National Cycle Network Route 7 Glasgow Loch Lomond Dumbarton Balloch Cycle Path Guide
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- čas přidán 29. 08. 2024
- Part of a series covering cycling in the highlands of Scotland - Sustrans National Cycle Network Route 7 Lochs and Glens North (Glasgow - Inverness). Watch for new sections as they get added. They are intended to give you a feel for the route, gradient and surface - as well as showcasing the beautiful scenery.
The Glasgow - Loch Lomond Cycle path has been around since 1988 and is now incorporated into the national cycle network Route 7. So, starting off at Bells Bridge where Route 7 heads south for Carlisle, we cycle alongside the Clyde.
Normally I’d be adding information about heights and gradients but not in this run - it’s pretty much flat and doesn't get far from sea level. So it’s riverside, then cycle path/pavement, some minor roads, more cyclepath, then canal towpath on the Forth and Clyde canal from Clydebank to Bowling, some more railway path into Dumbarton, quietish roads through Dumbarton and then north on the banks of the river Leven to Balloch.
Signage and directions are very good and frequent - although it didn’t stop me from missing a few turns - when I see them on the video - I don’t know what I was doing. There were a couple of sections of the path blocked on this day - they were NOT signposted at all - no diversions set up, so you just have to follow your nose if that happens.
Although the signage is good don't rely too much on the miles - they stick and then jump a couple of miles at a time.
Hazards? Well - this isn’t chocolate box or shortbread box Scotland, it’s urban realism most of the way, so expect some broken glass, shopping trolleys in the canal … though I have to say on this trip there was very little - everything was pretty clean and well maintained - in fact there was less litter than on some of the highland sections . Also watch out for road crossings and generally on the road sections through Glasgow and Dumbarton
Surfaces - pretty good condition all the way.
And unfortunately my memory card ran out at loch Lomond - so this is just a one way video - and honest - I didn’t get the train back.
Cycled 23 April 2016 with a Specialized Tricross with 32c Marathon Plus tyres.
GoPro Hero 4 Silver, 1080 wide, protune, gopro colour -0.5 ev to retain the skies using the Grad Filter effect in
• Grad Filter Effect Tut...
Additional material Lumix TZ30 set at -2/3 ev and DJI Phantom 2 with Gopro
Edited with Sony Movie Studio Platinum 13. No stabilisation (it cuts the field of view). Some CZcams compression artifacts after upload owing to the lack of stabiliastaion.
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When you see this there is no other place you can think of, when you breath this there is no better memory than living there, miss you Glasgow, cheers from Madrid
braverunner22 well said
We really do have a good life in Scotland... Very lucky indeed to be born in such a beautiful country.
I used to do this ride on Sundays from Glasgow x, some years back nice to see it again changed a bit in places , thanks for posting 👍
One of my favorite routes here on the network. Although anything with a canal and good views i'm happy as larry! Looked a great day. Good video as always sir 👍
Thanks Brendan
great stuff,balloch has changed a lot since i was last there,i touched hands with mrs baxter the soup woman at the garden festival in 88 when i was setting up a scottish food stall,nice video
Love all your cycling videos
Very professional
Pity there was not alot more
So I watch them again and again.👍
Thank you so much. I know What you mean about rewatching ... I keep watching the gcn video of the North coast 500. Amazing scenery, it's how I'd like my videos to be. Hoping to get the Inverness one out soon :-)
Great video, thanks for the detail. Looking forward to trying this route out!
Cycled here and back yesterday. Love this route
How long did it take you round trip please?
Im gonna try this route for the first time on Saturday, finally bought a bike after not cycling for years
Beautiful place 💛😍
Enjoyed that mate
I just did it today, not too many bikes. Annoying traffic noise at Dunglass roundabout, other than that, a great ride.
Like yer maw.
Really wanted to d the bowling to Loch Lomond run and this has made me want to do it even more.
Well the Bowling part is now a lot better with the 'bowline' flyover that skips the road crossing.
I hate the annoying start of the route so I now cycle from the Clyde through Kelvingrove park to the Maryhill part of the canal then to Balloch. Love the view of Ben Lomond from the River Leven up.
Riding from Moffat to Milton and then onto Fort William the following day with a friend in August. Part of the ride follows this route, looking forward to it, just hope is stays fine weather wise.
