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Looking to cycle from Crianlarich back to Glasgow. Can I use the West Highland Way for this stretch?
From memory, part of Loch Lomondside was pretty un rideable. Is there an alternative?
There is an old railway line down glen dochart (towards killin)that is unsurfaced / unimproved but ridable from about halfway along, Glen ogle is a nice ride on an old railway, sustrans route to callender, back roads to killearn and pick up the WHW - a long way round tho
We did exactly this yesterday on the CX bikes, our route (in reverse) was Crianlarich - top of Glen Ogle on the old railway line. The line is a not 100% complete and you have to sneak through the grounds of the Glen Dochart caravan park to rejoin it, but the further you get up the glen the better it gets. There are some muddy bits but they can be avoided by taking the nice wee singletrack detours up the side of the embankments.
From Glen Ogle you can either follow the Sustrans route 7 (easy and flat) or I 've always noticed the singletrack down the middle of the glen which looks more entertaining. From lochearnhead you could then pass through Glen Ample down to the shores of Loch Lubnaig. We didn't really enjoy the riding through the glen but the glen itself was beautiful, and if you did it from Lochearnhead to Loch Lubnaig, you'd get the best of the riding, including what looked like a really great singeltrack descent. You can then ride into callander on the singletrack beside the Falls of Leny, then follow Sustrans NCN7 to Aberfoyle (very easy fireroad, was OK on the CX bikes as you could tuck on the drops, would be pretty relaxed on the MTB. From Aberfoyle follow the Rob Roy Way to Drymen, then WHW to Milngavie.
Only about 30% real MTB in that route, the rest is cyclepaths and fireroad, but its almost all off road and was a decent day's riding, about 100k.
Was that you I saw on CX bike heading into Balqhidder yesterday @ 4-5pm 13thfm?
Teh singletrack down the middle of glen ogle is the reamains of an old military road if its the bit I am thinking of. I have attempted to cycle it having ridden up the old railway to make a circuit but its disappears in places where it has been washed away - good if you want a tricky route, not so good if you want to get somewhere
Cruise Loch Lomond and Inversnaid Hotel have ferries but not sure if it'll cut out the unrideable bits. Worth looking into as I know it's popular with cyclists. Tarbet to Rowardennan is handy if you're wanting to join up the West Loch Lomond Cycle Route with the WHW.
I've not cycled north of Rowardennan yet but the WHW between there and Balmaha is really good. I'd recommend doing Conic Hill too rather than going round it.
I'd recommend doing Conic Hill too rather than going round it.
Did that yesterday. The hike/climb/carry from Balmaha to the top of Conic hill is brutal but the descent is excellent although the Balmaha side and the top of the descent are very badly eroded
Yeah it is quite eroded up there both sides I reckon. I really like the descent down towards Garabhan although I haven't attempted the steps at the bottom yet. I'll have to see how they look when I next go there.
Matt, that was probably my mate, he turned south at Lochearnhead while I went north, blue bike with orange rims?
How long roughly did it take?
blue bike with orange rims?
That's the badger.
Yep, Markus, mad keen on his long distances that boy.