Cycling Weekly set out on the hunt for the best gravel riding we could find and found ourselves in Aberfoyle, just north of Glasgow and we weren't disappointed. With lochs, mountain views and mile after mile of traffic free gravel roads, they thought they found heaven!
In association with Komoot.
In association with Komoot.
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00:00It's safe to say that the last year and a half has been, well, empty of
00:29much in the way of exploration.
00:32Riding has been local, and if you're like me, mostly the same roads and trails over and
00:37over and over and over and over again.
00:39So when Camus asked myself and Catherine Moore if we'd like to ride one of the UK's ultimate
00:43gravel riding destinations, naturally we leapt at the chance.
00:48Bags and bikes packed, we headed a long way north to Aberfoyle, otherwise known as Gravel
00:54Foil.
00:55Now all we needed was a guide, so we met it was Kerry McPhee, a local shredder was an
00:59encyclopedic knowledge of the gravel roads and the trails on offer.
01:04So Gravel Foil has 200km of gravel trails and Aberfoyle is right in the centre of it, so
01:11you can loop the north side and you can loop the south side, you can bale halfway, you can
01:16eat your lunch and go down the south side and there's loads of different types of gravel
01:22as well.
01:23You've got fast gravel, you've got single track, you've got tech, so this is an ideal
01:28place for anyone to come and try and you can do a massive loop like we're going to do or
01:32you can do a tiny little one.
01:33So you're spoilt for options and spoilt for terrain.
01:36Feeling a little apprehensive to be honest, like I'm really excited about this route,
01:41it looks absolutely incredible what you've put together for us, but it is going to be
01:45a big day and a ride of two halves by the looks of it.
01:48Like the Three Locks Drive and that area that I think we're going to do first looks stunning,
01:53we've seen a little bit about what's in store there, but very accessible from Aberfoyle,
01:57whereas the second half looks properly wild and a bit of the West Highland Way, like really
02:03a bit more remote, so I think that will be really stunning.
02:06It's pretty tough, but it's a good loop.
02:08Pretty tough for you or pretty tough for them?
02:11Pretty tough for them, because they don't know what's coming.
02:16Our route has something of a rude awakening, climbing for the first 5km out of Aberfoyle
02:22before winding through the beautiful Trossachs Forest Roads up to Loch Vinnaker.
02:27We'll ride the southern shore before striking across to Loch Acre, before heading south and
02:31back towards Aberfoyle, but not before taking in the sights of Loch Drunkey.
02:35But our ride doesn't end there, instead we head out the other side of Aberfoyle and into
02:41the true wilderness of the Trossachs, winding a path between Ben Lomond and Bendu, it's
02:46here where our ride is at its most isolated.
02:49A steep hairpin descent takes us down to the iconic West Highland Way on the shores of
02:54Loch Lomond and a chance for a break at the Inversnade Hotel.
02:58A short steep climb takes us up to Loch Arklut, before a long ride in a much needed gradual
03:03descent along the banks of Loch On back to Aberfoyle.
03:07You can of course find all the route details on Cycling Weekly's Komoot account and at the
03:11link in the description.
03:12We're off!
03:13We're off!
03:14Where are we Kerry?
03:15We have just hit the Jigs Pass, so if you were doing the Jigs weekend and event this would
03:19be the start line of the hill climb.
03:21It is a hill!
03:22We've started on a hill!
03:23So it won't be long before we pick a ride onto the gravel.
03:29So this looks like this is kind of some of the only tarmac, I don't touch much tarmac on
03:36this ride.
03:37Not much!
03:38I think this is maybe 300-400 metres to tarmac and then let's go gravel after that.
03:42Music to my ears!
03:44Music to my ears!
03:53We are here!
04:04Chikes!
04:13Look at this!
04:30Very cloudy, very atmospheric, although I think it's going to burn off, I think we might
04:35get better weather this afternoon, which is nice, but these gravel roads are so cool,
04:40I just don't have anything like this where I ride at home, none of these like wide open
04:48rides that are just no traffic, you can ride like free abreast, so I carry myself and Catherine
04:56able just to ride along and chat, it's such a refreshing way to ride.
05:10You know when you make crashes, and for a split second, you really want to laugh but you
05:15shouldn't look at it.
05:17You know when you make crashes, and for a split second, you really want to laugh but you shouldn't
05:32laugh because you need to make sure that they're okay first.
05:42Once that was all clear, it was just so funny, it was just like a real slow-mo tumble.
