‘Travelling Safely’ areas, Spokes shared their final response [PDF] to the various areas and schemes covered - as always, thoughtful input on taking the schemes forward and potential improvements;
📃 From lurking in Community Council mailing lists, I spotted this rather handy document listing upcoming City of Edinburgh Council consultations and their approximate launch dates for the coming year;
🏞️ Via Spokes - in an update from Friends of Burdiehouse Burn Valley Park the start of a new project to improve the valley is ongoing:
Burdiehouse Burn Restoration - Concept Design
“For the Burdiehouse Burn to become a successful and notable blue-green regeneration project, restoring approximately 5 km of the burn and surrounding habitats”
Core project objectives:
- Sustainable river restoration
- Habitat restoration in the surrounding landscape ✨ 3. Active travel connections
- Placemaking & access improvements
- Education & engagement of people and organisations local to the burn
- Net zero gains
- Improve the resilience of the site to climate change.
More in their newsletter »
🏚️ New plans for 21 flats on the site of the derelict Longstone Inn - damaged due to local flooding - have been published, featuring a ramp and alley access to the Burnside path; in addition, the council have now progressed with identifying who owns which bits of land and wall where the Burnside path sinkhole is situated, so discussions with the landowner will be ongoing to come up with a plan for remedial works here to fix not only the sinkhole, but hopefully the underlying cause too.
⚒️ Merchiston Community Council are back on the campaign trail to improve Polwarth’s worst junction. News of the Council commencing a redesign, and more background on the project, can be found on their website;
📋 Dalry ‘Living Well Locally’: the council have published an Initial local resident feedback Report on the Dalry Town Centre proposals [PDF]. There is a summary on the main Consultation page.
🕳️ Photos shared by Longstone Community Council show recent works have provided “Some improvements to the diversion path surface and the gradient made on the Burnside path. Barriers also secured more robustly stopping access to the sinkhole.”;
⬆️ The statutory process for a handful of one-way street cycle exemptions have been published by the Council - available here as a list and more detailed plans: ‘TRO/24/27 - One-way street exemptions for cyclists - Various Roads - Ending on 31 January 2025’. Just one part of a city-wide project over the next 18 months or so to make more one way streets legal for contraflow cycling.
🚧 Works on the West Edinburgh Link project look to be starting at the end of May according to the listings on the Scottish Road Works Commissioner web portal spotted by Longstone Community Council;
🚢 Leith Connections: Foot of the Walk to Dock St Construction Underway, Schedule Shared
🦶Foot of the Walk to ‘Ocean Terminal’ (actually Commercial St)
⚓️ 'Foot of the Walk to Ocean Terminal' - construction is underway on the Great Junction St cycleway, with work on Henderson St recently started too, for around ten months - a protected cycle route as part of Leith Connections, which promises to be a great continuation of the segregated routes slowly taking root in the city centre.
This Leith Connections works leaflet [PDF] outlines the rough timeline for construction of the route.
Confusingly, the project doesn’t go to Ocean Terminal (shades of Roseburn to Union Canal here) and instead gives up at Commercial St, with the Commercial St to Ocean Terminal leg covered by the third phase of Leith Connections (below);
⚓ Leith Connections Phase 3 - Hawthornvale to Seafield
View the:
Consultation Hub Page (now closed to responses);
Detailed Design drawings (PDF) »
🌳 Greenbank to Meadows Quiet Route
Some recent movement on the Greenbank to Meadows Quiet Route, in an update from Blackford Safe Routes and this update from Cllr Ben Parker;
📋 Travelling Safely Schemes (Various)
ETROs for these schemes have various end dates (barring ‘South’, which is not yet published) and can be found for comment at the Council’s Travelling Safely Commonplace microsite; also by emailing TRO.Consultations@edinburgh.gov.uk quoting the relevant scheme.
🌊 Musselburgh Active Toun Consultation
Updated plans over on Musselburgh Active Toun with further consultation ongoing: these may be of particular interest to Edinburgh residents as they cover the East Lothian section of Edinburgh Road that would eventually facilitate the long-held ambition of a tie-in to Joppa and Portobello prom, as well as the rest of the North Edinburgh network.
Comments on the consultation can be emailed to musselburgh.uki@aecom.com
Thanks for reading - ride safe 🚲
💜 Join our 'Supporters Club'
The weekly edi.bike digest will always be free (gratis) to read for anyone who subscribes, as well as remaining ad-free.
For £1/month, you can join our Supporters Club, and help with existing costs for our domain name, hosting, and promotional materials like posters and stickers.
🎁 Club Perks
As well as supporting us, we're also planning the following perks for Supporters Club patrons:
A bi-monthly (around 6 times a year) behind-the-scenes update sharing subscriber numbers / growth, promotional efforts, and other stuff about the running of edi.bike;
A shiny 'Supporters Club' sticker;
Over time, we might also consult Club patrons on strategic decisions and other matters.
If you can't support us in this way, that's grand too - thanks for reading!