Glasgow to Loch Lomond Cycle Route

[Norry1]

As per my earlier thread, we plan to follow the route in the Cicerone Guide (written by Simon Brown).

He suggests the Sustrans route from Kilwinning to Paisley and the Glasgow to Loch Lomond Cycle Route.

Can anyone confirm that these routes are sensibly rideable on a loaded Secteur - or any other thoughts.

Cheers

Martin

 

[delport]

The roads in Glasgow are shambolic, and i say that as someone from the city, who spent more than 25 years there.I used the main roads from Balloch into Glasgow and i went straight through the east end of glasgow.
The cycle path has to be better than staying on the main roads.
Paisley is a massive town, i left that area years ago, the roads didn't appear to be as bad as glasgows when i used them every day for cycling when i was younger.

I only did a part of the loch lomond cycle path and it was further up, north of Balloch [that stretch was fine].
The glasgow roads, and the roads near Lanark and further south were the worst part of the trip for me in Scotland.I went over so many potholes and damaged sections of roads it was annoying.

I came down from john o'groats via inverness and then fort william, didn't find it all that bad.I expected a lot more trips up hills than was the case.

Don't know if what i've written is of any use to you, having not done those particuliar cycle paths.

 

[peelywally]

The roads in Glasgow are shambolic, and i say that as someone from the city, who spent more than 25 years there.I used the main roads from Balloch into Glasgow and i went straight through the east end of glasgow.
The cycle path has to be better than staying on the main roads.
Paisley is a massive town, i left that area years ago, the roads didn't appear to be as bad as glasgows when i used them every day for cycling when i was younger.

I only did a part of the loch lomond cycle path and it was further up, north of Balloch [that stretch was fine].
The glasgow roads, and the roads near Lanark and further south were the worst part of the trip for me in Scotland.I went over so many potholes and damaged sections of roads it was annoying.

I came down from john o'groats via inverness and then fort william, didn't find it all that bad.I expected a lot more trips up hills than was the case.

Don't know if what i've written is of any use to you, having not done those particuliar cycle paths.

roads in glasgow are terrible ,


shawlands looks like no mans land , id say track beyound secc is pretty good but would avoid city part due to broken glass , and come off the track in alexandria to enter loch lommond park at roundabout and not down at the dam thus avoiding the mire under brig part .

 

[Coco]

The cyclepath between Kilbirnie and Paisley is IMHO a very good path. From Paisley the stops being a dedicated path and is just a selection of minor roads and paths through parks. 

I've only gone as far as the Erskine Bridge on the north side of the Clyde, but here the cycle path is much more varied in quality from good tarmac to mud and in various states of repair.

Are you intending to stay in Glasgow? If not I'd recommend that you come off the cycle path at Johnstone and cross the Erskine Bridge, missing out most of the more complicated parts of the journey.

 

[MrRidley]

The path from just outside renton i think and the bit that takes you into Balloch are no more than mud paths at best, and agree about the roads in Glasgow, what a shocking state they are in.

 

[Norry1]

Really helpful guys. So if you were cycling from Cumnock to Ardlui - what route would you take?

Cheers

Martin

 

[Nozzer]

Beat me to it bruv, i was going to ask that question!!

So, what is the best route cyclepickers!! Not arf!

 

[fenman]

Really helpful guys. So if you were cycling from Cumnock to Ardlui - what route would you take?

Cheers

Martin

i,mauchline,kilmarnock,lugton,head for gleniffer braes, down into paisley.and over the erskin bridge. i bought a cheap road map at the works, cut out the parts i needed and put them in laminate envelopes, i did this for le/jog

 

[rualexander]

The Erskine Bridge route is probably your best bet, but an alternative would be to head out to Greenock and Gourock and take the passenger ferry over to either Kilcreggan or Helensburgh and head up to Ardlui from there either on the A814 via Garelochhead or over to Loch Lomond side and up the A82/cycle path.

 

[Norry1]

Thanks guys - both of those look like good options.

Final question (I think).

Is the A814 or A82 the better route for cycling, scenery etc?

Martin

 

[Big T]

We rode from Balloch to Hamilton across Glasgow using the cyclepaths during our JOGLE. From Balloch to Dumbarton, the path follows the river. It's a bit rough in places but rideable. It then follows the Canal and an old railway line into the centre of Glasgow. It passes through some pretty deprived areas but we didn't have any problems. On the east side, there's a path that follows the river, past the Celtic stadium, all the way to Uddingston. This is mostly tarmac. I'd recommend the route as it pretty much traffic free all the way to/from Balloch.

The path continues all the way up the west side of Loch Lomond. It's tarmac all the way but a bit narrow in places.

We were on tourers, but you'd be OK on a Secteur.

 

[zizou]

from Kilwinning the cycle track is initially on the road (it is a quiet road) and then from Kilbirnie it is off road (and good quality tarmac) through to Paisley - small section on the road a few hundred metres in elderslie. The worst part of this part is Kilwinning itself, the route the cycle track takes to get through the town is pretty convoluted.


the suggestion about going over the Erskine Bridge and then joining the Glasgow -> Loch Lomond cycle route once over there is good. The section from Glasgow to the bridge has quite a stretch of hardpack canal path and if it has been raining alot then the surface isnt great for narrow tyres. Been a couple of years since i was last on that part though so it might have improved since then.

 

[theloafer]

we did this in 2005 on our lejogs ..we used the renfrew ferry and just followed the signs to loch lomond had no probs at all
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?...renfrew&st=3&tl=Map+of+Renfrew,+Renfrewshire+ off the ferry turn left

 

[peelywally]

Really helpful guys. So if you were cycling from Cumnock to Ardlui - what route would you take?

Cheers

Martin

straight up a 77 to glasgow centre turn left onto clyde cycle path and keep going follow signs its all canal path after clydebank .


and pretty straight route alternatively dont cross clyde as you enter city centre turn left after carling hall and head up to erskine brig past airport etc be warned its slightly longer by a few miles that way though .




a82 route everytime

 

[Norry1]

We've now settled on using the ferry from Gourock to Helensburgh. May have to take a fairly early start to get there for the last ferry (2.35pm) but it will be a bit different.

Martin