Niall Anderson (@nialla) — Bluesky Profile

5 days ago

cover page of new Spokes Favourite Bike Rides booklet, with photos of some of the rides inside

A taster page from the booklet - favourite ride from Balerno to Fountainbridge, with photos of the entrant, the colinton tunnel, and a map

3 A Beeline to the City
11 km, 7 miles 40–60 minutes E
This is a straightforward route, suitable for cyclists of all abilities. The surfaces are good, navigation is
simple, there is no traffic to worry about and the going is almost completely level. It’s worth lingering in
the Colinton Tunnel to view the impressive murals.
Start: Balerno End: Fountainbridge
From Bridge Road, take the signposted Water of Leith path
(NCN 75), which starts near Balerno High School. Follow
the path for about 7 km as it meanders alongside the
river. You will pass Spylaw Park (on your right), then go
under the City Bypass and through the Colinton Tunnel.
The path eventually leaves the Water of Leith, crossing
the Lanark Road by a footbridge before dropping down to
the Union Canal towpath.
With the canal on your right, take the towpath (still NCN
75) for a further 4 km to its terminus at Fountainbridge.
(Care is needed when crossing the Slateford Aqueduct.
Cyclists are very strongly advised to dismount on this
narrow section of path; those with a poor head for heights may prefer to avoid it completely.)

Gregor Steele
Gregor came back to cycling after he
retired. He enjoys leisurely rides in
the country, which he says fit in with
his other hobbies: photography and
local history. He is also a writer and
poet, and does a lot of his composing
while riding.
Why this is my favourite ride:
This is a journey
to be enjoyed at
a leisurely pace.
There is beauty
to be found all
along the route,
but for me the
highlight is
the Colinton
Tunnel, with its
famous murals.
I have passed through it many times,
but always find something new.

How to get your copy...

Getting your copy

All Spokes members will be sent a free copy, as a thank-you for being a member. This will be sent out in mid or late April with our annual paper-based mailing. If you’re not a member, join Spokes by the end of March and you will be included!
The Edinburgh Bike Coop and the Water of Leith Visitor Centre sell edition 2 and are being approached about edition 3.
Order direct from Spokes, post free. Email office@spokes.org.uk. We will send you details to make a BACS payment. Prices..
Edition 2 (12 pages) – £2
Edition 3 (16 pages) – £3
Edition 2 and Edition 3 – £4
If you also order one Spokes map, ask for either booklet free
If you also order two or more maps, ask for both booklets free
Important – if you are a Spokes member, you will still receive a free copy of edition 3 in April even if you buy one now. With around 1000 members it would be too complex for us to do otherwise … your second copy could be a lovely present for a friend, relation or colleague!

🚲🚲 #FavouriteBikeRides #Edinburgh/ #Lothians - out now!

HERE-> www.spokes.org.uk/2026/03/favo...

@edi.bike @edfoc.bsky.social @edinreporter.bsky.social @edinburghminute.com @gavincorbett.bsky.social @laidbackbikes.bsky.social @gregorsteele.bsky.social @edcriticalmass.bsky.social @wolct.bsky.social

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1 week ago

It’s a very nice-looking bike.

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1 week ago

Start of the LTT article...

‘Car traffic is the problem, not buses vs bikes’ says LCC's Munk
In the last issue, LTT reported on London’s declining bus services, and what was needed to improve them. Simon Munk of the London Cycling Campaign offers his assessment.
05 March 2026
Simon Munk
Simon Munk

London’s bus speeds are dropping and ridership is directly tied to bus journey times. Transport for London (TfL) has said (and the last issue of LTT reiterated this) that “for every 10% reduction in speed, there is a 6% drop in demand” for buses in London. These are undisputed facts.

What is disputed is why bus speeds keep dropping and what to do about that and falling ridership.

Looking at Government data1 for bus ridership inside London versus the rest of England, you can see a remarkable pattern.

London has been criticised for its extensive cycling infrastructure, nearly all arriving post 2013, but despite few other urban areas in the UK delivering anything like the changes London has seen, bus ridership in the capital very closely correlates to that across England.

2nd half of article...

Indeed, the London bus ridership trajectory overtakes England’s in the post 2013 period and recovered quicker post-pandemic, despite London putting in hundreds of active travel schemes during it.

So, if cycling’s not the issue, what is? Here’s some uncomfortable questions for those who blame cycling…

1. Why are private motor traffic volumes rising nationally and indeed in London? What can we do to stop that? Hint: road-user charging. The Clean Cities campaign2 points out that post-peak evening driving in central London is now higher than morning peak – people are choosing to drive more when congestion charging is suspended.

