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Be staying up there for a week so would welcome route advice and a gpx or two!
I'm assuming that gears would be a better idea than singlespeed?
Nip over to Callander and pop into see Mark, who runs 'Wheels of Callander' an outdoor adventure centre type of a thing. He's wonderfully helpful and an all round nice guy. He'll sort you out with a few route ideas.
The Menteith Hills loop is the best that I know in the area, and I have a GPX in the house. Unfortunately thing's are a bit mad at home at the moment. Mum's moving into sheltered accommodation so it's all hands on deck to get her moved in. I think my profile has my email address showing, (if it doesn't I'll sort it soon), if you drop me a line, I'll try and get back to you asap with more route info.
Cheers,
Beagy
Best bet would be to go on Stirling bike club's forum and ask. Either that or search vimeo for Joe Barnes pootling on Ben A'an, quite a simple ride, really.
Thanks I'll follow those up
Joe Barnes pootling on Ben A'an, quite a simple ride, really.
You call this simple? 😯
Joe Barnes pootling on Ben A'an, quite a simple ride, really.
You call this simple? 😯
http://www.vitalmtb.com/videos/member/Joe-Barnes-Ben-Aan,8205/MTBCUT-tv,6
Hmm, something to [s]have a go at[/s] mince my way down
Is the old waymarked route halfway over the Dukes Pass still there?
[url= http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/lochlomond/glen-finglas.shtml ]http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/lochlomond/glen-finglas.shtml[/url]
[url= http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/maps/map2_14ll.shtml ]http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/maps/map2_14ll.shtml[/url]
No end of forest tracks around Achray and L Ard - You might need to use them as the hill routes are likely to be very wet after recent rain. There is wonderful singletrack around David Marshall Lodge - some of it obvious tho much relics of former SXC races so not easy to find unless you can team up with a local.
Apparently you can also go up the track at Altskeith by L Ard and descend the hill path from Ben Venue - I haven't tried it
The finglass route is old landy track OK tho tough climbing - you should be able to lift a GPX file of my Sportstracker page for some variations.
[url] http://www.sports-tracker.com/#/workout/steverb_11/81igl9dgmuqc5t60 [/url]
For a longer outing it can be linked by going to Balquihidder and Glen Ample - which used to be heavenly singletrack but now a wide surfaced path. (The descent to Balquihidder is marmite - the only descent you need to do in granny gear so it is a love hate variation).
Some photos of a variation of the Menteith Hills circuit are here
[url] http://www.flickr.com/photos/26693195@N03/sets/72157624937715111/show/ [/url]
With a wee bit of exploring I ended up here
[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4104/5182339177_f4a7a56219.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/26693195@N03/5182339177/ ]Monievreckie nirvana?[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/26693195@N03/ ]steverb_11[/url], on Flickr
Though it was over an hour of hike-a-bike!
And unless you are a biking god do Ben A'an as a walk without the bike - definitely worth it - central Scotlands mini Matterhorn! If you want a challenge can try climbing the minute slab at the top.