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Hi everyone
I'm relocating to Crieff in a couple of weeks (working in Perth). I've had a look around at some of the gravel rides in the area and most are listed as "experienced/advanced" on the Cycle Crieff website. Does anyone have any routes that are a decent length (50km+) but fairly easy? I'm hoping to find stuff that's mostly off road or using minor roads to join off road sections together.
Pretty much all my riding for the last 5 years+ has been indoors on Zwift so I'm hoping that relocating is going to reignite my enjoyment of outdoor riding. It also means that while I'm....grossly unfit anyway my bike handling skills are shite so nothing too technical.
I'm also hoping to do a skills course at Comrie Croft sometime in the coming months and get some mountain biking in too but for now its gravel riding.
Thanks!
I'm part of CycleCrieff although I haven't contributed any of the routes on the website. They're a great group so definitely get signed up, lots of rides getting posted on Spond, very informal and casual.
The one route to be a little cautious about is the 'Balcony' route. It's very spectacular and great riding but as gravel goes it's quite loose and rough in places, I tend to take the MTB instead.
I'll post a couple of better loops later on, am out and about at the moment 👍
This one takes in a lot of good bits linked with minor roads. It crosses the A9 at Aberuthven but at a proper crossing point with central reservation etc. If you really don't fancy it then you can continue by road to Auchterarder.
Check out this route on Strava: https://strava.app.link/kJPVgviDIVb — Crieff 55km
Thanks for the info and link to the route. I'll have a look at signing up with Cycle Crieff, hopefully I'll be sorted with a bike in a few weeks so will be able to explore and also do some of the rides with them.
Some of the Cycle Creiff crew are coming up to Aviemore next month for a look at some better gravel 😉 If you have your new bike by then I might bump into you.
Some of the Cycle Creiff crew are coming up to Aviemore next month for a look at some better gravel 😉 If you have your new bike by then I might bump into you.
We had a great trip last year, tgr weather couldn't possibly be as good this time! 😭 Who do you know in the group, R.J.?
I'm only going to be up on the Monday, racing CX in Brechin on the Sunday. Was thinking of a crack at a one-day Dava/Moray/Speyside triangle, weather permitting...
Another variation on the theme, this one is a bit hillier though!
Check out this route on Strava: https://strava.app.link/U8MEHLa3IVb — Crieff 50km
Who do you know in the group, R.J.?
Ross and Graeme.
This is a cracking route. Start is supposed to be Comrie Croft, but no reason you couldn't start at Crief instead. Note that the south-west loop can be very wet, and probably worth skipping unless the weather has been great recently
That route certainly takes in some 'interesting' trails (and lovely scenery) but seems to miss a lot of great gravel in favour of squelchy stuff or tarmac.
E.g. you can stay high after Knock Mary and follow excellent gravel virtually all the way to Comrie (with one short, rooty descent above Auchingarrich). Ditto you can head further up Glen Artney and return to the Maam Road via Gleann Ghoinean (almost certainly misspelled) albeit with a couple of high wooden fences to clamber over and a very short hike-a-bike over a stream.
Something like this:
Check out this route on Strava: https://strava.app.link/gbv8566WJVb — Grand Tour alternative
You could even skip Loch Turret and return via Comrie Croft if you wanted to grab a coffee etc.
Some amazing routes, think I'll be starting with the first one and then tackling them as I get more confident and (hopefully) fitter. Not sure I'll make it to Aviemore but hopefully there'll be another trip up there or I can drive up and explore the area over a weekend.
Thanks for all the suggestions so far, looks like I've made a good choice for a new place to live 😎
You mentioned MTB in your original post, there is a lot of hillier and rougher gravel around here that definitely merits a sort of fast 29er sort of build, in fact I would almost go as far as to say if you only had one bike a fast 29er hardtail might be the way.
Plenty to ride on a gravel bike though 👍