Route 74

[Mad Doug Biker]

Hello, I have just bought a load of the Sustrans Cycle route maps, and one of them is for the route between Glasgow and Carlisle via Ayr and Dumfries, etc (route 73)

This is ok, but there appears to be another more direct route, a route 74, from Gretna to Glasgow via Lockerbie that isn't shown on it.

I can look it up on the internet, yes, but what is this route like? and where in Glasgow does it go to?? I'm curious.

Thanks.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Ok, thanks for nothing you guys. This is it here:

http://www.sustrans.org.uk/what-we-do/national-cycle-network/route-numbering-system/route-74

Doesn't look too promising for most of it being on the road, but what is the grey 'proposed' section exactly??

It says it's 'now open', so is it an actual cycle path or what??

C'mon, surely SOMEONE must know!

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I surely wont be the first person in the history of the universe to try it, will I??

 

[Coco]

Its seems to start at Uddington (if going South). the bit before that is still showing as proposed on Sustrans Online map.
Then it seems to run close to the (M)A74 all the way down with some parts traffic free. Could be a nice route. Can't imagine the roads would be busy.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Yes but it says somewhere that the bit between Uddingston and Douglas (wherever that is, Castle Douglas perhaps?) is open.
Is it an entirely new cycle track? is it a minor road? what?

Now I am curious as I have never been out further than about Cambuslang before (I know, I know, but I have cycled through to Edinburgh, etc beside the Canals instead).

I'll have to go out and investigate one of these days.

 

[rualexander]

Douglas is just southwest of junction 12 of the M74 (Happendon Services).
From Junction 12 to Junction 13 (Abington) the cycle route is along the old A74 but is segregated from the road (the road is quiet anyway as most traffic is on the M74).
From Douglas north to Uddingston (note Uddingston is not the same as Uddington) it will be on minor roads and then into Glasgow on the Clyde cycle route.
From Abington south to Gretna the route is on the roads that run parallel to the M74, so I would expect them to be reasonably quiet most of the time.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Thanks, that's handy to know, thanks!

Douglas.

 

[gavintc]

I think your lack of replies may hint at the lack of interest in Sustrans routes. I have found them worse than useless. At least when you plan a route, you can make your own decisions on route choice. Sustrans routes meander and there is no guarantee that you will come across road bike surfaces. In my opinion, I ignore them completely and work out my own routes.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I appreciate this, but I was just curious as to what it was, as the alternative route is along the Ayrshire Coast, and considerably longer as a result. '74 is a damn sight straighter!

As the bike is my wheels (unless I take the train or something), I'm interested in finding out about long distance routes you see. See how long it's theoretically possible to go for, and all that.

I saw a map of the routes in 1995 compared to now, and one of the few bits on it was the path where I live, so I suppose, having grown up with it always being there, I've never thought about paths elsewhere as being bad.

Ok, so there are gates on the paths, but you learn how to get past these as quickly as possible, i.e. a couple of seconds and you are away again.

I've never considered using the roads before as I've never had to I guess.

Why would I try and avoid cycle routes when the alternative is getting squished by a lorry?

 

[gavintc]

Everyone to their own, but the road works fine for me. My experience of paths is that they can deteriorate quickly from a good running surface to one needing mountain bike tyres.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I must admit I have cycled my battered old mountain bike along the tracks for years without any problems. Quite a bit around where I live is tarmac also, although it does eventually change to that tightly packed gravel surface at places which is reasonable enough (I have never had any problems with it and if you cycle along the path regularly then you get to know where the bumps are when they do appear so you can avoid them! You practically get to know every square inch of the path).

Never given it any thought when using other types of bikes though.

Yes, I like to go and explore other places on my bike using the roads, but the thing I like about the tracks is that they provide a safe route between places, so I will try and see how quickly I can cover that distance in, without having to think about some moron in a car coming up behind me.

It's more about the actual distances and times that interest me, and, sad as this may sound, I think that the fact that I like transport (Railways particularly), I quite like the idea of trying to do the quickest time possible over a fixed route, like a railway line.

Supremely unimaginative, I know, but if I can see improvements in my times, then I will quite happily cycle the same route day after day after day.

Who knows, I might go onto roads in the future if lorries are banned from trying to squish me.