I'm starting to plan a weeks break in Scotland with the family for my birthday in October. We are going to drive up and plan to stay a couple of days in/around Edinburgh and then head across west to maybe Lock Lomond area. There will be family stuff to do but I really want to get some riding in when up there, well it is my birthday after all 😀

So the questions are:

1) Should I take my bike?
Might sound like a stupid question but at this stage I'm not sure about accomodation, etc and where will be secure to keep the bike all week if I'm only going to be riding it once, maybe twice. This is of course precluded if there is not actually anywhere in the area to hire some appropriate wheels…

2) Assuming we get around Q1 OK then were should I be looking to ride?
I'm in my first year of MTB riding so nothing to mental but needs to be a little more engaging than tow path.

3) Would the answer to both Q1 & Q2 be to look for a ride centre or a package deal to suit.

Feedback appreciated.

GT and IL are 45m from Edinburgh, bike hire available at former. Ben Lomond is a great up and down ride.

No idea re secure storage at accomodation, I'd have thought it would be possible, or you could just keep the bike covered in the car.

Never heard of package deals – what is there to package?

Loch Lomondside has some great riding, up to Rowardennan the West Highland way is relatively straightforward singletrack, after Rowardennan up to Inversnaid it gets prgressively more interesting, with some nice rock and root features to negotiate. In fact, the ride from Rowardennan to Inversnaid and back would make be a nice little route.

On the other side of the Loch, its a short drive to Arrochar, where there are two good loops, either round the Ardgartan Peninsula (starts very easy fireroad but gets better, and the diversion to the waterfalls above Lochgoilhead is really good).

A shorter loop would be to head north from Arrochar through Succoth and ride the forest road up to Sloy Damn, there's a really nice singletrack descent back down the other side of Glen Loin.

Cheers guys. Sorry to be a numpty, GT & IL?

Glen(s)tress and Innerleithen. 2 very popular trail-centres south of Edinburgh – I think most here would ride there first, if in the area.

and you can hire bikes at Glentress if you don't want to take your own (seeing as you might only be riding a couple of days)

Look at Trossachs Tryst in Callander for accommodation. The bike shop (Wheels of Callander) there is superb and has a mass of hire bikes.
You'll have easy access to a range of routes (off-road and family as its on NCN7), stunning scenery.

http://www.scottish-hostel.com/information.htm

Say Hi! to Mark when you book.

Loads of bike friendly accommodation (and guiding, bike hire etc) in and around Glentress and Innerleithen area – this is the best site for seeing what there is if you decide to have a break in this area: http://www.visittweedvalley.co.uk

😀

Thanks Andy. That site has plenty of SC accomodation options which is what we are looking for for the first part of the break. Innerhaven looks nice so made an enquiry 🙂

You might already know this now, but you can also hire bikes in Innerleithen.

Lock Lomond

Oops!! 😳

If you can get the time off, Loch Lomond's not so very far from Fort William 😉 Up to Crianlarich and turn left and then right at ballachulish and that's basically it. Course, these 2 junctions are fairly far apart but still.