[Closed] Glasgow-Edinburgh canal ride this Saturday

don;t forget to take some bricks to throw at the neds in Wester Hailes

Starting where?

I'm at Finnieston so will probably pick up some bricks at the builders merchants and join it at Maryhill.

If you're up for it can meet you anywhere west of the M8. Any good early-morning cafes you know of?

Well I'd probably be joining you a little later, just before Kirkintilloch, what sort of pace are we talking?

I've often fancied trying this but I've heard some horror stories about the "young teams" hanging about the canal!

I used to commute along the canal and never had any problems... you get some kids fishing, but they're harmless and usually friendly. It's the weekend walkers you have to worry about. Vicious they are.

I'm on a 32-16 SS so my average is 12.4 mph. Fast enough for you? ;o)

Any idea of the distance?

I often commute from Kirky to Glas and never have any problems, I dont suspect there'd any more problems when further afield.

I'd almost be willing to make it a return trip but the wind is always a headwind in that direction and I'm not sure my legs would survive. Think its about 50 miles end to end (centre to centre)?

65 miles ish. Obviously it's all flat except for a little climb at the Falkirk wheel, and a trip down into and back up from Lithgae.

I stand corrected. Thats a bit longer than I thought, but from mine its only about what I thought which is do-able lol.

Exactly King. I'm keeping an eye on wind direction as there was an odd easterly today. If it stays like this I may well chance an Edinburgh-to-Glasgow trip!

Don't quote me on that, it's just a guestimate.

Aye I'm up for this.

I'll drop you an email.

Presuming you branch off the forth and clyde nearer Ed though as it ends at grangemouth IIRC? And is only 35 miles long in total, so there must be an extra bit somewhere lol.

I'm in, providing no-ones a racing snake or in a rush?

coffeking - at falkirk you join the union canal to Edinburgh

King, you join the Union canal at the Falkirk Wheel (there's a footpath joining the two via a tunnel), then next stop Lithgae, then Edinburgh.

No, like I said I'm SSing so I spin out at 12mph :o)

As long as I'm back for 6-ish for the good lady I have all day.

I'd appreciate a leisurely enjoyable pace rather than a race.

Weather looks great! Pack your sunscreen

http://www.google.co.uk/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUK324&q=weather+glasgow&meta=lr%3D

Could you do it on a road bike?

Thanks all, that clears it up!

Spinning out at 12 - hmm tats gonna be one long day in the saddle!

cynic - while I've only done part of it I reckon it could be done on a road bike. It's not massively rough, like hard-pack porridge with the odd bit you may have to navigate carefully around bridges, nothing worse than roads I dont think! However you may be really dawdling on a road bike, might be almost too slow ?

The worst bit I think is between Maryhill and Cumbernauld, after that the paths are quite good. Oh, it's because you're getting nearer to edinburgh? ;o)

A road bike with 30s would be ok I'd reckon.

King, I've never topped an [i]average[/i] of 14mph on the canal anyway, so for me it's nearly perfect!

Spinning out at 12 - hmm tats gonna be one long day in the saddle!

Are you not on and off the bike as you encounter the locks anyway?

No, there's a knack of negotiating the pedestrian gates without getting off, but yeah it slows you down.

Are you doing Edinburgh to Glasgow or Glasgow to Edinburgh then ?

Im in Edinburgh ive cycled the canal to Glasgow before and its great - but i race'd along it.

Ah ok I was averaging 16 on the canal last year commuting, but I am on full gears rigid and slicks. Not sure I'll be that fast now. I'll mull it over and reply tonight for definite, but it sounds like a good excuse to get out, it's just writing off an entire day which is difficult for me at the moment.

I'll be bringing the 31lb full susser. 😆

Total overkill and it's not needed but I need to get used to long rides on it so this should be perfect.

Tempted to bring my full sus now 🙁 No, no need for extra pain 😀

Hmm I may put on my Rebas then... don't want to feel left out 🙄

To be honest, the brakes on my HT SS are playing up and I won't get a chance to tinker with them so I've got no choice but to bring the FS 🙁

Al - I've done this route on my Sutra. Apart from a couple of cobbled areas, it's fine. The worst case is that it's been raining beforehand as the cinder path gets very s...l...o...w and dirty. It's easy enough to get onto the canal from Glasgow Queen St, just head past Dales and under the M8. Take a couple of spare inner tubes. If the lights in the Falkirk Tunnel are out, a small torch will also be very handy.

I tend to leave the canal at that point and use the short road section to avoid the tunnel; dark, wet, off-camber cobbled towpaths with no barriers kinda worry me 😆

Yes, if it's been raining the path can get slow and gritty. It's much more fun in the dry.

