Tuesday appears to have me over near Drymen with the family and I’m getting to escape…my biking is going from mince to worse just now so although I’d like to do Ben Lomond, it’s beyond me just now…I think I’ll have 3 hours to play and would like some suggestions please…happy with offroad and don’t mind climbs but looking for something that isn’t going to kill me outright for 3 hours…

Any suggestions please?

If you head north through Garabhan Forest then up NCN to Drymen Road Cottages, you can cut into Loch Ard Forest where there are lots of fireroads for you to explore (some are marked as bike routes).

Or head along the WHW towards/past Rowardennan for a there-and-back, using the road in one direction.

I did a loop round there last year (Balmaha – Loch Ard – Inversnaid – Rowardennan – Balmaha) but that was around 4 hours.

If you want to drive a bit – From killearn there is a farm track up onto the campsies – out and back ride tho or there is a nice route across the menteith hills from aberfoyle to callander

Conic hill and the whw along the side of loch lomond, as far up as you dare. Lovely.

Do Ben Lomond. It might be a bit of a push but there are great views from the top and it is a superb descent, any bits you are wary of, just walk.

Just don’t ride round the trail features as many have been on the Ben! 🙁

Is Conic Hill any good tech wise?

Did this from a magazine a while back it’s a real mix.Off road to begin with consisting of fire road , then great single track, a mean descent to the shores of Loch Lomond then a couple of KM hike a bike on the WHW then about 12-15km on road.Probably need an OS map but it’s not hard to navigate and it’s about 25-30km. Not sure how long-3 hours on a good day!
Park at the start of Loch Chon on the B829.
Head back past Loch Dhu to Stronmacnair than along Glen Dubh and Glen Gaoithe at the back of Ben Lomond. Down to the loch ,a bit of push and carry to the Inversnaid hotel then it’s all road back past Loch |Arklet.

Would be half tempted to drive to Arrochar and do the Coire Grogain loop, easy fireroad up to Loch Sloy and a decent descent back to Succoth Glen, if you started at the train station and rode the forest path from there to the village it adds on a little extra excitement.

theres also the glen goin loop starting at succoth just at arrochar.. mix of fireroad and singletrack.. 🙂

If I only had 3 hours available for a ride I wouldn’t want to waste a third of it driving to and from the start 🙂

Oops, is Arrochar that for from Drymen? 😳

Must be at least 25 miles each way?

Is Conic Hill any good tech wise?

Conic Hill is well worth a go if you’ve not done it before, however I would suggest if Ben Lomond is too ‘techy’ for you I’d give Conic Hill a miss. If it’s just a matter of timing there’s a couple of choices. You could start in Drymen and follow the WHW or head north on the single track roasd out of Drymen (ultimately joins the WHW anyway. Head W over Conic Hill and then back along the road to Drymen. The descent is fairly steep, then gets rocky with steps towards the bottom, but there can be loads of walkers esp at the weekend!

Not techy (although it probably is but I’ve no issues with walking the bits I can’t ride) – it’s the distance and height just now, I’m so far behind on fitness that the effort would have me rather than the techy stuff.

I’m no tech god, but I’ve no qualms walking the bits that are messing with my head to the point I can’t release the brakes to give it a bash. Saying that, I want a bit of tech as well so I can give it a bash and impress myself that I haven’t fully regressed in ability (just fitness!).