Visiting Edinburgh ... road bike rental? OWS?

Triathlon Forum
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i’ll be in Edinburgh next week and am wondering if i should throw some bike gear or a wetsuit in my luggage.

i was wondering if there might be some location that is known to have good routes, where i could rent a bike and ride right from where i rent it. i don’t mind renting a car to go there, so long as it is within an hour or two of the city (like wheels in Trossachs?) or maybe this is doable right from the city?

i see there is OWS at Portobello … do most people where a wetsuit? or should i be ok to HTFU with none?

yes i have googled it, but i find i learn more from ST where people have the same interests as i do.

thanks!

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Used to swim there a few years ago when working in Edinburgh. Most people will wear a suit but there’s always a few who dont. You can pay to use the swimming pool facilities to change, shower and leave your stuff so it’s quite good for OWS compared to most places.

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Hi, if you had the chance I would definitely hire a bike and get out and about. Riding from the city you’re going to have to cycle out of the urban area, which is a bit boring with the traffic lights but won’t take you too long.

If you cross the bridge to the north you are in some good riding in Fife although it can be busy there. Have a look at the National cycle routes to the south, but they can be a little bit ‘commutery’, but this means you’ll avoid some really busy roads that can be full of heavy goods vehicles and farming traffic.

Finally, I saw these guys https://www.biketrax.co.uk/info/bike_hire.php have gravel bikes - there’s a canal pathway to Glasgow which would probably be fun and traffic free although there will be other users, especially during the school holidays here. The pathway also links with a couple of worthwhile stops eg the Falkirk Wheel and the Kelpies, both pretty cool. Details here: https://www.sustrans.org.uk/find-a-route-on-the-national-cycle-network/route-754/

Hope this is helpful, I’m in Scotland but in Inverness otherwise I’d happily go out for a ride with you! Give me a shout if you want any more info.

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I would not be doing any OWS without a wetsuit unless you are hardcore. Yes there has been a heat wave but the North Sea is always cold and swimming without a wetsuit is not something I would recommend for the uninitiated.

I am not familiar with bike rentals in the area but I suspect most of the options will be in the city itself. Edinburgh is hilly but the infrastructure is cycling friendly including access to the surrounding countryside. As for training in the city the road around Arthur’s Seat (Queen’s Road) in the heart of Edinburgh is cycling and running friendly and is much better than it might appear on map. It is not a big loop but has enough of an elevation change that it will get to you after a few reps. The real advantage it is super accessible and as it stays light late and gate light early this time of year its a no brainier for mid-week sessions.

If you want to do something a bit more adventurous I might suggest renting a mountain bike and hitting the pentlands rather than driving into Scotland. There are a bunch of routes online but something like this will take you from the city and into the hills without getting too technical: https://www.trailforks.com/route/edinburgh-pentland-loop-black-hill-variation . You can repeat the main loop if you want more distance or hit any of the trails which cut across the hills https://www.trailforks.com/region/pentland-hills/map/ . There is great road riding in the region but this time of year ideal for hitting the trails.