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
https://youtu.be/5W3QNmbGs98
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 Youtube compression artifacts after upload owing to the lack of stabiliastaion.
Royalty-free music by
Underwaterbeats
Riot (courtesy of You Tube Music Library)
Tom Kent
Notembug