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Anyone have knowledge of folk attempting the seven hills of Edinburgh route by bike? It's a popular running race and in a similar fashion to 3 peaks cycle-cross there is very much the potential to do them all by bike (minus needing to fly under the radar on Arthur's Seat). Just pootling round them is relatively plain sailing but really optimising the route is a different business. Would be interested in hearing of others who may have thought the same / attempted.
My suspicion is that the potential to dip under the running record (despite some longer routes you have to take by bike) is there. Ethically it's a conundrum as the hills are all popular walking spots and the city sections can have busy traffic but if one attempt's it at dawn in summer before the city wakes up, to me anyways, at least conceptually feels fine.
Sounds interesting - most bike challenges are on the longer side, so something shorter is a bit different. For sure someone must have ridden this but raced it IDK - Perhaps you could inaugurate things tillyfishes and get a lap on the board?
It would mean absolutely leathering it round central Edinburgh and Arthur's seat so of course you're right to highlight discretion - just a thing for personal interest, something to discuss with friends.
Sounds like a great idea. With no official route folk can try options. Would you prefer a specific start/end hill(s) or would that be riders choice? And does the time include the first climb?
Edit: it just occurred to me that you were maybe thinking of the same order as the running race.
http://www.seven-hills.org.uk/course.asp
Did this three times in lockdown but on a mince tank as I was looking for technical challenges rather than a fast time. Didn't bother with the castle esplanade but did both Craiglockhart hills. West Craiglockhart hill has a fantastic decent west of the summit which I did regardless which way round you ride the loop. Braids decent due west of summit fun. Calton hill North of summit fun and Corstorphine always good too. Arthur's Seat has good stuff but best avoided as you can imagine the carnage if folk started riding it in any quantity.
Could you neutralise the transitions somehow so you're not racing through traffic and pedestrians? Like a set time limit for each transition so you're only tallying up combined climbing time to each hill?
Sort of implies a set route though which isn't in the spirit of what you're suggesting.
Ethically it’s a conundrum as the hills are all popular walking spots and the city sections can have busy traffic but if one attempt’s it at dawn in summer before the city wakes up, to me anyways, at least conceptually feels fine.
I'm not sure if you were thinking of setting some sort of semi-official record or defined challenge. I think if that were the case you've just tipped any ethical argument against it - because whilst most people might be sensible and stick to quiet times some will see that as an excuse for blasting towards walkers shouting strava. It would actually be better if you were to get it officially agreed as an event and temporarily close (or at the very least sign) the risky sections - but that is a lot of work. The winning runners times are pretty impressive - anyone beating that on a bike is certainly not taking things easy on the descents. Whilst early morning will be quieter there's no certainty it will be empty on any of those hills. If I was the land manager I'd argue that riding a bike there at high speed even at quiet times was not responsible access.
I do it fairly regularly on the gravel bike - I just do a lap of Arthur's Seat as you're not allowed up it. Sometimes I do Craiglockhart Easter as well.
My fastest time is about 2.5 hours from the door but I've not done a full on race pace session around it yet. This was reasonably well optimised, but doing Calton then Castle Rock would have shaved some time off.
https://www.strava.com/activities/8841061597
It's a stiff ride - it always takes more out of me than I expect, especially done clockwise with Craiglockhart last. It was an amazing route to do in April 2020 - absolutely silent up the Mile and at the castle.
Oh, and it doesn't matter anyway because Graham Cottingham will set it.
From experience these spots will be very quiet at 4:00 - 5:30 am. A handful of folk at most on the hills - to clarify that's what I mean as 'at dawn in summer' Indeed though if it was to become established with people going for times on it could become problematic but one would like to hope that that this sort of people this appealed to did it responsibly.
And yes the seven hills footrace checkpoints seem fitting for a bike one as well.
Maybe I'll give it a go...
It's a pretty niche interest. Big Gaz that takes his electric sofa down to the Golfie every second Sunday is probably the most common recreational rider in Edinburgh these days and he's not going to be doing it, and I don't think it has the right feel for most gravel riders. It's also pretty rowdy in places on a gravel bike so I don't think many folk will do it. I'd not be concerned about the ethics other than going up Arthur's Seat - it's the one hill in Scotland you're definitely not allowed to ride a bike. Setting a challenge up it is asking for trouble.
@munrobiker your idea of doing a lap of Arthur's Seat rather than the ascent seems like a great compromise.
Very tempted now to see how fast I can do it...
Unfortunately it's Ten Under this weekend but it'd be a good bit of training afterwards. Is there a map of the checkpoints for the run?
Someone at my work at the time organised a low key fund raising challenge for this. I'm not much in to running so was the lone bike competitor. Probably similar level of ability between quick runners & me at the time, I got back a couple minutes ahead but close. About eight years ago, can't remember how long it took, about 2 hours I think.
If we were to take my idea of doing a lap of Arthur's Seat as sufficient, would it be a full lap of the Queen's Drive or just the full extent of the section that's closed to traffic, from St Margaret's Loch to the roundabout at Pollock Halls?
I'd go with the latter, mostly because it keeps any "speeding" cyclists off the shared foot/cycle path section.
I've been meaning to do this for years in the evening at this time of year. Could do with a day in the office for a reason to be in town to start with.
I've been out and had a crack this morning. Controversial I know, but I've done it in reverse as it's much more bike friendly that way. It's stiff, with some steep climbs. Lovely morning for it.
This is only a baseline - I was going at not quite race pace but it could easily be beaten. I made a couple of wrong turns, and someone with a better knowledge of Blackford Hill could get off it much quicker than I did. The traffic lights will also make a big difference - I didn't jump any. Most annoying hold up was a security guard at Castle Esplanade which is apparently "not a public space, it's a government space".
I've submitted the route to the FKT website, let's see if they like it or not (might be too traffic light heavy for them to approve).
https://www.strava.com/activities/9355031553
Happy to try and set the SKT here.
Happy to assist you in that one. Coffee, ice cream and beer stop?
Absolutely. 3 reps of that set at least.
I'm really struggling to think of a good ice cream shop on that route. Tips are welcome.
Just the tip(s)?