if anybody ever suggests this to you(burncrooks to loch humphrey), don’t do it, horrible soggy tussochy hike a bike for 2 miles, infact punch them in the face and tell them that’s from me! 😀

bad day for it I’d suggest….if you get either baked hard summer or cold crispy frost it’s a crackin day out…. some of us from GMBC have done it, but if it’s soggy it’s a right horrible slog

Is that a route that includes that absolutely murderous hill that starts near old kilpatrick and gets steeper and steeper and steeper?

Even in good conditions, I don’t think it’s rideable the whole way.
Theres some decent trails in the Kilpatricks, I just don’t reckon thats one of them.

Is that a route that includes that absolutely murderous hill that starts near old kilpatrick and gets steeper and steeper and steeper?

Nope, Burncrooks to Loch Humphrey is coming the other way. You’re thinking of the access road that goes up to the loch from Old Kikpatrick.

.if you get either baked hard summer or cold crispy frost it’s a crackin day out

even at that you’d still be trekking up to the high point from burncrooks to well after duncolm, not really cyclable up that hill really, neither is there really a path, might be more doable the other way mind on a very dry day, I’ve done it once, so that’ll do me, cracking views mind you..

route i took today more or less http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/fullscreen/36554262/

Is that a route that includes that absolutely murderous hill that starts near old kilpatrick and gets steeper and steeper and steeper?

aye we went down that thankfully! 🙂

Had a mate that stayed in Clydebank and used to cycle up that fairly often. A proud moment when I cleaned that the first time.. You can cut onto the rocky ridge at the top of that road and it’s a nice wee descent on the tracks made by the local shepherd and his quad..

Did that with a group about 6 weeks ago, in fact posted on here that it was a horrendous route. Luckily that day it had been dry for a while, but still was boggy, great tussocks of grass and hike a bike for a long time. Didn’t help that we took wrong route from Burncrooks, turning off just before the dam and the path just ran out. Was some very faint trails but they kept going the wrong way. Was better once past Duncolm, and the track to Greenside was interesting….

Did that then there was DEEP snow and a very hard frost, mostly rideable.
That murderous hill is just that, especially when you get a snake bite on the front going down it @ 40mph ish. EEK. 😯
Oh and if anyone ever find a Cateye Vectra computer up there, its mine. 🙁

the humphrey road is a bugger of a climb but the downhill is very worthwhile.think i’ll wait for the dry weather before attempting the burnscrook run……

Had a mate that stayed in Clydebank and used to cycle up that fairly often. A proud moment when I cleaned that the first time..

I hate you. :p
I’ve seen it cleaned once. Years ago, by my mate on his £100 Halfords special. The bugger stood up the whole way.
It’s a bit of an ambition of mine to get right up to the gate at the top of the steep bit without stopping.

think the only way im doing that is on a motor bike 🙂 or get someone to push me up

Burncrooks to Loch Humphrey is the wrong way to do it IMHO. I’ve done it the other way numerous times over 20 years and, yes it can be boggy, but if you pick your day, it is rideable. There are also a couple of alternative ways up to Loch Humphrey without using all of the steep track up from the Erskine bridge…

Hello pistola my man!

pistola,what way up to the humphrey would you recomend and what level of fitness is required??i live in clydebank so im pretty accessable most ways

Burncrooks to Loch Humphrey is the wrong way to do it IMHO.

Couldn’t agree more(but it’s invariably always the case you go the wrong way when trying something new!), would definitaley be more doable on the driest of dry days going the other way, you are basically making your own route though, as it’s not a trail in any conventional sense till you get close to loch humphrey, either that or i completely missed it! 😀

Actually, if ever they were looking to build a new trail centre, they could do worse that up there, the views you get are cracking, and it’s nice country, defo lots of potential right up in the middle for any would be trail builders!

There are also a couple of alternative ways up to Loch Humphrey without using all of the steep track up from the Erskine bridge…

True, theres a couple of routes that go right over the brae, instead of round it, like the track. 6 and half a dozen though. Replace one ballbuster of a climb with a different ballbuster.
The track is the most direct route and is just the price I’m (reasonably) happy to pay for some good descents.

To avoid the worst of the climb up the main track to Loch Humphrey. Once beyond the tarmac and first cattle grid, keep following the main track for a few hundred yards up the Kilpatrick Braes. Just before the track really steepens, turn right through a rusty 5 bar gate and follow the gentle* grass track back on yourself. This comes to a hairpin left bend. Follow it round and take the lowest of the three climbs. Keep climbing past the ferns and trees. There’s a bit of hike a bike west but it eventually comes out at a path on the ridge above the main track. Turn right and follow this path north and over a tiny wooden bridge to rejoin the main Humphrey track near it’s high point.

*slightly less severe.

I have some gps routes on mapmyride of the Kilpatricks. I may have some not uploaded that show a route to Burncrooks and also alternate climbs / ways down.

Begbie, thinks I’ve cleaned it a grand total of 3 times in my life and that was when I was much fitter and cycling to work every day. Now I work shifts have a family and am lucky to get out once a month.. The greeny road up to the trig point is longer but a lot gentler.. Apart from the last climb up to the trig. Was doable in the past but mxrs have torn itup to the point where it’s difficult on foot!

nobody done the cochno and jaw resevoirs and down to to the greenie??
downshep ive went up along that grass track up to a flat leve1`then it kinda came back round on itself then i came down a bit of downhill through the field to the fist gate,absolutely flew down it though…