CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Questions/Support/Help

Route Advice - Glasgow to West Kilbride

(7 posts)
  • Started 4 years ago by morepathsplease
  • Latest reply from morepathsplease
  • This topic is resolved

  1. morepathsplease
    Member

    Just wondering if anyone here would have a recommendation as to route options or, more importantly perhaps, places to avoid? Streetmaps takes me mostly on NCN7. I used to be able to access Sustrans route pages that included helpful comments from the public indicating any issues such as poor surfaces etc but can't find that now. I'm looking to take the train from Edinburgh to Glasgow - unless there is a better option but no bike bus services going that way such as for the Borders - then cycle down from there. It will be an early Monday morning start as I need to be at West Kilbride for 11am although I may also look at a more relaxed journey over on the Sunday.

    I suppose my main concern overall is to be able to get there without too much stop/start so a poorly signposted route would just bring out the Incredible Hulk in me - I might invest in an attachment so that I can use Google Maps or something similar on the bike. I much prefer quieter routes as well.

    Posted 4 years ago #

  2. Blueth
    Member

    You could train it to Wemyss Bay and cycle from there but the "cycle route" is rather badly signed.

    A Five Ferries club ride a couple of years ago got caught when a sign indicated a right turn down a quiet road which, alas, had long since been closed off to prevent access to the power station. The only obvious alternative route dumped us on the wrong side of a dual carriageway necessitating clambering over the central barrier. Not ideal.

    Posted 4 years ago #

  3. morepathsplease
    Member

    That's a good shout Blueth - might be a nicer route especially if the A78 is quiet.

    Posted 4 years ago #

  4. rbrtwtmn
    Member

    NCN 7 to Kilwinning. NCN 73 to Ardrossan. NCN 753 (basically the footway beside the main road) north from Ardrossan. I'd not do it any other way - even though this isn't very direct. All/any of the back roads to the west of Kilbirnie/Dalry are commuting routes which people 'know like the back of their hand' (which means fine tuning speed around bends to the maximum). I'd not go south from Inverkip. That road's lethal. Just my twopennethworth...
    https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=11/55.7290/-4.6912&layers=C

    Posted 4 years ago #

  5. morepathsplease
    Member

    Thank you for this rbrtwtmn. I can do without lethal roads so an early start it is.

    Posted 4 years ago #

  6. rbrtwtmn
    Member

    Did you do that today? How was it?
    If you haven't done it yet, you might also want to consider another road I just remembered about - which is this one (openstreetmap link). It's a very hilly road though - which is the reason it's so quiet - nice on a sunny day, but will be hard work. I don't know the bit through Dalry to meet this, but it looks like it might join up acceptably.

    Posted 4 years ago #

  7. morepathsplease
    Member

    I made it as far as Glengarnock station where I bailed out and got the train for the final stretch as I knew I would be late otherwise plus I was feeling it in my legs by that point (not been out on the bike much in the last six months).

    I might have gone further had I not got quite lost after coming out of Ross Hall Park (Crookston Road) where I lost the signage somehow. There is a small switch-back there that I hadn't zoomed into on your link rbrt - which I'd mapped out on Strava - whereas I was looking for an exit on the opposite side of the road. I lost quite a bit of time here, looks like I could have gone through the grounds of Leverndale hospital as well.

    The other road you mention would have been fine as I was on an ebike (for work purposes). I was conserving battery to begin with but there was a longish gradual climb before Glengarnock.

    I carried on to Irvine on Tuesday but ended up on road for most of that again missing the signage for NCN 7.

    Low level rain on Monday morning but that didn't detract from what was an otherwise a very pleasant quiet run. Another lovely part of the country.

    Posted 4 years ago #

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