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Hi all,
Working in Glasgow next week, thinking of taking the Gravel Bike for an evening ride out on easy off road route, but with a few climbs thrown in.
Is there anywhere close by, as in no more than 1 hour drive from centre of Glasgow, to start a decent 2 hour ride from?
Need to make a decision, as I am in the Lakes a week on Friday straight from work, so the full suss will be coming with me. Is it worth taking the two bikes for a 2 hour gravel ride North of the border?
1hour gets you to Aberfoyle. Aberfoyle has a LOT of cracking gravel riding.
Although I should really say that places like the Old Kilpatricks and Mugdock Park would also be good if wanting to stay a bit closer
Loads of places. My “local” area is the area around Loch Thom above Greenock. Loads of old reservoir access paths which Would be perfect for gravel bikes. It’s lovely up there with great views to the mountains. Probably 30 mins from the centre.
Cheers Mashr
Always read some good things regarding Aberfoyle on this site. For some reason thought it would be longer to get there from Glasgow. Don’t suppose you have any 2 hour routes in mind?
Thanks Jad
Again, would you have a route I could follow, I suppose I could go fit in a couple of rides depending on weather.
Doing part of the Gravel Weekender route would be a good starting point. Either the north or south loops would be well within your time limit iirc this is the route from a couple of years ago
https://www.strava.com/activities/1830294472
Not sure if I could recommend one loop over the other. North is very hilly but lovely lochside stuff too. South is more rolling but really interesting places along the way and generally faster. Both very scenic
Edit: somewhat oddly, trailforks is really well populated for Aberfoyle gravel stuff, so quite easy to even make up your own loop if you wanted
Where you staying? from City Centre a 1 hour drive takes you to a lot of places Loch Lomond, the Campsies. the trossachs, the coast etc. Or you could ride from the CC
Short answer - Yes.
There have been a few topics, pretty sure Molgrips asked this exact question once and there was another bigger one a few months ago that eludes me.
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/best-cx-rides-near-glasgow/
Sorry about the scattergun link, I can't do any better at the moment.
Aye, but just ride out of the city, forget gravel dreams and use it on the roads, there's some great road riding from the centre.
Less time driving, more time biking.
Cheers everyone!
Looks like I will have to extend my stay up there to try and utilise some of them routes. Might change my plan and stay for the Thursday night so I can do a bit of an epic on the Friday!
Ride your bike from the city centre to Old Kilpatrick (12 miles or so on cycle path), ride up the big gravel road there and explore the Kilpatrick hills.
Similarly, you can ride north to Milngavie from the city centre easy enough and explore the Mugdock area. Theres some decent gravel mashups to be had between Mugdock and the Kilpatrick Hills too.
I was gonna say riding out of the city is actually pretty good - you can get out to balloch pretty easily/pleasantly then from there there's various options. Mugdock is nice too.
Ride your bike from the city centre to Old Kilpatrick (12 miles or so on cycle path), ride up the big gravel road there and explore the Kilpatrick hills.
Similarly, you can ride north to Milngavie from the city centre easy enough and explore the Mugdock area. Theres some decent gravel mashups to be had between Mugdock and the Kilpatrick Hills too.
Yip, combine the two. Out on the cycle path to Old Kilpatrick, up the Humphrey Road, take the John Muir Way over towards Kilmann Reservoir, over to Carbeth, through Mugdock, down to Milngavie, Allander Water then Kelvin Way back to the city centre or wherever.
You've changed Bob.
😆
PS @BoardinBob had my annual visit tae Tomasz last week, his conspiracy theories are aff the scale during this madness, reckons he was about 2 weeks more furlough away from being a flat earther! 🙂
Jesus!
Arrochar is always my go-to 'close to Glasgow' destination. Lots of big hairy mountains and some decent gravel loops, you could combine the Ardgartan Peninsula with the Coire Grogain loop (although the singletrack descent from Coire Grogain might need handled with care on a Gravel bike).
Yip, combine the two. Out on the cycle path to Old Kilpatrick, up the Humphrey Road, take the John Muir Way over towards Kilmann Reservoir, over to Carbeth, through Mugdock, down to Milngavie, Allander Water then Kelvin Way back to the city centre or wherever.
Aye, theres loads of good new gravel roads up behind the Jaw/Cochno Loch, around Burncrooks and Kilmannan.
Had a cracking big day oot pedal out and back that way to the trails around where Flux used to be early in the Summer. Was great fun.
I hadn't even considered the John Muir Way stuff either. Loads of options.
Again, thanks Guys.
Hell of a lot to go through there, I’ll get the OS Mapping out during Lunch.
Plan at the moment is Drive over to Greenock Tuesday evening for a loop around Loch Thom.
Wednesday evening ride from Hotel in City and do a loop with maybe bit of West Highland Way and John Muir Way.
Friday, drive up to Aberfoyle and ride a bigger loop from there.
