[Closed] Tell me about the road scene/options in Glasgow

I always ride alone because Im a miserable bugger but there are a lot of clubs, for example https://www.glasgowwheelers.club/

Riding wise, it's great. You can be out of the city and on quiet roads very easily. Head north and you're in the highlands almost immediately. South you have a huge moorland expanse with a network of roads. Head west for some great runs towards the coast.

I'm very much a mtber who has the odd road ride for exercise but I'd say it's pretty good. I'm right on the edge of paisley and can be on quiet roads in about 5 mins and out towards Ayrshire and the coast, lots of good cycle paths to link bits up to. Probably lots of people would recommend the North part of the city, gets you out into the campsies and the trossachs. Where ever you end up I reckon you'd have good access to decent riding.

Club wise it's not really my thing but near me you have glasgow South velo or something like that and paisley velo and I'm sure there's loads more

I do a bit of track in the winter, there are a lot of road clubs I keep meaning to get out with for chaingangs in the summer (but always somehow find more enjoyable riding to do).
The best club for you would really depend on location rather than pace, most seem to have a range of rides.
In terms of routes, there's riding in all directions. I know routes to the north best, but you can string together good stuff with plenty of cafe stops available in every direction, I've ridden down to Prestwick and about Ayrshire a few times as well as up the Crow and Tak and beyond to the north.
You don't really want to do that, though, you want to ride MTB from the front door.
Post up when you move and I'm sure me or someone else can recommend a club in the area.

Hard to go wrong TBH, as Bob says.

Great collection of proper cycling clubs both north and south side of the city, with weekly chaingangs and other bunch training rides (under normal circumstances obv) throughout the season.

Generally just a nice place to ride a road bike, all things considered. Definitely in the 'pro' column.

There's great riding in all directions from Glasgow, just takes a wee bit longer to get out of town because it's a big place.
If you use Zwift, I notice that Glasgow Green CC run a programme of regular rides, so you could go for a ride with them before you move!

I'm not quite sure I'd agree that there's great riding in all directions. There is riding in all directions, but depending on where you start from and want to go there's a lot of city and manky hinterland to overcome. Not so much of an issue if you have loads of time to ride but if you're time constrained you need to pick the right part of the city to live.

If you have 2+ hours to ride there are brilliant road rides you can do from Glasgow. The club scene is very active. A lot of folk I knew used to ride with Glasgow Green but many others as well.

I dont really agree with tomd.
No matter where you live in glasgow you're not far from getting out into the country back roads.

Even if you live right in the city centre, pretty easy to head out to the south side and out along the country roads. Or head towards the west end then head north of the city.

Glasgows got a pretty active road scene with lots of clubs if thats your thing. I lived in Glasgow my whole life and its great for getting out road riding.
I've now moved out of the city and live near the campsie hills with the crow road and tak ma doon road climbs on my door step.

If you live in city centre or west end the great thing about glasgow is that if you head north you will be surprised at how quickly you can get out into what effectively becomes the highlands!

Great routes to go up towards callander and the trossachs.

Not so sure about the East, but fantastic riding to the North, south and west of the city, and as it's not a big city, you're not very far from getting into the countryside.

I'm more local to Edinburgh but am beginning to call the Central Belt home for my riding.

Have been pleasantly surprised by the (I was going to use this word anyway before TomD did 😉 ) 'hinterland' above Cumbernauld, the area roughly bounded by Cumbernauld, Airdrie, Bathgate, Linlithgow and Falkirk. Lots of winding, quiet country roads, decent views and exposure (for better or for worse) and some interesting wee spots e.g. the little 'murs' above the River Avon.

You need to blank out some of the worse flytipping spots of course, and there's a couple of more 'deliverance-y' feeling villages where you might unconsciously step on the pedals a bit more, but it's an area that keeps rewarding inquisitive route planning.

Also a big fan of the Campsies, they're a bit of a haul from home for me, but if we're visiting my wife's folks near Dunblane I'll ride via the Campsies. Have turned out some fairly gritty winter miles in and around Carron Valley...

Look North to Arrochar also, there's some great roads up there although dare I say it the Gravel potential might be better. One of my favvourite tarmac climb and descent combos is up Hell's Glen from Lochgoilhead and down the sweeping hairpins to Cairndow. The West Highland Line offers a lot of potential too as you can do point to point rides e.g. Glasgow to Oban or similar and jump a train back.