05:48Very embarrassing.
05:49It's just funny when somebody crashes.
05:51Fifteen kilometres into our ride, after climbing out of Aberfoyle and stretching out along rocky
06:08tracks and winding our way along the southern shores of Loch Venneker, we reach Acre Farm,
06:13because Kerry had told us a lot about the delicious ice cream, which I can confirm was really delicious.
06:29I think the elderflower one that I had, had been foraged from the village like two days
06:34ago which is super cool, and there's loads of animals here which I'm really excited about.
06:39But back to the root, yeah fab so far.
06:42If I said gravel foil, what does that mean to you?
06:46Gravel foil is Aberfoyle.
06:49It's the mecca for gravel in the UK at the moment, I think.
06:54Have you seen an increase in cyclists?
06:57Yeah, very much so.
06:59I mean, lockdown was amazing here.
07:01The number of people who came out of their homes and could enjoy the roads and the tracks
07:07for maybe the first time in a long time.
07:10The number of casual, recreational and semi-pro racers kind of whizzing around the woods here
07:15is phenomenal these days.
07:17When we came to the farm, we knew there was the Great Trussox Path running through it
07:21and the three locks twice drive adjacent.
07:23So setting up a business that would cater to sustainable travel, people out,
07:28recreational, cycling and walking was key to our business.
07:31And people do.
07:32People stop.
07:33People in cars don't stop.
07:34Everyone on a bike or walking around the lock.
07:39Sees the benefits.
07:40Sees the slower pace and can stop and enjoy it.
07:44That's what we're here for, to give them that experience.
07:47How does it...
08:56How many kilometres of trails do you think you've worked out on Khmut?
09:01Oh, hunters. That's a good Scottish word.
09:03Hunners. Hunners.
09:06Hundreds of trails on Khmut.
09:07Hundreds of trails.
09:09I have got a Khmut collection of my gravel foil routes,
09:11and it goes as far as lots of parts of the West Highland Way,
09:15and then there's South Gravel Foil, North Gravel Foil.
09:17It's massive.
09:18And there's stuff that I haven't done yet.
09:19It definitely goes without saying that you should check out Khmut collections
09:24and all the things we'll post on the Cycling Weekly Khmut profile
09:27if you want to dig out some great routes,
09:29because, Khmut, you know them all.
09:31Yeah, I was greedy when I was trying to plot something out for you guys.
09:35We're going in on epic today,
09:36because I just want you to see it all and feel it all.
09:39Yeah.
09:39Awesome.
09:40Well, let's crack on, because we have a long way to go.
09:58This is a classic gravel foil section of trail.
10:02We've just done the switchbacks up to the aqueduct.
10:04So where does this aqueduct go?
10:06So I think this aqueduct comes from Glen Fingless Reservoir,
10:11which used to be a little settlement,
10:13and they flooded it so that they could provide water to Glasgow
10:16during, I think there was a cholera outbreak or something,
10:19and they needed some fresh water pumped into the city,
10:23and they came to Abraffal because it's so lovely.
10:25Of course.
10:26So we've just gone beneath the aqueduct,
10:29which whenever you reference gravel foil,
10:31you always see a picture of that.
10:36We're going to be right there.
10:46We'll see you then.
10:47We'll see you then.
10:50We'll see you then.
10:54We're going to go ahead and see you then.
10:56So Koma was incredible, you come round to the top of this amazing balcony gravel road
11:12round the corner and it just opens up to these spectacular views of Loch Lomond and all the
11:17pleasure boats going up and down and it was pretty steep as well.
11:39Following 15km of climbing out of Aberfoyle was close to 300m of elevation, we reached
11:45the summit of the Koma Climb which is followed by a formidable descent down to the shores
11:50of Loch Lomond.
11:51It's wicked isn't it, what a day we've got, you see it all the time.
12:00So what's up next Kerry, we've got some descent, the Komoot profile is showing a pretty steep
12:05downhill.
12:06Yeah so we've kind of climbed like that and now we're going to go like that.
12:10Well we're going down to water level aren't we basically.
12:13We're dropping quite a lot actually.
12:15So it's a big descent.
12:16Yeah.
12:17Like a thousand feet or something.
12:18Yeah.
12:19A thousand feet.
12:20Boiling day.
12:21And there's Loch Lomond and you're like trying to take in the view but you can't because
12:24you've got to hold on to your brakes.
12:26Absolutely amazing.
12:27I think anyone could do the Komoot route definitely and the Komoot descent, although it's gnarly,
12:33it does have switchbacks.
