[Closed] Glasgow riding-some facts.

rickygreen, you're from Edinburgh, aren't you?

I want my money back. The OP promised THE FACTS, and all I can see are poorly punctuated anecdotes. I did my PG Dip in Glasgow years back, and while you had to be fairly streetwise back then, I never felt particularly threatened there. Which is saying something for someone with a Home Counties accent.

If the OP has witnessed bike thefts, muggings etc, I'm sure he can point us to the relevant statistics.

For example: [url= http://www.strathclyde.police.uk/about_us/statistics/crime_statistics/ ]Strathclyde Police crime stats[/url]

I picked all the fun ones, and compared the last three years. With a few exceptions (Naughty Neds in Calston, it would appear) reported crimes are fairly static or moving downwards.

I'm making some tea. Anyone have biscuits?

YouTube + "facts" = bearing re-seller and conspiracy theory fan.

Brycey love the pic of the two guys going off that wee lip. Lived in cathkin for 4 years now, never any problems with neds, the gay guys usually stay well out of my way and the dog walkers are ok. With freeflow up the road having an interest the the new trails things will get better as it becomes more populated.

I've lived here in Glasgow for 20 years now. I ride in Pollock Park regularly in the evenings after work (as it's close to my flat) and have never had any bother. The same goes for Mugdock and Carron Valley.

Hurricanes? Do you mean when it was a wee bit windy? Pretty normal for the west coast of Scotland in winter IME.

OP way to go reinforcing negative stereotypes.

another Glasgow rider here. Suspicious troll methinks, first posting from OP

iainc were you at the FC meeting a few weeks back??

hainman...any more details on the trail building proposals? (at the risk of highjacking the thread!)

hainman - no, wasn't there, think some of the club committe were though (GMBC) ?

I've been featured on You-Tube falling drunk into an open dishwasher in a chalet in Morzine.

Link please?

Another weekly Cathkin braes and pollock park rider here and never had any issues in many years riding both, on day and night rides.

OP talking shite, no idea what his angle is.

[i]Hurricanes? Do you mean when it was a wee bit windy? Pretty normal for the west coast of Scotland in winter IME.[/i]

To be fair there were a couple of days it was a tad windier than usual, however the OlP fleas come across as something of a frame queen. At 50 years old you should know better.

At 50 years old you should know better.

Wrong way round.

05 years old.

hainman...any more details on the trail building proposals? (at the risk of highjacking the thread!)

I kinda understand what he's trying to say.... The article in question paints a slightly rosier picture of Glasgow than is the reality for MTBers but thats not to say Glasgow is in any way bad.

I'm originally from Edinburgh and for the last 8 years have lived in Paisley.

Most of my riding just now is at Mugdock which I do once or twice a week with a large group, Gleniffer Braes now and again and the odd blast round Pollock Park as well as trips to Trail centres whenever I get the chance. I can get to most of the 7 Stanes within a 2 hour drive and have some prettty tasty local trails so all in all compared to most places in this country Glasgow is pretty good for MTBers - of course it would be fantastic having some untouched trails within spitting distance of my house but hey-ho thats just how it is.

When cycling in and around Glasgow not once have I had any bother - never seen any "real" neds in Mugdock or Pollock Park and any neds I've encountered up at Gleniffer have been fine - who knows... maybe the fact that I'm 15 stone, unshaven and usually covered head to toe in mud stops them from bothering me. I usually say hello in fairness and ask if they've any spare bucky 😀

I was brought up in a pretty tough part of Edinburgh and learned very early on not to show any fear and speak to people with a confidence that will unsettle them and get them on your side.

[b]BUT[/b] - Cathkin Braes is on the doorstep of a pretty tough part of town and unless there is some form of security during the honeymoon period i can see there being some issues - doggers, gays etc. will just go somewhere else once there are a lot of big smelly MTBers spoiling their fun and as for the neds..... well I would like to think that through time they will learn that most MTBers are pretty strong, fit and more importantly FAST.

