Cycling Near Glasgow

disgruntledgoat

Evening all!

Some of you may remember, a while back, I posted a thread about living/working in and about Glasgow. Well, I got a good looking job in Hillington and am off to look at houses tomorrow!

Can anybody recommend a club that does a regular club TT, a few decent routes out of the Pailsey/Renfrew area or some decent sporting course TTs up there please? Also what's the local cross scene like?

Cheers guys.

Omar Little

Congrats on the job

Think the Johnstone Wheelers are the closest cycling club to there probably, i dont know if they do regular TTs though. Dooleys in Paisley have a club too but i think that is racing team. In the spring and summer there is usually a chaingang that goes out from Renfrew on a Tuesday and Thursday, that is a mix of different clubs though.

Lots of good routes in the area - of course depends how far you want to go. The area is pretty well served for simple no hassle spins along sustrans routes (particularly when you get past Elderslie) - mostly off road and decent tarmac surface for quite long stretchs - there are alot of areas i wouldnt bother riding the cycle paths but Renfrewshire isn't one of the). For a circa 55 mile loop then something like Paisley to Largs via Kilmacolm then Greenock then the old Largs Road/Greenock cut then back via Fairley moor road is a good one.

Further afield then you could go down to Gourock get the ferry over to Dunoon and then go to Otter Ferry, up to Strachur then along via Loch Eck either back to Dunoon for the return ferry then back to Paisley (about 90-100 miles if riden from Paisley/Renfrew about 50=55 if you start from the ferry in Gourock). If wanting a challenge then at Strachur you could continue north to the rest and be thankful, then head to Arrochar and go south down Loch Long or Loch Lomond until you get to the Erskine bridge and take that across...that will be about 120-130 miles though with a few pretty big climbs so a tough ride (The Glendaruel to Otter Ferry climb is one of the toughest i've riden in Scotland) ...argyll in general is a fantastic part of the country for cycling though, great scenary and relatively quiet roads which are in pretty good condition. Or at least they were in the Autumn, havent been there since the ice and snow.


As for the cross scene, i dont know. The national champs were in irvine and that is relatively close by so i assume some of the local clubs do it. The Glennifer Braes would be good for training but i've never seen any races or clubs up there apart from a the scottish xc mountain bike champs a few years ago.

Captain Fagor

Hope the house-hunting went well today. I imagine things looked pretty grim in the poor weather - it's not always like this!

Being a maverick (i.e. not inclined to join a cycling club) I can't offer any firm facts and figures about clubs and TT's in the local area, but I would say the following:

1) From Hillington, it's not far to get to Bishopton and onwards to the A8 between Bishopton and Greenock. I've seen and met numerous TT-ers on that road (serious dudes - low profile TT bikes, disk wheels, aero helmets, the lot). It's hardly surprising, as it's probably the flattest, smoothest long road I can think of in west central Scotland.

2) Despite the weather (which isn't great), I think the Glasgow area has a lot of really good roads in terms of variety of terrain. Perhaps the surfaces aren't so great admittedly, but I suspect that it's the same story throughout the UK.

Have also sent you a PM regarding routes available to you.

disgruntledgoat

What a day!

Paisley was a total bust, first house had an ice cream van outside. I'm not convinced he was selling ice cream at 11am on a wet Saturday in january...

I've cancelled all my Paisley and Renfrew appointments for weds and have seen some places in bridge of weir to make appointments for instead.

If anyone knows of anywhere to rent somewhere semi rural, with a garden where we can take a dog, get in touch!

Thanks for the routes Fagar, will be in touch!

Tom Butcher

Bridge of Weir - know it well, my mum is from there and we used to spend 2-3 weeks a year on holiday there every year - still got family up there but haven't been up in a few years. It's supposed to be a quite upmarket these days I think ?

Sorry can't help with the cycling.

rc856

As already said mate

http://www.johnstone-wheelers.co.uk/

are not far away. I've heard people at the club mention 'the Renfrew bunch' but I'm not sure what club that is.
JW have club 'confined events'....TT's and also the club hill climb championship!
Meet at the club rooms every Tues and Thurs for turbo sessions with rides on Sat and Sun.

Happy house hunting as well

Gazzetta67

Goat - Bridge of Weir is a nice small village pretty upmarket lots of country roads around there. As someone has said the Renfrew bunch head down the coast most weekends and they head to Largs (cafe stop) and then up the long climb out the town towards Kilbirnie would try and get in touch with the Johnstone wheelers - If you fancy something different there is the Anniesland bunch that goes down the clyde estury and have a car or you could cycle over the erskine bridge and meet up with them spelling it`s been going since year dot but not sure if it leaves from the old victorian toilets at the cross still or its further down at Kilbowie roundabout at Clydebank cheers.