12:34So you can do one little section and then stop and rest and then do the next section and
12:40stop and rest.
12:41I wouldn't recommend it in reverse though because it is a stinker of a climb the other way.
12:46And if you stop and rest it means you get to also appreciate the views of Loch Lomond as
12:53you descend.
12:54So yeah I'd say it's probably an epic sort of loop but it has a bit of everything.
12:58So yeah I'd say it's a bit of everything.
13:11Thank you so much like that.
13:12Whooo!
13:13You can do this for a greaterosene.
13:14Music
13:42Lily! Tell me about that descent Katherine. That was tricky. I had to walk a couple of meters there.
13:49So steep wasn't it? It was like rocky, bouldery, sort of washed out background.
13:57Like if you don't pick your line you're just in so much trouble. Yeah.
14:01And then Kerry went, yeah it's uh it's pretty gnarly with just one break.
14:07Kerry's front brake doesn't work. Although just three kilometers in lengths,
14:12the stretch along the banks of Bonny Loch Lomond features some of the most
14:16unforgiving terrain we've encountered. With stream crossings and rocky scrambles,
14:20this was true hike-a-bike territory.
14:37We were just walking along and from behind us both we just heard this massive crunch.
14:44And we looked round and Rupert had had quite an accident. So we're just currently trying to work
14:50out what we're going to do next because Rupert does no longer have a rear mech.
14:55Oh that's not ideal. So it's not the hanger that snaps?
14:58Um it is the hanger is yeah the hanger is blown well.
15:03You're lucky we're on the hike-a-bike. Yeah totally.
15:21The West Island Way is quite hike-a-bike anyway but he literally had to hike the bike the whole way
15:27along um so yeah for Rupert. It was funny but now that I realize we're kind of quite far away from
15:36Amber Foyle I'm a little bit filled with a bit more pity for him.
15:46It's only been about half an hour we've been waiting.
15:48So I bent my rear mech in the crash and then I snapped it off on the West Highland Way
15:58and now I need to find a solution so I can do the rest of the ride.
16:03And I think that solution is going to be stealing uh drone pilot Ruben's bike.
16:09Um so sorry Ruben but I'm commandeering your mountain bike.
16:23After a steep 10% climb out of Inversnaid we wound our way along the gorgeous shores of
16:28Loch Arklot and then down to Loch Arn before a welcome gradual descent into Aberfoyle.
16:34The gravel roads here are what dreams are made of.
16:36Wide open and super fast we couldn't stop grinning the whole way home.
17:01So I'm on Ruben's mountain bike and uh it's great.
17:05So comfortable compared to the gravel bike but it's a little bit slow.
17:12And I have now been dropped by Catherine and Kerry.
17:16That puff of dust going up over the crest of the hill is Catherine and Kerry.
17:21So it's a tough ride.
17:36With 85km ticked off we rolled into Aberfoyle caked in dust and baked by the sun.
17:50As promised the ride had really featured a little bit of everything.
17:54From wide open remote mountain vistas, epic hiker biking and fast gravel roads,
17:59we'd been blown away by the riding on offer and the community that it had fostered.
18:15It's definitely a whole day route that isn't it?
18:27Full on but so worth it.
18:29So worth it.
18:29I did worry that was a bit greedy with wanting to show you everything but I think it was worth it.
18:33We asked you for the most epic ride you could put together in Aberfoyle and you did it.
18:39I think it's safe to say.
18:40We had it all honestly.
18:41I completed the brief and we made it back even if we were one bike down.
18:46Yeah we were one bike down but thanks to drone pilot Ruben's generosity he walked home.
18:53Well three of us have made it back.
18:55Goes without saying that if you want to see the route that we've ridden today it will be
18:59in the description of the video below and for everything else Aberfoyle gravel riding
19:04check out Kerry's collections because she's done so much work putting it all together.
19:08Putting Aberfoyle on the map.
19:10Yeah the true queen of Aberfoyle.
19:12Always happy to share my knowledge.
19:14There's so much good stuff on there definitely to earth taking the time before you come up
19:18to have a look and find some absolute belters of rides and trails.
19:22If you have enjoyed this video then please do give us a thumbs up and subscribe to cycling
19:26weekly youtube channel and leave us a comment in the comment section below telling us what you loved
19:31and whether you'd come and ride in the amazing place that is Aberfoyle.
19:35Now we'll be back soon with some more great adventure content and we'll see you then.