I also keep meaning to do a summer 5 Ferries style expedition out to Bute to ride the Serpentine, Mull of Kintyre to ride that lighthouse road, and also the Cowal peninsula to ride the Clachan of Glendaruel climb (and of course everything on Arran).

Basically you probably couldn't choose a much better destination for varied road riding!

I’m biased, but I think the road riding is better to the south of the city. Lots of quiet lanes to explore heading over/past Strathaven, Eaglesham, Moscow, Beith, Largs etc. Loads of minor roads to choose from.
The north is still good, but to get there more heavily congested roads, then you’re kinda hemmed in by Loch Lomond to the West and due to the nature of the hills there’s just less roads and a result, more cars. I can’t stand the road up to Milngavie/Drymen, cars regularly tank past 60+mph. I’d rather drive north then cycle from Drymen, but that’s just me.

A road to the south of Glasgow (about 10 miles from city centre) a few hours ago👍

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West of Glasgow is Renfrewshire / Inverclyde, blessed with miles of quiet singletrack road linking Bridge of Weir, Bishopton, Langbank, Houston and Kilmacolm. You can even follow some routes into Ayrshire without using a busy road.

South of Glasgow in S Lanarkshire / Ayrshire there is a similar network of quiet roads around Strathaven / East Kilbride / Galston / Stewarton and back up to Renfrewshire for a big day out.

A circuit or figure of 8 of Arran is a good day out, the 'String' road across the island has been resurfaced. The '5 ferries' is also great, just do the A78 section between Wemyss Bay and Ardrossan first thing to avoid the traffic. Have breakfast on the first ferry to Brodick and keep the tempo up to make it round.

Cowal has lovely scenery, coffee shops and mostly smooth roads. The B8000 down the east side of Loch Fyne is lovely and has numerous (hilly) roads east back through Cowal towards Hunter's Quay for the ferry home. You can shorten or extend your ride depending on which one you use to bail.

Rowardennan is a nice out and back using either the tarmac NCN route through the Vale of Leven or up the Stockiemuir Rd. The Trossachs has the Dukes Pass and a circuit of Loch Katrine, which uses a very safe private road.

Fill yer boots.

Glasgow is a great base to ride from Moscow to California

I think what TomD is right. Foreg when I lived in Dennistoun north and east was cracking riding. But west and south has goid tiding tempered by shite riding to get to it. i'm looking at you Paisley Road West

West End based, but most directions out of Glasgow are well served by cycle paths. North out of the city is my go to.

Glasgow is a great base to ride from Moscow to California

Lol, I have friends in both those places.

Downshep, 5 ferries route the opposite way is better, finish with the descent off the boguillie and a lovely flat fast trot into Brodick, calmac n cheese on the ferry.

Happy days.

That's what I would do especially the

calmac n cheese

There's always been a strong road scene in Glasgow, I started my riding there in the early 80s in my teens, in part helped by the exploits of a certain Robert Millar. Memories include drafting the bus down the Ayr Road from Fenwick to Kilmarnock - the old buses could barely muster 45mph and you could get about 4-5 cyclists in the slipstream across the back. Any ride out to the Campsies usually involved a tear-up on the Crow Road for the non-existent KoM. I remember one winter where it seemed we had nothing but strong westerlies and got to loathe the road down to Gourock and Largs. Lost count of the number of times I 'died' on the road back from Lochwinnoch or Lugton.

There’s always been a strong road scene in Glasgow,

Yip.

Thought I'd posted this before but can't see it in my history.

My MIL always used to tell me her father was a keen cyclist when he was young. I was over at the in-laws for dinner last year and the MIL pulled out some jaw dropping history.

Her dad was more than a keen cyclist. He was a member of Glasgow Wheelers way back in the 1930s and he'd kept meticulous logs of his cycling activity. How much he'd spent on parts. How far he cycled. Detailed notes on huge rides from Glasgow to the continent. I'm going to grab some proper photos with my SLR but I grabbed these with my phone. I spent hours reading about his adventures on the roads around Glasgow and beyond

Im not road in that training way 🙂 but a run from glasgow out towards the campsies and back in again, theres a wheelbuilder thats very popular at campsie glen. Choccy and soft drinks and i think still pot noodles and the blackest coffee youve ever seen before swinging back into Glasgow again. I think, though maybe wrong that its about 40miles or thereabouts, but im sure many here know it and have the actual distance.

Superb Bob, that's great!. I've read lots about the Glasgow clubs and their 'drum ups' every weekend, culminating in the club's having unofficial races back into the city.