2. What can we do to get rid of more parking or loading on TfL’s red routes and make more bus lanes 24/7? Why is TfL behind on its ‘bus priority action plan’? And why is it so weak? And why have TfL Buses never championed major successful bus gate schemes such as on Bishopsgate, Bank Junction and Stoke Newington Church Street? These were largely promoted as active travel measures.

3. How should TfL deal better with bus delays at junctions? The plan currently appears to be to increase motor vehicle capacity through junctions, as buses are often mixed in with it, despite ‘induced demand’ and risks to safe active travel. Surely giving buses separate priority at junctions is key?

4. What other factors are even considered? Most changes clearly slowing down buses (roadworks, internet shopping, post-pandemic driving for leisure) appear to have nothing to do with cycling. And what about junction redesigns that (rightly) prioritise pedestrian safety?

Without coherent answers, we’ll be stuck with an endless and unseemly scrap for capacity between cycling (and walking) and buses that still serves all those modes poorly.

1 https://tinyurl.com/4a5ksfsm

2 https://tinyurl.com/7u3n5ne8

photo showing bike and bus lanes in London, via London Cycling Campaign

🚌🚲 Buses v bikes ?? - a correction!

-> www.transportxtra.com/publications...

@edi.bike @edinburghbug.bsky.social @transform.scot @stephenjenkinson.bsky.social @edinpl.bsky.social @paulwhite-cpt.bsky.social @labourwalkscycles.bsky.social @libdemcycling.org.uk @staceyoflaherty.bsky.social @sw20.info

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2 weeks ago

New cycling infrastructure in London. Generous size - CEC take note.

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2 weeks ago

Look at the size of that! (The path, not #TheDoodle). Very impressive.

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2 weeks ago

Maybe we can persuade @profdevisridhar.bsky.social to do some Instagram demo videos - she’ll be an influencer in no time! (Also merch opportunities - watches, exercise mats….). :-)

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2 weeks ago

Transform Your Upper Body with Perfect Tricep Dips | Anytime Fitness Tricep dips are for everybody, as in every body on the planet. And you can literally do them anywhere, with proper form. No machines or weights necessary.

Also (more seriously), tricep dips (I think)…

www.anytimefitness.com/blog/master-...

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2 weeks ago

Start of Transform response...

1. Inadequate plans for road traffic reduction
The failure of the government to bring forward a robust implementation plan for its previous 20% reduction
in car kilometres by 2030 target, let alone deliver on it, demonstrated a wider failure of political leadership.
This commitment was for an absolute cut on 2019 levels. The revised target, by contrast, is to reduce car
use by at least 4% relative to a 2030 “business-as-usual” projection, making it a much weaker goal: a smaller
percentage reduction measured against a higher baseline, so absolute car kilometres could still increase.
This inaction on traffic leaves the government open to accusations of willing the ends, without providing
the means; wanting the PR hit of announcing ambitious policies to help deliver more sustainable living, and
then largely continuing with business-as-usual amongst a distracting fog of consultation and delay.
It is intellectually incoherent to believe you can drive forward a multi-billion pound road-building and
widening programme while also claiming you want to reduce annual car mileage. The government would
never announce a multi-billion pound house-building programme if it had a commitment to, for argument’s
sake, provide homes to fewer people.
Scotland annual car kilometres continue to rise post-pandemic. Source: Scotland’s annual car kilometres, 1995 to 2023, Audit Scotland (2025)
Given the huge constraints on public spending it is astonishing that there is no mention of road-user
charging as means of getting much better value out of our existing road network.It is also increasingly
pertinent that we have sensible conversations about how we plug budgetary gaps as revenues from fuel
duties decline.
Transform Scotland is a registered

parts 3 & 4

3. Aviation let off scot-free
The plan starkly sets out the contribution that domestic and international aviation makes to the transport
sector’s carbon emissions - 15% in 2023, and under the plans in the CCP, rising to 29% in 2035 and 44% in
2040. This belies the belief that aviation only contributes a small percentage of the country’s carbon
emissions, not now, and certainly not in the future.
The plan also shows that aviation’s absolute emissions will show hardly any decline at all by the end of
2040, even assuming the highly questionable availability and effectiveness of the so-called sustainable
aviation fuel.
So once again, aviation is being allowed to continue to merrily pollute while every other sector in society,
both within transport and outwith, is expected to devise and implement stretching, sometimes expensive,
and complicated plans to rapidly reduce their own emissions.
Of course aviation is singled out as deserving of special treatment as it’s such a ‘hard to abate’ sector, with
so much dependant on actions at the UK and international level, and on technological break-throughs. But
of course the Scottish Government, should it so wish, has all sorts of mitigation levers it could pull in terms
of airport planning constraints, being ambitious with the endlessly delayed implementation of the Airport
Departure Tax regime, and running communication campaigns that highlight the hugely disproportionate
impact that frequent fliers have in contributing to climate breakdown.
The consultation documents talk of the government’s desire to “support modal shift through more
sustainable forms of travel” and yet not a single aspect of the policy platform outlined in the plan is directed
at a societal modal shift away from flying, the single most damaging mode of transport anyone can take.
4. Public transport & active travel in theory, cars in practice
The draft CCP talks a good game on public transport and active travel, but again fails to provide the fun…

