Glasgow - Edinburgh - Glasgow commute - best route please.

alan_a

Ok not doing it every day, but during the fringe I'll be going back and forth about twice a week.

What's the best / fastest route between Scotland's two big cities?

Initial thoughts are A71 to shotts, then thro Carfin & Uddingston to Parkhead

Is the B7066 (old A8) a better / less hilly / less busy route?

cee

A89 Airdrie, Bathgate?

baloo_the_bear

I would be inclined to go the Airdrie Bathgate route.

The road around Shotts seemed to be used by drivers as a race track rather than a public road the last time I was on it.

Do you work in Parkhead?

always_tyred

You realise its a 3-4 hour ride, right? Its about 45 miles as the crow flies.

A flat option, if you have all the time in the world, is to follow the canals.

The road through Shotts is alright, I think, but either side of Livingston isn't fantastic. Livingston is like Milton Keynes - straight roads, roundabouts, national speed limits. IIs quite fiddly to navigate without finding yourself on a slip road to a dual carriageway. The A71 is a relatively easy option. Although its not very nice once it gets into Edinburgh, it is rideable right into the city centre. If you are closer to the M8 and A8 into town, you have some pretty ill conceived alternatives. In theory rideable, because there are a few little blue signs telling you a council traffic planner was here once, but I wouldn't.

I don't know Glasgow, other than to drive to Glasgow Green from that direction, or to cycle north and a bit east from Glasgow Green. The east end gets similarly congested with converging major arteries. The rub is that there are some areas off the main route where I wouldn't want to get a puncture.

-spider-

Airdrie Bathgate is the way to go. This, however, is also used as a race track by some. And watch out when you go through Plains it is rumoured that Sergio Leone got most of his ideas there.

wgwarburton

Alan A wrote:

...What's the best / fastest route between Scotland's two big cities?

To be frank.. the best way to do this is to ride to Queen Street and stick your bike on the train to Waverley...

I know this isn't what you asked, nor in the spirit of the board... but realistically, you'd have to value your time pretty low to warrant cycling... and if the idea is to do it for fun then you don't want the best/fastest route, I think.
If you have a different agenda- training? making a political/ecological point? then let us know, and we might be able to offer better advice.

Cheers,
W.

alan_a

Training & cheap commuting.

Yep I know it's 3 - 4 hours, but it will only be 1 way 1 day and return the next twice a week.

I know Edinburgh & Glasgow very well. I will be more than comfortable riding on the A71 from Bypass into Edinburgh city centre. Similarly I know most of the routes from my home in Shawlands to Airdrie, Bellshill, Motherwell etc...

It's the bit in the middle I'm unsure of, whether it's better to go via Airdrie, Harthill or A71

Oh and as for valuing time pretty low... I'm a lucky b@st@rd only have to work an hour a day this fringe

always_tyred

Alan A wrote:

Training & cheap commuting.

Yep I know it's 3 - 4 hours, but it will only be 1 way 1 day and return the next twice a week.

I know Edinburgh & Glasgow very well. I will be more than comfortable riding on the A71 from Bypass into Edinburgh city centre. Similarly I know most of the routes from my home in Shawlands to Airdrie, Bellshill, Motherwell etc...

It's the bit in the middle I'm unsure of, whether it's better to go via Airdrie, Harthill or A71

Oh and as for valuing time pretty low... I'm a lucky b@st@rd only have to work an hour a day this fringe

Well, the Harthill road is fine. A bit tumbleweed, but fine. The problem is that it gets you to the wrong part of Livi and the nastier route into Edinburgh, unless you cut up to the A71.

The Newbridege/A8 way in might be perfectly okay if you know what you are doing. I don't go there often as I've not yet found any route which isn't vile. Once you are on the A8 past the airport, again its absolutely fine on the cycle path, but you hit the Gogar roundabout and tram works, followed by Ferry Road. The A71 is a doddle in comparison.

If you are going on the A71, avoid the twisty part around Ratho and cut through Ratho itself or up through the lanes near Currie (i.e. aim for Heriot Watt Univ campus).

baronsouthside

Maybe try to get a copy of the glasgow to edinburgh pedal for scotland route.

http://www.pedalforscotland.org/the_ride.htm

Web site says its 51 miles starting from glasgow green. I suspect that it will be chosen for its bike friendlyness. If its only twice a week then whats a few extra miles (51 as oppose to 45 or so)

alan_a

IMHO Eastbound the best route is via Bellshill, Shotts & the very very fast A71.

Westbound TBC

suzyb

Only problem with the A71 is some of the road surface isn't the best. It's a bit rough just before the North Lanarkshire/West Lothian border.

Other than that it's a good road to ride along (at least as far West Calder).