National Cycle Route 7.
MiniMalts
Posts: 266
I asked this question in Road Beginners a while back and didn't get much response. One chat pointed me to a few threads on another forum but they are quite old. I thought I'd ask again in this board in hope of getting some more info....
Has anyone cycled any of this route recently that give some general advice or what to watch out for.
Any rivers/fords to cross?
Ideally I'd like to go from north to south but are the hills steeper, are the headwinds worse going that way etc?
Has anyone cycled any of this route recently that give some general advice or what to watch out for.
Any rivers/fords to cross?
Ideally I'd like to go from north to south but are the hills steeper, are the headwinds worse going that way etc?
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I did Glasgow to Pitlochry section couple years ago; from Pitlochry we turned back down through Perth and Dundee and up east coast so don't know the section from Pitlochry up.
Prevailing winds are from southwest so...
Beautiful scenic route once out of the (easy cycling) urban sprawl of Glasgow and Dumbarton. Cycle paths, minor roads, one section of Forestry Commission type track north of Aberfoyle but tourer and hybrid had no problems in that section. Read there is another section of dedicated cycle path open since my trip between Callendar and Killin making that whole section traffic free, a lot of it on well surfaced old railway line. Apparently the section up Glen Ogle from Lochearnhead is lovely; dunno, hosed it down that afternoon so saw nowt.
No fording involved. Though guess depends how bad is the weather
Enjoy it, is a lovely and not overly taxing trip.0 -
I did Glasgow to Pitlochry section couple years ago; from Pitlochry we turned back down through Perth and Dundee and up east coast so don't know the section from Pitlochry up.
Prevailing winds are from southwest so...
Beautiful scenic route once out of the (easy cycling) urban sprawl of Glasgow and Dumbarton. Cycle paths, minor roads, one section of Forestry Commission type track north of Aberfoyle but tourer and hybrid had no problems in that section. Read there is another section of dedicated cycle path open since my trip between Callendar and Killin making that whole section traffic free, a lot of it on well surfaced old railway line. Apparently the section up Glen Ogle from Lochearnhead is lovely; dunno, hosed it down that afternoon so saw nowt.
No fording involved. Though guess depends how bad is the weather
Enjoy it, is a lovely and not overly taxing trip.
If I'm cycling from north to south I'm going to be cycling in to the wind then. Hmmmm. The reason I want to north to south is to then head on to Edinburgh then down NCR 1 to family in Yorkshire.
I wonder, would this time of year be good or bad to take the trip?0 -
I wonder, would this time of year be good or bad to take the trip?
Depends if you are bothered by bad weather. Now, mid October onwards, diminishing chances of getting good weather. But with proper gear and that...
If you just want to crack on and do the mileage, why not? But the Sustrans description of Lochs and Glens route nails it. If you want to lift your head up to enjoy some great landscapes then you really need the better weather. Fewer tourist facilities open this time of year as well. Outside the main towns like Aviemore, Pitlochry, Callendar etc you might struggle to find much open. I do these trips with Mrs O, who will do the mileage but in return likes the incentive of regular cake stops and a good B&B.
Personally I'd do it late springtime into early summer. No guarantees with Scottish weather of course, but May June tend to be better. We did NCN7 in early July and that was good bar a couple of wet days. Did a similar one, Aberdeenshire coast up the Spey valley and over to Fort William then back up to Inverness in May, and weather was good then. And there are more hours of daylight then as well.0 -
I wonder, would this time of year be good or bad to take the trip?
Depends if you are bothered by bad weather. Now, mid October onwards, diminishing chances of getting good weather. But with proper gear and that...
If you just want to crack on and do the mileage, why not? But the Sustrans description of Lochs and Glens route nails it. If you want to lift your head up to enjoy some great landscapes then you really need the better weather. Fewer tourist facilities open this time of year as well. Outside the main towns like Aviemore, Pitlochry, Callendar etc you might struggle to find much open. I do these trips with Mrs O, who will do the mileage but in return likes the incentive of regular cake stops and a good B&B.
Personally I'd do it late springtime into early summer. No guarantees with Scottish weather of course, but May June tend to be better. We did NCN7 in early July and that was good bar a couple of wet days. Did a similar one, Aberdeenshire coast up the Spey valley and over to Fort William then back up to Inverness in May, and weather was good then. And there are more hours of daylight then as well.
Great, thanks for the advice. Got any good recommendations for B&B's and cake stops?
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Hi,
Can anyone tell me what the track is like between Johnstone and Paisley canal. Looking to use the route as part of a new commute but what to know the type of surface it is?
Thanks0 -
MiniMalts wrote:I asked this question in Road Beginners a while back and didn't get much response. One chat pointed me to a few threads on another forum but they are quite old. I thought I'd ask again in this board in hope of getting some more info....
Has anyone cycled any of this route recently that give some general advice or what to watch out for.
Any rivers/fords to cross?
Ideally I'd like to go from north to south but are the hills steeper, are the headwinds worse going that way etc?
There's a diversion at Yoker which isn't well signposted. If travelling from Glasgow to Clydebank:
1) Climb the steps at the blocked underpass.
2) Turn left at the top and cycle over the bridge.
3) Turn first right after the bridge.
4) Where the road bends to the left, there's a sports hall on your right.
5) Cycle down either side of the sports hall and rejoin the cycle path which runs along the back of it.
If travelling from Clydebank to Glasgow, do the above in reverse. Look out for the steps down to the cycle path, which are immediately after the bridge.0 -
chrispower80 wrote:Hi,
Can anyone tell me what the track is like between Johnstone and Paisley canal. Looking to use the route as part of a new commute but what to know the type of surface it is?
Thanks
It's the usual not-quite-as-smooth-as-a-road , cycle path tarmac.0 -
A few of us rode this from Glasgow to Inverness in August. Pretty easy IMO and mostly off road. I did it on a 700c tourer with no problems. Dukes pass was a bit of a git though.
Nothing to prove. http://adenough1.blogspot.co.uk/0 -
Here's a time lapse video of National Cycle Route 7 from Glasgow to Loch Lomond that I took last year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TOZvPeNj5Q0 -
Al1000 wrote:Here's a time lapse video of National Cycle Route 7 from Glasgow to Loch Lomond that I took last year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TOZvPeNj5Q
Looks reasonably flat. Although at a hunder mile an hour it's hard tae tell.0
