Rides out of Glasgow

captaincavs

I am going to glasgow for work in November and am tempted to stay an extra day and get some riding in. So what would be a good ride for a long (autumn) day? I am thinking of 100km or so and as many hills as i can fit in. Obviously not too keen on battling with glalsgow traffic for too long. Would it be worth getting a train out somewhere to start with and riding back?

Richrd2205

I've just completed this route:
http://www.tracklogs.co.uk/cgi-bin/publ ... ute&id=336 with a couple of alterations...
You'd need to get the train to Paisley Gilmour Street to start (12 mins from Glasgow Central) & you'll want a GPS to follow the route accurately.....
The route was fantastic & fairly remote & includes a fairly serious hill climb....
The choices are endless from Glasgow, the only downside is that you'll need about 10-15km each way from central Glasgow to clear the traffic, so a train would prob be your best bet, saying that, the choice of trains is fairly good too...
I'm looking for more long rides, so feel free to PM me if you want company.
You'd prob be best letting folk know whether you want hilly or flat for more accurate advice tho.

Crapaud

You could have a go at this:

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Gl ... -Crow-Road

Three challenging hills and the out and back are a good warm-up and warm-down. It's not as far as you were looking for, but there are quite a few good variations on Bikley, so have a root around and you can build it up.

pneumatic

Get up early, get the train to Gourock and the Ferry to Dunoon, ride North to the Rest and Be Thankful, round by Arrochar, down to Helensburgh. If it is not dark yet, you can ride back into the city, but it gets less scenic the nearer you get and there are lots of stations on the line from Helensburgh to Glasgow.

More hills than you can shake a stick at and some great views.

captaincavs

fantastic ideas guys - thanks a lot. I'll let you know how i get on.

peter_andrew

The last stage of the tour of Britain.
http://www.tourofbritain.com/_pdfs/rout ... tage_6.pdf

A 20 minute train ride willtake you to East Kilbride and from there you can follow the route out.
I would suggest that you follow it out tp Sanquhar. You can then deviate and climb the big hill in the region "Menock Pass" then down to Abington and pick up the route back to East Kilbride.
See link below for some pictures of a "small" hill at the top of the Menock pass
http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... t=12538754
I guarantee that will quench your desire for hills. Would be around your 100K also
Peter

captaincavs

Thanks Peter - sounds good - and would that be a better ride than getting the train to Sanquhar and riding straight back along ther route?

I must admit that pneumatic's ride appeals to me as, being a soft souther jessie the idea of getting on a ferry with my bike makes it sound more like a proper scottish adventure...

pneumatic

Thanks, cap'n, but you'd better double-check the mileage to make sure you're not cursing me as darkness falls and you're still only half way down Hell's Glen (and, yes, there is really a Hell's Glen on the route, but if you find yourself in it, you've gone the long way!)

the OS suggests it is 57 miles from Dunoon to Helensburgh by road, which is amusing really, since it is only about 8 by sea! It is a great ride, though.

peter_andrew

Hi Captain.
I think it would be a better route than just from Sanquhar, i would strongly suggest the Menock pass as a detour. Once you reach Abington you pick up the route again within a few miles.
A little flavour of some of the route to Dunoon
I Thepictures are from a forum ride that i took part in last year that one of the guys posted.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/59489780@N ... 276673414/
The route we took was helensburgh around loch long over the rest and be thankful to Strachur where we turned right to Colintrave, where we got the ferry to Isle of Bute then cycled to Rothsay (town on Bute) where we got the ferry to Wemyss bay. Right at the ferry terminal is the train station back to Glasgow.I would not advocate cycling back to Glasgow from either route.
I done some of pneumatics ride as part of the Johnstone wheelers Erskine charity ride this year but instead of going to Helensburgh you do a loop over the peninsula (is that Hells glen, it felt like it!!!)to Strachur turn right back to Dunoon via loch loch eck side
The first few fotos are at the top of the rest and be thankful. A long drag but ok with an awesomne view at the top. There is another long climb before Colintrave, half way up is the most fantastic view, you see in the pics of the Kyles of Bute
Now this route is scenic with 2 ferry rides.

Even though the route i initially proposed is my local roads i would go for Dunoon or Colintrave.
It is real scenery and an adventure
Peter

captaincavs

great photos thanks a lot - you've really whetted my appetite now. But I do have to remember that I am visiting in November and it is not likely to be as sunny as you guys had it...!