I've booked a £75 single to Glasgow on Saturday the 25th of July, landing at 6pm. My bike will be in a cardboard box and the plan is unpack it ASAP and join the Second City Divide route to Manchester then ride home to Herefordshire.
Obviously it'll probably all go wrong and I'll get the train.
Nevertheless I have two issues currently that someone on here might be able to help with:
1) What route from Glasgow airport to join the Divide route (that doesn't have me mugged/run over etc). My quick guess is here, any advice welcome. I'm planning to bivvy after about 30 km on the Moor somewhere (praying for a dry night!)
2) Where to get camping gas or meths (not sure which stove to take yet) on a Sunday close to the route? I'm thinking Strathhaven Sainsburys or the Tescos in Lesmahagow?? A long shot but any locals got any tips (I'd prefer to pick up a gas canister).
Cheers (I've never been to Glasgow, never bike packed either).
I live minutes from Glasgow Airport. Your route is okay, local knowledge could refine it but you'd be forever checking turns. Consider using the cycle path beside the A77 south of Glasgow. Plenty NCN safe routes through Ayrshire too. If time is pressing, the Old A74 adjacent to the M74 is efficient if lacking in atmosphere.
Route looks fine, Look a like you'd be bivvying on eaglesham moor/whitelees forest on first night, there's a decent sized Sainsburys in strathaven too.
If the weather's shite on whitelees (Scotland's largest onshore wind farm for a reason) there's a visitors centre you could get some shelter behind.
^^^ at Whitelee, a 5 minute ride from the visitor centre entrance, to the MTB trails, will give you a number of small wooden shelters with tables inside, and ideal for a bivvy.
You’re route over Eaglesham Moor takes you on some pretty exposed gravel roads (and can’t think of a decent camping area) personally for the first part I think I’d go (after Barrhead) via Newton Mearns, Eaglesham then over to Strathaven following the small lanes. It’ll save you an hour at least. There’s some decent camping spots on moors between Whitelees wind farm and Strathaven.
Mearns has a big Asda in a small shopping centre to resupply, should have gas. I can always drop off a canister for you to save you the effort just in case they don’t.
Edit-as above the visitor centre is slightly north of your route. The pods are good, but on gravel base
I work at glasgow airport and your route goes right past my house . I finish work on the 25th at 6:30pm . Subject to clearance from the mrs , if you wanted I’d happily meet you at the airport and get you up to the m77 cycle path .
A slightly longer, but not too much, would be A77 cycle route to killie, nice wee back roads from there through Symington, Prestwick, then carry on NCN7 down through Straiton to Glentrool and Newton Stewart.
The road from Straiton to glentrool is fantastic, single track, all been freshly tarmac'd, pristine.
Gas you may struggle with - and I'm not sure if the big supermarkets stock meths either.
If there are some stw'ers close by, perhaps they could take a delivery for you?
+1 on Whitelees seating things.
I'd be surprised if you got gas or meths in Sainsbury's in Strathaven but there are a variety of shops in Strathaven including a couple of hardware/general goods stores that would almost certainly have meths.
I'll message BiL to ask shop names for you.
I'm happy to get you sorted out with gas and meths if you head down this (west) side of whitelees, I'm sure others will sort you out if you head down through lanarkshire, no worries.
There’s a decathlon about 3-4 miles from the airport if you want to be self sufficient with certainty of gas cylinders. It’s open till 6 on a Sunday in non-lockdown times. Might be a bit out your way.
If you can’t find meths most pharmacies should have surgical spirit which works OK but is more expensive.
If you can be bothered going a little bit farther for your 1st night bivvy, you're welcome to stay on my back lawn (I'm in Strathaven). Free use of facilities etc as well can be arranged. You're very welcome to do this.
(Can I just check that you don't have any convictions for axe murdering though?)
Failing that, I occasionally bivvy in the beehives up at the Whiteless visitors centre, thats not a bad spot.
(Can I just check that you don’t have any convictions for axe murdering though?)
The good ones don’t get caught 😉
Wow, thanks everyone for the kind offers of help, general advice and a lawn. I'm definitely not an axe murderer, axes are far too messy!
I'll check the map to make sense of all the advice and come back to you all individually via PMs.
Thanks again, I've done heaps of multi-week touring and decades of riding but this will be my first multi-day solo trip so I'm strangely slightly nervous 🙂
I’m also near the airport and happy to help out, but sounds like you’re sorted! Drop me a message if you need help with sorting gas/meths. Decathlon is a good shout. Supermarkets unlikely to have...though might be wrong.
OK, thanks again everyone.
@eat_more_cheese - does this look like your suggested route? https://www.plotaroute.com/map/1162501 Your offer of getting a gas canister would be great, as long as it were convenient to meet up en route (I'll obviously paypal you the money).
@moonsaballon. I'll PM you now, that's a really kind offer. If you're keen for a ride it's be great to meet up. No worries if it doesn't work for you (see new route above).
@codybrennan. That would be brilliant, although I probably wouldn't be at yours till ~9pm? Don't want to be an inconvenience if you've got an early start the next day or young kids? I'll PM you.
Thanks again to everyone 🙂
Pm’ed you
9pm- ain't a problem.
Thanks all. PM's sent and responded to.