There's a barrier (of sorts) the length of the tunnel. Horrid doing it in the dark though.

By the time you get to kirky it'll be 9ish, there must be some cafes open there/then?

I'm not familiar with Kirkintilloch - can you just hop off the canal?

We'll be nicely warmed up by then!

Ah no wonder I've never seen a barrier. I used to ride it with no lights 🙄

Would love to join you but got a stag doo this weekend.

I do about 25 milies along the path on a regular basis mainly from Bishopbriggs to Clydebank/Bowling and back plus 3.2 miles each way on the road to my house.

Never had any problems, well apart from one ned that was jumping infront of cyclists and playing chicken with them. He was winning till he met me where I sped up lol. Was so funny.

I agree with the start in Glasgow and head towards Edinburgh. The wind tends to go into your face when you head the other way. Well apart from Monday when it decided to turn. If anyone is interested in making this a regular trip let me know. Been doing this for a month or two once a week and reaaly enjoy it. Good way to build up the miles if you are training for a long distances.

It is about 65 miles in total from the basin at Maryhill to Lochrin Basin Edinburgh. There is an annual charity ride for the Dogs for the Blind which we have done. Should be easily done on a road bike from a terrain standpoint however may encounter the odd bit of broken glass. Wind is a factor to consider iirc 😉 Good luck.

Tom

Ps the stables in Kirky is really nice for a pint or 2 but its realativly near where you would start.

If you do Bishopbrigs sports centre to Edingburgh you wont be far off the 60 miles mark.

Hello Mr LeeLovesBikesToo! I wondered when we'd bump into each other on here. I'm counting lengths at a swimming pool on Saturday morning, but if you fire me your mobile number (email in profile) I'll try to catch you at Lochrin Basin. Enjoy the ride, should be fun.

Yup, I usually walk to the stables for a quickie of a weekend, its a mile or so from my flat. I've never got off at teh centre of kirky but I'm 99.98% sure the canal goes under the main road through the town and theres on/off ramps there.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Kirkintilloch,+Glasgow,+East+Dunbartonshire&sll=53.800651,-4.042969&sspn=18.388688,56.953125&ie=UTF8&ll=55.938484,-4.154688&spn=0.002121,0.006952&t=h&z=18&iwloc=A

Its a fairly sizeable town so no problems finding cafes - I'll scout tonight on the way home.

There are a few cafes in Kirkintilloch but by far the best is Ghilonis which is about 500 yards to the right and then on left hand side of the road on Main St when canal path rises up to road level.

HTH

Much obliged!

I feel (slightly) bad. I was trolling.

Glad to see that there will now be a stw meet on a canal path with full sussers though! 😀

Will anyone be wearing a pressure suit for the pedestrian gates?

cynic-al - Member

I feel (slightly) bad. I was trolling.

You really [i]are[/i] turning into TJ then? Or is it just that you've been found out and now can't stand the humiliation?

Oi - I ain't a troll

LOL @ TJ - you've confessed to as much in the past - or, let me guess, will you now find a way of distinguishing your behaviour?

*sulks*

Ok - I don't troll as much as I used to 🙂

Anyway - some of my best friends are trolls

I'm not a troll. Oh hang on....

Xan - I'd love to make it a regular ride; I'm training for a Glasgow-JoG ride at the end of August using Sustrans routes and need to get the big miles in and 8 hours a day in the saddle. I'm setting aside Sundays for riding otherwise I won't find the time. I'll post up again if there a lot of Glasgow folk wanting to join in.

ml - hi... not sure if we've met...?

Hope you have a great day. Sort of thing I may be tempted to do another time, particularly as you'll be going right past my house.

Oh and their re-sufacing the canal paths just now, so time for the full sus, lol!

Proline85 - you don't do a spot of racing, do you? 😉

I did edinburgh - falkirk wheel and back again last year. Never ever again! It had rained loads so wasn't quite the clean/mess free ride i was after and it began to feel really samey by the time i got to falkirk - and then i had to go back again. 🙁

Am builing my mtb back up again Lee, so once i'm sorted (and have remembered to ride offroad) i'll drop you an email and we can sort a ride out.

Hope it can be made a regular thing. I'm free two weeks on Saturday (30th April) if anyone fancies it?

dirtygirlonabike - Member

Am builing my mtb back up again Lee,

😯

Used to do this from Cumbernauld once in a blue moon to put in some easy miles on a nice day, nice places for beer in L'gow and E'burgh obviously. It's a nice few hours but the train costs about £10 to get home.

