Glasgow Gravel Routes

Hi all, just a thought while I remember - my wife was talking to a local guy who hillwalks a fair bit around the Lochwinnoch area & apparently the Hardridge Farm path from Muirshiel Park which goes over the old grouse moor has been resurfaced - i was up there in November on a 29er and it was hard work at places, everything up there floods at the first sign of rain...
Anyway, it drops you out at the B788 (via Gateside road) – about a mile from an access road that takes you up to the Gryffe Reservoir & onto Loch Thom / Greenock cut, might be a good shout for the summer if anyone's out that way - I haven't been there since it's been redone so can't guarantee what the new surface is like but i'll update to confirm it's passable on anything other than a mtb once I get a chance

Did it last Christmas and recall it was an ordeal. It'd need to be a dry old spell before I brave it again on the gravel bike - I'm curious to the extent of the resurfacing though.

@Pmccee Yeah, I wouldn't fancy it much on anything less than a 2" tyre - be interesting to see what the resurfacing looks like, every time I go up there anytime other than in the middle of a dry spell I regret it... last time most of it was under a foot of water & the streams were knee deep at the shallowest part. Then I got caught in a random blizzard on the way back with 20mph headwind, fun times.

Haha that sounds eerily familiar. Ended up taking my shoes off to walk through those "streams" as they were rather daunting.

I took a wee spin up to Muirshiel at the weekend on the mountain bike again - headed along the Hardridge path to see what the resurfacing was like, it's decent but only goes about a mile and a half along the path & stops a bit before the epic stream crossing - no idea if it's a work in progress but hopefully it'll be extended as it would be a handy route, if I bump into one of the rangers i'll ask them if they know.

Did you go over the "bridge"?

1 Attachment

can someone pls drop a pin on google maps showing where this road is ? fancy a shot of that bridge

Nah - didn't get that far, the resurfacing stopped before then & the path was reverting to the standard of mud & rocks underfoot, had already decided my feet would be staying dry as it was freezing

@cozey it's part of the old Duchal Moor light rail that was put in for grouse shooting in the 1920's - should be here 55.857068879097724, -4.699364115354577

is it this road ? can you link through from lochwinnoch to kilmacolm on a gravel bike ?

2 Attachments

You can, it's just not that pleasant. Mega puddles, perma drowned and stream crossings.

Would not rush back in a hurry.

hmmmm... one for summer. maybe

Yeah that's the one - i've only ever done it on the mtb which was fine if a bit squelchy in places, but think @Pmccee said it was a bit of a slog on a gravel bike. Just Under half of the dotted path up to the T junction has been resurfaced which is pretty good & will settle in nicely & the rest is basically an old landrover track - as with anything up there it's best left until it's dry.

I'm in Lochwinnoch so if anyone's ever out that way give me a shout

https://www.strava.com/activities/4237325855

Will definitely drop you a line next time I'm back up - parents are in Paisley so only half an hour or so along the bike path.

Been reminiscing whilst stuck inside with the rain - I'm super keen to do this route again or at least bits of it, https://www.komoot.com/tour/296960359

The bit from Largs to Dalry was amazing, primo gravel.

Sounds good, I never realised there was an off - road option out of Largs across Fairlie Moor, I keep meaning to head over there for a wander about. Did the road version of that loop a fair bit last year either right round past Inverkip or over Brisbane Glen then back over Fairlie Moor.

20 flat to lochwinnoch then 5 up last couple gravel

2 Attachments

I like the ‘gravel’ bike!

Good thread,
Here's my recommendations to link up as you like:
-Calder Glen on East side of East Kilbride
-West Highland way, starting at mugdock and on as far as you like...
-Upper part of the Kelvin, runs between Maryhill park and the Balmore road, extendable all the way to Milngavie
-Track from Carbeth over to Hardgate, crosses the bridges on Concho Loch
-Track from Baldernock Lynn over Blackskiath Muir and down past Lennox castle. (single track in the forest!)
-There is a path from Kilearn to Strathblane parallel to the A81, to the NW, sadly there about 548 gates to go through, great spot though
-All of loch Ard Forest
-3 lochs drive is superb
-Not tried it, but I reckon, you could do the flatter sections of Ben Lomond tourist path on a quiet day*

That's some of what I've tried over the years, loads more I can think of to do, I'll report when I do.

Anyone fancy some group rides?

*Bonus, a superb day from glasgow, is a cycle to Rowardennan, up and down ben Lomond and cycle home. Extra points if you manage to take a drop bar bike to the top

Pulled my finger out and started getting all of these into one location. Using RideWithGPS collections at the moment. You should be able to get gpx files for free, might need an account:

https://ridewithgps.com/collections/13361?privacy_code=99NTHaPEMzn8J7hU

Keep em coming and I'll keep adding. I can't see Strava activities but I can see Strava routes.

Few more added in, just plotting @Polka_Dot 's ride now.

good one. it's a lovely decent, once you get off the gravel, haha

Another wee gravel detour if you're headin through Kirkintilloch:

Follow the John Muir way on the SOUTH side of the F&C canal from K'loch to Twecher. Nice bit of single track for 3 miles.

I'd say there's lots of the John Muir Way that would be good gravel riding

1 Attachment

Didn’t realise the jmw went that far. Have ridden bits of it to the west of the city with @Skydog and presumed it was all out that way.

Aye, Helensburgh to Dunbar

A bit further afield but had some great rides around dunkeld the other week, then was over to aberfeldy where I just rode on the road (some good climbs) but there is a lot of gravel potential around aberfeldy and kenmore with the forestry paths.

After being very close to moving to Glasgow, I've just ended up in Dundee and have a couple of spare rooms - so if anyone fancies some gravel trails up here, happy to host in exchange for giving me impetus/dragging me and exploring the area

Actually plotting cycles to J Piries + Arbroath (smokies) + Anstruthers Fish n Chips meself