Isle of Arran – MTB, gravel, road, combo?

Hi all, I’m off up to Arran at the end of next month and I’m wondering what the riding’s like and what the best bike(s) to take is.

It’s a family half term holiday but there should be a few opportunities to sneak out for a couple of hours. We’re staying in Brodick.

I guess it’s going to depend on weather conditions (which I will keep tabs on) but I am wondering which bikes would be more suitable to take. I’d prefer MTB if there are some good technical trails which stand up to possibly (probably!) wet weather. If it’s going to be a boggy swamp or there is only limited tech then I will take gravel bike instead.

I’ve done the usual snooping on strava, found the Arran bike club routes, and there seems to be plenty about, in the local woods and hills around Brodick. Just wondering what the received wisdom is on here too, really.

Anyway some specific questions:
1) Does the off road hold up well in the wet?

2) How rocky (i)? : Are there numerous tracks that would warrant me taking my Lakes bike (transition smuggler). (I would expect there would be, it being fairly mountainous.)

3) How rocky (ii)? : Worth putting heavy enduro tyres on? Or just keep my lighter general trail ones on.

4) Night routes: I’m a slightly concerned about is the available light. To work round family stuff I usually either ride late or early. It’ll be GMT so sunrise 7.15ish / sunset 4.45ish. Anyone know how the navigability around there is at night, or recommend a good night route?

5) Is goat fell worth the push up? I walked it years ago but can’t remember what it was like.

6) Gravel: Any good gravel bike tracks?

Thanks for any guidance on the above or other tips!

Leave the Smuggler at home. If you have a lightish hardtail, take that. The gravel bike will also be fine. There are lots of linking fire roads in the south. Proper MTB stuff in the north are probably pretty soft/wet now – there was one written up by Sanny for the mag in June/July. The Grinduro routes are probably best by gravel bike – there are some techie sections, but mostly fire road/smoother trails, with great views given decent weather. The Arran Bike Club are super friendly and do night rides – Tues I think. They generally meet in Pier Head Tavern, Lamlash. Clauchlands ridge is a highlight, along with trails around Brodick Castle/Glen Rosa and around Dye Mill (Lamlash). The coastal singletrack around the NE is good (Cock of Arran 🙂 )

On Strava, search GRINDURO 2018 first half and ……second half.

Nice one thanks, I will check all that out – cheers.

Also have the option of xc hard tail, set up ss at present. In your opinion Would xc hard tail (either with or without gears) beat gravel bike?

Hard tail, geared, would be my weapon of choice for Arran.

There’s a decent loop out of Brodick, climbs up the hill towards Lamlash and up into the coastal hills before dropping you back into Lamlash itself. Did it on the full suss last time, it’d be totally fine (and fun) on a decent hardtail.

I do love Arran, enjoy!

Have been going there for years, agree that light HT probably most flexible, but there’s loads for all types. Some locals post on here, and nobeerinthefridge wants to be a local, and knows some great routes too !

As above you could ride all the trails on a decent hardtail, with the exception of the high mountains. Most of us here either ride gravel bikes, trail type FS or both. There are one or two hills to get up 🙂

Plenty of gravel trails, the Grinduro ones plus others especially in the South of the island. Again other than up in the high stuff, there isn’t much really techy rocky trails, so the Transition could be a bit of overkill. But we do have an ever expanding selection of very entertaining stuff

Mostly all holds up pretty well in the wet.

Generally not that rocky (unless Goatfell )

Awesome for night rides, navigaton is pretty easy but come join us for a ride  Thurs 6.30 usually (and Sun morning), Moves from Whiting Bay to Lamlash to Brodick in succession. Details on calendar on Arran Bike Club website, and day of ride details posted on the club Facebook page. Often ends in a pub.

Nobeerinthefridge can tell you more about the high routes!

Brilliant, thanks everyone, really appreciate all this info.

It’s a family half term holiday but there should be a few opportunities to sneak out for a couple of hours

Kinda rules out going high then really, stick with what’s suggested above. Goatfell lower path is really badly eroded atm, lots of bits that really need commitment, and no walkers, which means super early, or at sunset.

Go with the club at least once, great bunch of guys.

Thanks nobeer, I might be able to swing a longer ride. If I was, where up high is worth looking at? I will check out the recent sanny article also.

Some interesting bits of trail higher up on Arran but its always hard to put together into a coherent loop. For the MTB I prefer a loop around the Clauchland hills or a loop around Brodick Castle taking in the lower Goat fell descent (no pushing required if you go the right way).

If your taking the gravel bike, note that there are some new fireroads appearing on the south of the island due to felling so may be worth having a look at the strava heatmap as maps have not caught up yet.

Some of the better bits of mtb on the island