I did this route today but missed the sign at 06.09 and continued along the main road along to Scotstoun,Yoker and Clydebank via Dumbarton Road :( I did well navigating past Yorkhill and Partick but ballsed it up! Still, once on the cycle path at the Clydebank shopping centre, I was flying and carried on past Bowling Harbour on to Dumbarton. I did get the train back home, though...
It's 24 miles from the East End of Glasgow to Dumbarton!!! That's the longest bike ride I've ever done! I don't feel too f***d either. Next time it'll be cycle paths all the way - awesome, I'm getting fitter!!!
2 weeks I'm doing that cycle all the way to Glencoe , really looking forward to it tbh.
13:20 I made this exact mistake today doing the same route. Totally ruined my shoes and had to spend an hour cleaning my bike as it was muddy up to my ankles! As if riding fixed gear without mudguards isn’t difficult enough at the best of times! Lovely video though :)
I always find the Dalmuir - Bowling section a pain. It's like cycling through sand, the tarmac is very loose and bumpy
That's interesting. When I did the run in April that section was good ... smooth compacted fine grit and no bad tarmac.
Sartorial Pictures Same for me. I flew along it and I hadn't been on it since 2012.
liked and subbed 👍
At 8:35 you could see Howcraigs Court all the way down that road
good !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great videos! We're looking to go LEJOG next summer but we want to go the scenic (and more leisurely) route, including at least 2 weeks in Scotland to take advantage of the highlands, lochs and wild camping :) Any routes/nice spots you'd recommend as a local? I'm from the South West and have been to Scotland a few times but only to Dumfries park, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Looking forward to exploring the countryside and 'hills' ;)
Thanks - Ah ha - I had to google lejog - thought it was french running :-) Well I'm a bit biased towards route 7 right now just because it's fresh in my mind (just finished BTW) but I'm a strictly day rider too - so not so hot on the wild camping. I'm thinking next route will be 78 - Caledonia Way - which would take you a little out of your way perhaps at the southern end (Campbeltown) - but the area around KiImartin Glen and the Crinan canal is very very nice and farther south on that route is some great coastal scenery. More north 78 would set you up for going up the Great Glen past Loch Ness. You dont want to miss out on the Trossachs though - so that's the Drymen to Callander section of 7 with the Loch Venachar lochside run... so much choice - you could squeeze in a ferry or two as well.
Always use your bell please.
8:22 should have been on the right hand pavement and followed under the underpass
Yeah, I go that way a lot now and back up the canal to Maryhill. I keep thinking it's so obvious and don't know how I missed it for the video. I think I should have done dry run first 😎
hi ...planning on cycling this route this july with my g/f.. though not sure which way would suit .. Glasgow-inverness or in reverse, trying to split it into poss 3-4 days but depends on poss accommodation will be riding e-bikes haibikes sduro trekking so they should handle any loose stuff .... any thoughts on north or south direction
larry brown I'd say South to North would be best as that direction will *usually* fit better with the prevailing winds and weather. Heading south west along the loch tay stretch with a storm coming up Glen Dochart off the Atlantic would be horrible.
thanks noted :-)
larry brown no probs. Good luck with the weather. Working on the final stage edit just now carrbridge to Inverness. Btw.... another reason for starting at the Glasgow end ...its more a more gentle start. Starting at inverness immediately puts you into some steep climbs reaching 400m in the first 20 miles.
I'm going to cycling to Hawick to GLASGOW
What kind of bike did you use ?
It was a specialized tricross, so a bit like a modern gravel bike, 32mm tyres, but I run it with 40mm tyres now.
GLASGOW
Do you think it would be possible to cycle to their from greenock
mrzombie170 you would need to take 75 all the way into Glasgow to the start roughly doubling the distance. You could get the train back though :-).
Sartorial Pictures yip have I had a look a Route 75 it goes through a wee bad bit of greenock but I'll just go fast there but most of that up hill aye a could get the train back good plan cheers. Are you going to do any more route videos?
mrzombie170 yes planning lots more ... but have been sitting on the edit of the carrbridge/Inverness stage for 2 years now. Need to get it done. By coincidence was at Edinburgh fringe launch of the sustrans go wild photo comp today... i have 2 photos on display of which one is from that final stage of 7 and another from route 78. I'll be including footage from that launch in the edit ....
loch lomond : a j cronin, the famous book : "the green years".......mich, western France...........do you know Cronin ?????????????????
Do you have the track?
dangerous town : drugs...........;