There was a cracking article on this a few years back in the Sunday Herald, 4 old boys in their 80s and their story, tales of cycling to Blackpool bitd, sleeping in barns etc on the way.

Magic.

I've lived in the North of the city and the South East. Beyond East Kilbride into Ayrshire the road cycling is amazing. If you're into big miles you can hit some really nice roads.

Echo the positive comments above based on when I lived in Glasgow. Good routes north when I lived in the west end and south and west when I was in the south side. Some good climbing to the north especially - Crow Road is a lovely climb and the Tak Ma Doon was a challenge!

theres a wheelbuilder thats very popular at campsie glen

thats tremendous! didnt know big al had been in oor wullie.

Love Oor Wullie - thanks for that.

'Thae saddles play havoc wi' yer pit area!' :oD

This is hugely encouraging, thank you. Not sure where in the city we might end up yet, but it doesn't sound like it would matter too much anyways.

Assume two roadbikes will be essential for the Dear Green Place: 1) One for the occasional dry day 2) The everyday bike with full mudguards to keep the rain off 😉 🙂

Those who know him will be delighted to know big Al is now back on his bike after an unimaginable (for him) injury layoff. Passed him the other evening on the way round the glen, he's in very good spirits!

The shop's open through All This for all your wheel building and obscure component needs.

Bloody hell. This is a blast from the past. Is that the same Al at Wheelcraft?

I remember getting new wheels from there when I got my first MTB, just over 30 years ago. Is it the same guy, still?

Yes, same guy

Yeah, he's local legend. He's looked after the wheels on my dh bike through to my road bike.

When getting a light weight wheel rebuilt for an xc hardtail he looked me up and down and guessed my weight bang on and told me straight to my face a person like me is too heavy for a rim like the one i was using! He said he'd have to rebuild the wheel with extra thick tandem spokes if I insisted on using the same rim haha

Good guy and always get a laugh when you visit

Also love how he turns his nose at carbon fibre and always refers to my carbon frame and wheels as plastic!

When getting a light weight wheel rebuilt for an xc hardtail he looked me up and down and guessed my weight bang on and told me straight to my face a person like me is too heavy for a rim like the one i was using! He said he’d have to rebuild the wheel with extra thick tandem spokes if I insisted on using the same rim haha

He gave me half an hour of his expertise and advice over the phone a while ago, lovely guy, felt guilty for ignoring him and plunging on with the build I had planned anyway, but I always prefer to learn from my own mistakes.

Happy to say the wheels I built are still going strong, so perhaps he is a *little* conservative! 😀

yeah i think its just his sense of humour. I think hes part joking mpost of the time but hes also just old school and doesn't believe in anything new and light weight.

I heard he will use black spokes now?

haha I can confirm this is true

Not been to wheelcraft for a while, need to go back for a visit to get that unique shopping experience 🙂

Me. I wanting new/rim/hub/spoke fitted
Al. What you looking for
Me <describes>
Al. I can get them in, but i have some nice rim/spokes/hubs up in the loft go up and have a look
Me. OK, <Makes selection>

Me- When will they be ready?
Al. When do you need them?
Me. Next weekend?
Al. Should be ready by then. Give me a phone.

Me on phone. Hi is that Al?
Al....Hello.......long pause... silence
Me. Hi Al, is that you
Al... Further long pause.... It might be, whos asking
Me. Its about my wheels, just checking they're ready
Al. What do they look like, I've lots of wheels.
Me. <describes wheels>
Al. Aye they're ready, just pop in.

Arrive at shop, and as usual a load of folk standing around talking to Al.
Al. Hello. Where you travelled from today?
Me- Glasgow
Al. YOu must be starving, do you want beans or a pot noodle, help yourself to coffee
Me- I'm driving
Al- You've put on weight since the last time. Then proceeds to talk about Australia, Foundary, Where you working etc for the next 30 mins before asking 'anyway what can I do you for?'
Me- I've come to pikc up my wheels
Al- What they like
Me- <describe wheels>
Al- Righto, I'll work on them in a bit, YOu must be starving, do you want beans or a pot noodle, help yourself to coffee.

Another person walks in shop
Al. Where you travelled from?.... Falkirk...YOu must be starving, do you want beans or a pot noodle, help yourself to coffee

COntinues for the next 2hrs 🙂

In terms of cycling clubs, you’ve also got the Glasgow Ivy and the Nightingales cycling clubs, both of whom seem to be pretty busy. The ‘gales regularly ride out our way and often have a Peleton of 20 or more riders heading out.