There is nothing too bad about the path unless it has rained in the past few days, you could end up quite mucky. Do-able on a racer but then you dont have the option of playing in the huge bing outside e'burgh. Worth 30mins of anyones time.
The really long tunnel is good fun, don't spoil it by taking any kind of lights :D. The aquaducts(sp?)can raise the heartbeat slightly as there are no barriers to stop you getting a dookin.
Actually quite tempted now, any ideas of when you passing Cumbernauld?

Xan - that Sat is 2 May... I'm free though. Shall we set that in stone?

doh - probably going past Banknock at approx. 10am...?

claire - nice! i thought you'd forsaken any riding that wasn't on nice smooth blacktop!

Is it?? Oh well I obviously cant count. Yeah, I'll be there. I am sure 2 of my mates will join us as well.

Ok, I'll post up next week to arrange for Sat 2 May. Where abouts do you stay?

Ok, I'll post up next week to arrange for Sat 2 May. Where abouts do you stay?

No problem. I'm in Glasgow Just of Springburn road (the good side....well if there is one) so I'm only about 3 miles from the path entrance next to Bishopbriggs sports centre, and oly about 4 miles from Maryhill entrance. What about yourself?

Anyone else up for Saturday the 2nd as well??

I'm in Finnieston for the next 4 weeks then moving to Hyndland. I've only been in Glasgow for a year, and most of that on the Southside, so I'm still finding my way about!

ml - hi... not sure if we've met...?

We did, last time you were at my house, persuading me to buy a steel hardtail (which I did). 😉 Martin Little, friend of Tash. 😀

Ah! Hey Martin, how are you doing? Glad you found STW... and that hardtail. Drop me an email and we'll hook up for a ride sometime. email address is in my profile.

For anyone interested I'm meeting boardinbob at the Squinty Bridge at 8am.

Where / when are you doing lunch?

Linlithgow would be a good lunch stop I reckon. The Star and Garter or Platform 51 (next to the station) has a beer garden, cos the weather will be beautiful tomorrow. Will probably be there for 12pm.

You fancy joining us at Lithgae? You're in Balerno, aren't you?

Will probably be there for 12pm

Really?

Departure time = 8am

Your max speed = 12mph

Distance = 65 miles

Quickest possible time = 5 hours 25 minutes

Earliest possible arrival = 1:25pm

No, at Linlithgow at 12 for lunch - it's about 30 odd miles, 4 hours is plenty 😀

Then another 4 to the burgh.

Ah right, I thought Linthigow was the end point. 😆

Oh no right the way through! You cool with that?

I might head out (on the roads) to Linlithgow and join you on the way back then.

Oh no right the way through! You cool with that?

Yeah should be fine. Never covered that kind of distance before but as it's totally flat and we're stopping for lunch it'll be fine.

Don't worry, the thought of a bag of Edinburgh chips will get you there if you're anything like me.

druidh - do you want to swap numbers to meet up?

I'll need to bring a bottle of Edinburgh "sauce" back for the wife as she constantly moans about the lack of it in Glasgow 🙄

<salivates>Mmm chips with salt'n'sauce</salivates>

Thinking about joining you guys for a few hours. Not sure if I'll maybe just do about 15 miles and then turn round and head back cause I need to leave Glasgow at 4 to head to a stag night. If I am going I will probably meet you at Bishopbriggs at the back of 8. All depends how many beers I have tonight. Bob i'll give you a text later and let you know what I am doing.

Good man

leelovesbikestoo - Member

druidh - do you want to swap numbers to meet up?

YHM

Love to comne, but can't make it this weekend
did it last year - no bother from the ned community.
Was on a Spesh TriCross, which is pretty roadie, and distance from Firhill to the end of the Union Canal (Forth&Clyde continues to Grangemouth from Falkirk) was 54 miles IIRC.
There was gravel and broken glass on one or two sections, so I'd recommend some kind of puncture proofing to save the general harrasment of fixing a flat.
great day out, would recommend it. People on canal boats very nice to chat to as you cruise past them.
Falkirk Tunnel is long, dark and gloomy

boardin-bob and I had a great ride on Saturday - Fountainbridge to Queen Margaret Drive was 62.5 miles (E-W due to easterly winds).

Set off at 9.30, a lunch stop in Linlithgow at 12pm, and got into Glasgow for a pint at Cottiers at around 5pm.

We did ride the infamous Falkirk tunnel, but the lights had been fixed so it wasn't that bad without our own lights.

I want to do this again on 2 or 3 May - if anyone else is interested look out for a post soon.