Start of spokes submission, with top takeway issues...

Scotland’s Draft Climate Change Plan (CCP) 2026-2040 – consultation
Response from Spokes, the Lothian Cycle Campaign January 2026
Please note:
a. Our response concentrates on transport issues, primarily traffic reduction and active travel
b. The consultation’s three transport questions don’t adequately cover our concerns, hence this submission.
However, we do respond to the questions, in section 9 below, largely by reference to this main submission
c. Spokes is a member of SCCS coalition and we endorse their submission, particularly the transport section
0. Top Takeaways [references are to sections below]
[3] Demand management (notably road-user charging) is essential to car-km reduction. The
Scottish Government should act urgently on its own commissioned research recommendations
[2] The draft new ‘traffic reduction’ target is incredibly weak. It should be toughened and, if not,
the government should be honest that its new target is to limit traffic growth, not to reduce traffic
[4.1] The promise of multi-year funding for active travel projects should be implemented rapidly
[4.2] Disguising of active travel funding by combining it with bus infrastructure money should end
[4.3] 10% of the transport budget should be invested in active travel infrastructure and promotion
[6] The move to zero-emission vehicles should include strong support for cargo bikes, particularly
for last-mile urban deliveries and reducing motor van transport, but also for family transport

Scot Govt #ClimateChange Plan 🚘🚚🚲👩‍🦼🚶🚌🚆

Great to see strong response (like ours!) from @transform.scot

-> transform.scot/2026/01/29/h...

@edi.bike @edfoc.bsky.social @nigelbagshaw.bsky.social @sccscot.bsky.social @2050climategroup.bsky.social @oxfamscotland.bsky.social @drandrewboswell.bsky.social

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2 weeks ago

Pleasing news this morning…

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2 weeks ago

There’s an audiobook version? Does @youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com know?

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2 weeks ago

I think the main question is… has he read your book?

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3 weeks ago

“It’s the hope that kills you…” . Keep us posted.

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3 weeks ago

So sorry to hear of this. I’d echo all the other comments about taking your time and not rushing back too soon - avoid the self-imposed pressure to re-start before you are actually ready. Best wishes.

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3 weeks ago

There you go. What are you planning to do after lunch?

Good luck with the last stages!

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3 weeks ago

Nice. Thanks for the heads-up and have pre-ordered. Now if you could just finish writing it please? ;-)

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3 weeks ago

@mrjamesob.bsky.social Bedford CC dealing with the bigots like an absolute boss.

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3 weeks ago

Wednesday

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3 weeks ago

I’m counting down the days until I can get mine (Summer 2027, BTW. I’m just a youngster).

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1 month ago

They have proofreaders?

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1 month ago

a close up of a person 's hand holding a gun in a dark room . ALT: a close up of a person 's hand holding a gun in a dark room .

Most university strategies seem to boil down to someone shouting "more"

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1 month ago

Have you met people?

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1 month ago

Thanks. Your response very similar to mine, posted some time ago. Need to put infra where people are (west side of Whitehouse Road), not where people are not and route needs to connect to Cramond Primary School. Hugely concerning this latter point was not considered given the circumstances there.

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1 month ago

This is great. And the podium for the kids….

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1 month ago

Hmmm.... @srd.bsky.social , @cathyabbott.bsky.social any of this sound familiar?

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1 month ago

Oh, that's fantastic. Thank you @infrasisters.bsky.social

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1 month ago

Darren, you attempted to make a joke on BlueSky. Rookie error…

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1 month ago

Yes, that’s starting to feel distinctly unethical.

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1 month ago

Leading to a reduction in the quality of GB research, leading to poorer REF returns, leading to a restriction of funding….

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1 month ago

Good lord. Remarkable figures here. Of course, that’s Birmingham. Couldn’t possibly happen anywhere else, could it?

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1 month ago

But just think how smug we can be during the summer? And also… we get to live in Scotland.

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