Glen Finglas

Clockwise circuit, yeah? Also, has anyone ridden the track that runs around Ben Ledi parallel to the Loch Venachar road? Interesting variation ideas welcome but I’m heading up by train so it’s going to be a fair few miles.

Haven’t done it for years but always reckoned anticlockwise was more fun. That way you go up the steep fireroad and down the more meandering section.

I think anticlockwise gives a slightly more interesting descent (but there’s not much in it), just a very fast land rover track.

The track that runs along parallel to the A821 is meant to be good, I’ve not ridden it personnaly.

Another option is to head anti clockwise around the Glen Finglas loop but take the signed walkers path to Balquidder at GR 519140. It’s a wet but interesting bit of track. There are a few ditches so hard to get long flowing sections but worth doing if it’s moderately dry. There are then some more tracks you can pick up around Strathyre. There’s an excellent cafe at the old Kingshouse Hotel (GR 564204).

You can follow the Robroy way back to Callander. There some nice singletrack along the River Leny after the falls if you keep an eye out.

Cheers fellas. Anticlockwise it is then. I’ll see how it goes – might be feeling adventurous enough to head towards Balquhidder and it looks fairly dry up here but I also might scope out Ben Gullipen on the way bac.

Ride it anti-clockwise

I rode it clockwise the final bit of climbing is brutal, nothing is as steep going the other way.
https://www.strava.com/activities/50975204

If you like a good LRT descent, this one’s not far up the road. Rode it yesterday, parked at Comrie croft and went the high level route from the north end of Turret.

33K and 1100M of ascent, Nice ride.

Anti-clockwise, even more fun if you approach from Balqhidder and Glen Buckie 8)

That Turret route also rocks.

Another anti-clockwise vote. Have done it c/w but too steep for me and descent seemed remarkably short! The track along the S of Venachar is a sustrans route and a very scenic ride. You head off to Brig of Turk. A variation on the approach to Finglas is to head on paths around BofT towards the car park nr Lendrick Lodge and a very steep ascent from there accesses a contour track to Finglas.

If you do Glen Buckie do it going North to Balquihidder. It can be excellent fun if a bit of a bog trot to start – esp if wet. I have done from N as Matt suggests but I wouldnt rush to repeat it and it is wet you will curse him all the way 😉 But he rocked on the Lednock ascent I guess there is maybe a bit of masochism going on there 🙂

There are other variations – I suppose the best known is the Rob Roy way over the Menteith Hills. You can also extend from Balquihidder through Kendrum and Dubh, or round and through G Ample – now mostly an estate track and a daunting ascent doing it from the north.

Personally I dont think the ascent of Gullipen has much going for it tho I have looped together some of the tracks through Coilhallan Woods and over to Ruskie and Lennieston for a bit of all weather leg spin.

Train? Does that mean you are planning to bike from Stirling/Dunblane. That will be good few miles approach so longer variations might be stretching it.

Ride from dunblane to Ben Ledi is about 14 miles along the road mostly. Would you not be better heading up to sheriffmuir and over to dumyat?

It was a good ride and I found that the views open up nicely doing it anti-clockwise. There were still patches of snow across the track at the top but it was mostly very dry and the Balquidder path looked like it might have ridden well but I got my feet soaked walking across the meltwater bog to the top of the hill for a summit photo (that I didn’t really get – endless peat hags).
Yeah, I rode out from Dunblane but I don’t mind the miles. I did just over 60 by the end of the day.

Coming back I took the track from above the dam all the way to Callander. It was fantastic. Not techy in any way. It’s just an undulating, twisty, gravel path but it’s high up the hill side and it’s very open, giving uninterrupted views across to Ben Venue, Achray and the Menteith Hills. It makes a good circuit having ridden on the other side of Venachar on the way out.

I didn’t really have time to go up Ben Gullipen and was only going to reccy it as I’m supporting someone on an activity break in a few weeks time and wanted to see how it would suit their capability.

Interesting on the way back – the open cycle map has a minor road from Callander back to Doune indicated as route 765 but it’s not signed and drops you out on the main road by a bend and no pavement to escape onto. Other than that it was pleasant enough.

What was your route there Nobeer? Is Ben Chonzie a goer from Comrie? I’ve walked it years ago but don’t remember much other than the ride along the loch.