Will be interesting to see what comes of Cathkin once the dust settles - seems like theres a fairly active community and if the community gets fully behind it and the centre at St Martins goes as planned then it could be "pure dead brilliant" 😉

Just look at how much money MTBers spend in the communities surrounding the 7stanes sites!

To andynaismith,huge thanks for interpreting what I was trying to put across.It seems some people dont want to here the truth or did I just state the obvious?You would think that Glasgow and the outskirts were a mini Whistler the way some have ranted on ffs.I genuinely hope Cathkin takes off and blossoms and the site doesnt end up going the same way as the Garden festival did when it closed in 1988 ie a yuppie housing site.Maybe Ive just witnessed too much crime and shit having lived in Glasgows schemes and thats why I`m so negative.

*hear* ...obviously no interest in listening to what folk are saying, which is theres great riding outwith the city centre...im out 🙄

I've cycled in and around the north side of Glasgow for years. Attacks on cyclists are pretty rare but they do happen. I've had to take evasive action twice to avoid drunken neds coming onto Maryhill Rd to assault me. I'm talking about late night commuting around midnight though. I also had to burst through a group of teenagers who tried to stop me on the Canal bank one evening.

I remember a nurse got pushed off her bike in Cadder Rd a few years ago and broke her arm. Another cyclist was robbed of his bike on the canal bank at Milton. Again late at night. In the parks during the day it's probably pretty safe. On my own I would still keep my wits about me though. Like it or not there are some violent people about in many areas of Glasgow.

http://www.strathclyde.police.uk/whats_happening/news/2012/october/robbery-maryhill/

[i]To andynaismith,huge thanks for interpreting what I was trying to put across.It seems some people dont want to here the truth or did I just state the obvious[/i]

But you're not stating the obvious at all nor are you telling the truth. I was also brought up on a Glasgow housing scheme so that shit doesn't wash with me.

[i]Like it or not there are some violent people about in many areas of Glasgow.[/i]

As you find in any large town and city.

Phew,great start for my first post,most of you lot seem a right touchy bunch eh? There I was trying to pass on some info based on shared experiences with mates and fellow Glaswegians...tut tut.Whatever happened to our great Glasgow banter? Even Midsommer on TV had a cyclist killed. Lighten up guys.x

Ricky lots of us from Glasgow and area on here and to use the banter you like ' what a load of pish' 😀 Sure there are some bad area in the city itself, as in every big town, but less than 20 mins drive in virtually every direction there is loads of riding, whether the natural and lots of hidden stuff at Mugdock, the decidedly dodgy Cathkin, and the in between Glennifer Braes. Lots of variety for different weather, abilities etc.

The think I find most odd here is that you come on with a weird first post, making a confused point about not very much, and then get a bit tetchy about it. Why not come along on a Tue or Wed GMBC ride at Mugdock, enjoy some nice trails and a good cuppa and some banter afterwards ? always welcome to newcomers 😆

Been reading this thread with interest as I am moving to Glasgow in the new year - not sure whether to be excited by the riding or scared witless 😉

As ianic says

Why not come along on a Tue or Wed GMBC ride at Mugdock, enjoy some nice trails and a good cuppa and some banter afterwards ? always welcome to newcomers

cakerider- great riding, but I think the OP has an axe to grid for whatever reason 😐

anyway, come along and see for yourself [url= http://www.gmbc.org.uk/ ]here with GMBC[/url]

😆

Or even try http://www.meetup.com/Mountainbikeglasgow/ 😉

As you find in any large town and city.

But just more so in Glasgow. The murder rate in Glasgow is one of the highest in western Europe and twice as that of London.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/shocking-rise-in-scottish-knife-crime.15457796

I live in paisley and ride glennifer alot . most of the time the neds are just having a beer and fishing , not a massive problem .