A wee heads up for any of us who ride south of Glasgow

Did a ride this morning that took me onto Clunch Road. It's a back road that connects the Stewarton Rd to the A77.

Basically, maybe half a mile of it is covered in broken glass. From the Stewarton road end. I have to think it's deliberate. There's so much of it so it can't be a random thing

I was a happy Wheelcraft customer for many years until I got a job in a competing Glasgow bike shop and trade discount moved me away. Now I'm out of the cycle trade but hundreds of miles away.

Al is solid gold, a Scottish Cycling institution. I've got a set of hope hubs on mavic ceramics maybe 15 years/40000km old soldiering on, plus a decade old 26" wheelset still doing good duty on the commuter, all built by wheelcraft.

Not perfect, what shop is?.....but the passion and knowledge is off the scale in Wheelcraft.

Mind you, I still contend the cycling is better on the Ayrshire side of Glasgow!

It's worth getting the train from Glasgow out to howwood.
Fairly stiff climb up to barcraigs reservoir.
Once you're there, you're on a plateau, with loads of quiet roads to explore.

You can finish your day by cycling to the gleniffer braes, with a very steep descent into paisley.

Or take the train out to balloch (loch Lomond), and head out on the busy 'Stirling' road. There's a bunch of quiet roads up behind 'ballagan farm', well worth exploring.

Or you could reach these roads by getting off the train at Alexandria and travel north-east on much quieter lanes.

A wee heads up for any of us who ride south of Glasgow

Did a ride this morning that took me onto Clunch Road. It’s a back road that connects the Stewarton Rd to the A77.

Basically, maybe half a mile of it is covered in broken glass. From the Stewarton road end. I have to think it’s deliberate. There’s so much of it so it can’t be a random thing

That's abysmal, haters no doubt.

It'll be the local lockdown militia, ours seem to think it's fine to go for a walk on the "Largs" road up the Glen but God forbid anyone leaves town on a bike.

Clunch road's a great wee road - remember racing on it years ago and the side of the house that sticks out into the tight corner catching a few people out and some AG2R shorts moments!

I live on the north side and have to say it's been fine round here during All This. Loads of people out on bikes (clogging up MY quiet lanes!) everyone smiling/waving/happy, the odd wee bam guy in a stupid car but no hassle from anyone.

Holy thread resurrection...

I'm living in Glasgow and thinking about riding with a club. As I do I live in the city centre (Merchant City 😉 ), it seems that Glasgow Green Cycling Club would be my closest club.

Can anyone vouch for GGCC? Friendly bunch? Scope to move through the ranks of their club runs? Splinter groups on WhatsApp for unofficial rides?

I went on one ride with them and never went back! Too many pile ups and arguements for my liking... The day I joined there there must have been 60 riders - must be popular.

This is all I have at the moment, made me chuckle 😀

The solidrock boys were telling me about Michael Burke from the Ivy meeting a Zwift nemesis that was always beating him. Turned out to be some pot bellied guy from Glasgow Green clearly riding at bantam weight in Zwift.

@Aldo - bugger. That's a worry. Maybe a smaller club would be better.

At the risk of getting flamed heartily - is there a Rapha Chapter in Glasgow (I am not a member of RCC, but get the sense that if you can get past the posing, there are lots of folks who want to ride lots).

Plenty of good clubs around Glasgow, so you'll find one that fits. The biggest problem you've got at the moment is that none are really functioning as normal e.g. there are usually at least 4 clubs doing winter loops of the A80 out past Stepps (a surprisingly good winter training facility) e.g. GGCC, Glasgow Nightingales, Lenzie Velo, RCCK, Glasgow Ivy and Frankie Weavers - all have quite a different atmosphere to them. South-side is similar, but just not an area I'm familiar with

Can anyone vouch for GGCC?

Glasgow Gringo Cycling Club. Brilliant at riding round local roads six abreast screaming HOLE!!! at the sight of every minor surface imperfection.

North side both the Nightingale and Ivy are great, both have nice kit. On the south side VC Glasgow South are a good bunch. Plenty of active racers, old-boy cafe stop wheelers, trackies, TTers, CXers, audaxers, the gravel-curious and everyone in between. Proper cycling clubs.

Both north and south sides of the city have all-welcome chaingangs in the summer months (in normal times) where groups range from no-slouches to really quite fast indeed.

I'm not a club joiner but I also don't rate GGCC, but Glasgow Wheelers certainly used to be the one if you're competing. Mind you, I am harking back to Millar and beyond.

Can vouch for the Northside Chainy - ouch!