Clyde river rides

Part of our Clyde cycle exploration trip. Route uses mostly dedicated cycle paths, quiet roads, and short sections of single track/walking track. There were three three short sections of busier road A814 between Cardross and Dumbarton (3 km), B815 into Bishopton (2 km), A 78 through Wemyss Bay (though we could have skipped most of this if we had not been too cold and wet to stop and look at the map!

Day 2 of our cycle exploration of the Clyde. Quiet roads, lots to see.

Day 3 of exploring the Clyde

Day 4 exploring the Clyde, this route uses forestry road and a single track to connect up Ardentinny with Lochgoilhead without going all the way to Strachur and Loch Fyne on busy roads. Its clearly a "thing" we met others doing the same in the opposite direction as well as plenty on Strava. From Dunoon we took a diversion to Pucks Glen for a walk before riding along the road to Ardentinny. There's qutie a bit of traffic on the A815 so this short section was not all that pleasant. However the A880 gets increasingly quiet past Strone and it was a lovely easy ride to Ardentinny. There we took a steep forestry road up the hill, down to shore level again then back up. We missed the turnoff to the single track section and climber further than necessary but were rewarded by a great view. On loaded touring bikes, we took the single track carefully with a bit of pushing on steep sections and hrough fallen trees. However, its a fun little ride and a great link to Lochgoilhead.

Exploring the Clyde day 5. We took the Dukes pas MTB track from Lochgoilhead - pretty wild and steep for touring bikes but we had fun! The A83 section from Ardgarten into Arrochar is very busy with traffic and we took the shared footpath. The A814 from Arrochar along Loch Long is narrow and windy but has very little traffic, a very pleasant ride. Heading down the hill into Garelochhead was a mistake in hindsight. We hoped to find a cafe there and didn't. The road from Garlochhead past Faslane has a cycle path marked on the map but its a crappy shared path with poor surface. THis section was pretty ugly with views of high wire fences, security cameras and warnings against flying drones. The A814 between Helensburgh and Cardross is not nice to ride with lots of traffic. Its a great pity the cycle path just ends!

Day 6 of exploring the Clyde, We took the shore road around the Rosneath peninsula through Kilcreggan and Cove, then headed up the hill to Barbour road (great views). Headed up the hill on Peaton Rd before joining the Coulport Rd. The latter is a fast wide road but not much traffic. We turned off the Glen Fruin Haul road onto GLen Fruin Rd, single track with almost no traffic. Using the John Muir Way to get back to Cardross was a great alternative to the Cardross/Helensburgh Rd although it was hike a bike for a few 100 m of single trakc through the forest.

Part of Exploring the Clyde trip, visiting John Browns shipyards, Riverside museum, Peoples palace and Kelvin Hall

We planned this route from afar (Australia) back in 2020, then due to COVID didn't have the opportunity to ride until May 2022. The original route took Lanark Rd from Larkhall, all the way to Lanark; I had ridden this way back in 1982. During the time between planning and our riding, several people have marked the route as favourite. I hope they won't mind that we have now edited it after bailing from the busy Lanark Rd at Mauldslie Bridge, choosing to to ride the Clyde Walkway instead. Not all this is rideable, there are some steep sections and sets of steps. However it was much less stressful than the road and absoutely beautiful. The whole ride is very pleasant and interesting, visiting Bothwell castle, David Livingston Centre, Chatelherault Country Park, and New Lanark (if you get there before it closes).

Final stage of the Clyde cycle tour takes the clyde walkway past the falls of Clyde, crosses a wweir above Bonnington Lin. We left the Clyde for a while choosing to go up Doouglas water (a tributary of the clyde) to the NCN74 rather than brave the A73 or the A702. The route regains the Clyde just before Abington. We left the NCN74 at the turnoff for Elvanfoot and followed the (very quiet) A702 up to Watermeetings, walking across the field to step into the river at the official (mapped) start of the Clyde. We then backtracked and headed up to Leadhills (from where the Clyde flows according to the song. We had a look around the historical walk at Wanlockhead before descending to Sanquhar to catch a train.