Thought we were talking about riding potential around glasgow area ...silly me 🙄

I ride up in cathkin braes at least two times a week never had any bother apart from dodgin the odd gay boy!!
Biggest worry for the braes is the gmbc takin over when the mtb course is finished.. 😆

course is looking cracking btw.
make sure you keep a stanley knife in your camelback just incase!

iainc & doubledunter - cheers both

planning a new years eve jaunt around mugdock on new years eve whilst i am up and then a bit more exploring and hooking up with folks when the move is done at the start of feb!

looking forward to it 😀

Biggest worry for the braes is the gmbc takin over when the mtb course is finished..

Phew,great start for my first post,most of you lot seem a right touchy bunch eh? There I was trying to pass on some info based on shared experiences with mates and fellow Glaswegians...tut tut.Whatever happened to our great Glasgow banter? Even Midsommer on TV had a cyclist killed. Lighten up guys.x

Nah, most people on here just don't take other people's view as "the facts" and many on here have lived in the areas you describle for a long time and don't have the problems you seem to see. So your first post appears to be at the least over-reacted opinion, at worst utter tripe?

IRC Indeed Glasgow has a high murder rate, but dig a little further into that and check out who the normal targets and perps are and you'll see that the mountainbikers in parks are not exactly prime targets 🙂

end up going the same way as the Garden festival did when it closed in 1988 ie a yuppie housing site

lol

I've heard Govan described as many things but never a "yuppie housing site"

Good yin!

whats cottaging? ❓

whats cottaging

Dickie fun 😉

whats cottaging?

Google it 😉

Just thought I'd mention that the 3 chaps in the MBR article referred to by the OP are friends of mine, and fine fellas indeed.

And also that I'd have been in it too, were it not for work commitments that day.

They enjoyed themselves, but there was a lot of riding over the same lines while the photog waited for sunlight.

Just thought I'd mention it.

Y'know.

[i]They enjoyed themselves, but there was a lot of riding over the same lines while the photog waited for sunlight.[/i]
How many months did they wait 🙂

I still miss the riding in Mugdock with GMBC, even though I've not ridden north of the Peak District for 12 years! I was lucky to live 2 miles away so used to know it very well.
Never had any real trouble, but I have to say, riding along a canal around midnight in a city isn't the smartest thing to be doing. Keep your wits about you and you won't get much grief.

I really must come out a wee ride with GMTB'ers to see Mugdock- did one trail maintenance day there with you and it looked like there were some nice bits..
Meetup too- I'm not choosy!

Any time I've been up the braes it's been fairly safe. You'll get some hanging about but generally fairly harmless. Have yer wits about ye during peak bevvy times though, there is potential for getting done in round about that time but still fairly unlikely, you'll hear them before you see them.

I grew up in spittal so know all about the castlemilk teams, any violence is usually between young teams, people getting attacked if they are an unknown face in an area at the wrong time(bevvy time), or generally about unpaid tick bills.

In mugdock, the only wee guys I see are at the bombhole as you are entering the park, generally they just egg ye on to go down it and are fairly impressed when ye make it. But come on it's the milngavie young team we're talking about here!

Mugdock and Pollock park are fine, if you like the smell of freshly cut grass, poofs point is the place 😀

IRC Indeed Glasgow has a high murder rate, but dig a little further into that and check out who the normal targets and perps are and you'll see that the mountainbikers in parks are not exactly prime targets

This. I live in Maryhill, not exactly one of the best areas, but I still feel perfectly safe. The violence is almost all gang stuff, either wee kids, or older drug gangs. It almost never involves innocent bystanders.

For example, last year there was a bloke murdered about 100 yards from where I'm sitting now. It started as a fight between two young lads, who then phoned their dads, who both came tooled up with Samurai swords...

Summerston Ben?

Yup - well between Summerston and Acre.

Whilst MTBing along the kelvin past acre one day I bumped into a Ned carrying a sawn off shotgun, I could shot you he said, go ahead said I, life is shite anyway, this impressed him somewhat and he didnt shot me, result.
Glasgows fine unless yer a wide boy...