(although the singletrack descent from Coire Grogain might need handled with care on a Gravel bike
I rode that on Sunday for the first time in about 2 years - it's well eroded and I was quite grateful of my 150mm FS 29er 🙂
Aberfoyle butcher shop is very very good and carves the bacon for your hot roll there n then..... just sayin (other hot produce also available and very tasty)
Plan at the moment is Drive over to Greenock Tuesday evening for a loop around Loch Thom.
Make sure and do the Greenock cut, not challenging, but cracking views.
I know what I’ll be having for breakfast on Friday!
Where does the Greenock Cut start and end Nobeer? I’ve found the Kelly Cut which Jad mentions.
Cornalees bridge visitor centre, up by Loch Thom. I've always did it anti clockwise, park and start off up the hill past compensation reservoir.
Watch out and you might see an osprey up there, there's one seemingly hangs about around the Gryfe 1 just next to Loch Thom, pretty sure I saw it a few weeks back on my way to Kilmacolm.
Somewhat frustratingly, you can nearly get to The old Largs road (which takes you up to Loch Thom) via the NCN7 down from Glasgow into Lochwinnoch, then up the mine track from Lochwinnoch, but it just comes short of joining up, would be a great way of getting over from Glasgow, I reckon @squirrelking should petition the local council to get it done! @mcj78 hails from LW, he'll mibbe know better?.
Hmm, I'll have a look, to be honest it's probably easier crossing to Kilmacolm then taking the back road out and into the Gryfes. But for proper off road that sounds like a plan, Stakis are busy up on Bellesdale Estate planting and building roads so may be some other possibilities.
Cycling is terrible here though, they can't even get a path through Fairlie built that they started about 5 years ago!
Architect friend of mine petitioned the local authority at the time they built the windfarms up Baidland hill to get it linked over to the one on the Kilbirnie road, it's a few hundred metres, they couldn't even deliver that. I bet it never even made it's way to the windfarm developer.
^^^^ my old stomping ground - we just sold the family house which was up the Linthills road on the other side of the valley from Muirshiel at the end of last year. Many happy memories 🙂
Alrighty there - yeah as Nobeer says you can almost get there off-road from the cyclepath into Lochwinnoch via Muirshiel Park, unfortunately the mine track turns into a walking (trudging?) path once past the mine that's not the most pleasant on 2 feet at times never mind 2 wheels, however you can take the other Muirshiel path which goes over the old grouse moor & along a farm road then drops you out at the B788 (via Gateside road) - about a mile from there is an access road just after Auchenfoyle that takes you up to the Gryffe Reservoir & onto Loch Thom.
I've done various bits of this route on different bikes but never linked it all up like this - looks not bad now I think of it!
John
Thanks for all the info guys.
Just another question, I’ve got normal Gravelkings on the bike, would it be best to swap them out for the SK’s?
mcj78, that sounds good, I'll mibbe give you a shout for some more details.
Alrighty there – yeah as Nobeer says you can almost get there off-road from the cyclepath into Lochwinnoch via Muirshiel Park, unfortunately the mine track turns into a walking (trudging?) path once past the mine that’s not the most pleasant on 2 feet at times never mind 2 wheels, however you can take the other Muirshiel path which goes over the old grouse moor & along a farm road then drops you out at the B788 (via Gateside road) – about a mile from there is an access road just after Auchenfoyle that takes you up to the Gryffe Reservoir & onto Loch Thom.
I’ve done various bits of this route on different bikes but never linked it all up like this – looks not bad now I think of it!
The other Muirshiel path is prone to flooding in places - it makes for slow progress with the long climb then that. It would make a for a nice little loop and i do it every couple of years hoping the drainage has improved since the last time - but it's as bad as ever unfortunately!
i do it every couple of years hoping the drainage has improved since the last time – but it’s as bad as ever unfortunately!
There's a few local rides that fall into this category too Omar Little!
Yeah there's a lot of water up there at times - every time I do Misty Law I remember why I haven't done it for a while - next time I do it i'm jumping in a stream at the bottom to get it over with!
@nobeerinthefridge aye just give me a shout - last time i was up there was on a hardtail & it was fine, not as smooth as the mine track but a gravel bike with decent width tyres should be grand, the access road to Gryffe reservoir & onto Loch Thom I spotted on Strava on someone else's ride & asked about it - passable with care on a road bike apparently
J
Thanks for the info on rides people.
I managed to get out and do a loop around Loch Thom, loved the last flying bit home on the Greenock Cut, very fast.
Also, did a loop around Loch Ard Forest, would have been good views, but weather wasn’t great.
Anyway, I’m back up here next week, now I’ve got a few plans depending on weather. Any advice appreciated.
So I’m working Tues-Thurs. I had planned to do the Bealach Beag back in May, weather depending I might do this on the Friday.
If not, I may try a road route around Aberfoyle area, again weather dependant. Any ideas? Also, I’ll need some refreshments on the Thursday & Friday evening, anywhere in Stirling for some decent food and real ale??
Last plan, if weather ain’t great, is to head further East and try around the Edinburgh region. A nice 40-50 mile loop on quiet roads with a few climbs along the way would be good. Again, best place in Edinburgh for nightly refreshments?
Cheers in advance.