Secret Edinburgh: Craig Hill's cycle challenge

Cycling! Practically every city I go to, I hire a bike to escape the Festival.

 

In Adelaide this year (where the bike hire’s free-oh and so is the tram to the beach-those Aussies have got it sorted- and they’ve finished their trams too so I’m well jel!) Tom Allen and I had the most rejuvenating hour-long cycle along the river to the beach.

 

Bliss! In Edinburgh there’s a sprawling network of great cycle routes all over the city that used to be the old train routes so they’re completely uninterrupted, have no traffic lights and most importantly no noise and not many people so they’re the perfect antidote to the frenzy and chaos the Festival!

 

You’re greatest danger will be ‘suicide dogs’-the ones that seem to line themselves up exactly in the direction you’re cycling and wait for you to charge! As well as cycle routes there’s the Union Canal which a lot of visitors ‘dinnae ken’ (don’t know about)

 

Let your hangover and late nights breeze themselves away as you storm up the canal as far as Falkirk if you like Wheels or Balerno if you want to feel like you’re in an episode of ‘Escape to the Country.’

 

And you can stop for lunch on a canal boat to boot! It’s a ‘Great Escape’ that might not be as glamorous as Steve McQueen revving over a fence on a Triumph but a Mc queen on a bike to Balerno is just as much fun believe me!

 

Craig Hill is appearing in his show Jocks Trap at the Underbelly at 19:30pm. For more information visit his full listing on edfringe.com