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!
03:44I don't want to go very easily back too far.
04:03Look at this, very cloudy, very atmospheric.
04:32Although I think it's going to burn off, I think we might get better weather this afternoon.
04:37Which is nice, but these gravel roads are so cool.
04:41I just don't have anything like this where I ride at home.
04:45None of these like wide open rides that are just no traffic.
04:52You can ride like free abreast.
04:55I carry myself and Catherine able just to ride along and chat.
04:59It's such a refreshing way to ride.
05:02Rupert had a comedy crash.
05:27You know when you make crashes and for a split second you really want to laugh but you shouldn't laugh because you need to make sure that they're okay first.
05:42Once that was all clear it was just so funny.
05:45It was just like a real slow-mo tumble.
05:48Very embarrassing.
05:49It's just funny when somebody crashes.
06:03Fifteen kilometres into our ride, after climbing out of Aberfoyle and stretching out along rocky tracks and winding our way along the southern shores of Loch Venneker, we reach Acre Farm.
06:13The perfect place for an ice cream break.
06:16I was glad to reach Acre Farm because Kerry told us a lot about the delicious ice cream, which I can confirm was really delicious.
06:30I think the elderflower one I had had been foraged from the village like two days ago, which is super cool.
06:36And there's loads of animals here, which I'm really excited about.
06:39But back to the route.
06:40Yeah, fab so far.
06:43If I said gravel foil, what does that mean to you?
06:47Gravel 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 for maybe the first time in a long time.
07:10And the number of casual, recreational and semi-pro racers kind of whizzing around the woods here is phenomenal these days.
07:18When we came to the farm, we knew there was the Great Trussox Path running through it and the Felix Krois Drive adjacent.
07:24So setting up a business that would cater to sustainable travel, people out, recreational, cycling and walking was key to our business.
07:32And people do.
07:33People stop.
07:34People in cars don't stop.
07:35Everyone on a bike or walking around the loch sees the benefits, sees the slower pace and can stop and enjoy it.
07:45That's what we're here for, to give them that experience.
07:48Exactly.
07:49professional love music.
07:50I'm here for you to find a space for the spouse.
07:51Bye-bye.
07:56Callan Tre
08:46Kerry McPhee, you've done a lot of plotting on Khmut, haven't you?
08:52Yeah, I love using Khmut for my plots.
08:54How many kilometres of trails do you think you've worked out on Khmut?
09:00Oh, Hunners, that's a good Scottish word. Hunners! Hunners! Hunners! Hundreds of trails on Khmut.
09:07Hundreds of trails. I have got a Khmut collection of my gravel-foil routes and it goes as far
09:12as lots of parts of the West Helen Way and then there's South gravel-foil, North gravel-foil,
09:17it's massive! And there's stuff that I haven't done yet.
09:19Definitely goes without saying that you should check out Kerry's Khmut collections and all
09:24the things we'll post on the Cycling Weekly Khmut profile if you want to dig out some great
09:29routes because Kerry, you know them all.
09:31Yeah, I was greedy when I was trying to plot something out for you guys. We're going
09:35in on epic today because I just want you to see it all and feel it all.
09:39Awesome. Well, let's crack on because we have a long way to go.
09:43This is a classic gravel-foil section of trail. We'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, which used to be a little settlement
10:12and they flooded it so that they could provide water to Glasgow during, I think there was a cholera outbreak or something.
10:19And they needed some fresh water pumped into the city and they came to Abraffal because it's so lovely.
10:24Of course.
10:25So we've just gone beneath the aqueduct, which whenever you reference gravel-foil you always see a picture of that.
10:32Yeah.
10:33And I don't know if you can see a picture of that.
10:35Yes.
10:36Yes.
10:37Yes.
10:38Yes.
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10:55Yes.
10:56Yes.
10:57Yes.
10:58So 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 the
11:45summit of the Koma Climb which is followed by a formidable descent down to the shores of
11:50Loch Lomond.
11:51It's wicked isn't it?
11:54What a day we've got!
11:55It's alright.
11:56You see it all the time.
11:58So 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.
12:13Yeah we are.
12:14Yeah actually.
12:15So it's a big descent.
12:16Yeah.
12:17Like a thousand feet or something.
12:18Yeah.
12:19Thousand 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 it
12:33does have switchbacks so you can do one little section and then stop and rest and then do
12:40the next section and stop and rest.
12:41I wouldn't recommend it in reverse though because it is a stinker of a climb the other way and
12:48if you stop and rest it means you get to also appreciate the views of Loch Lomond as you
12:51descend.
12:52So yeah I'd say it's probably an epic sort of loop but it has a bit of everything.
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14:22territory we were just walking along and from behind us both we just heard this
14:41massive crunch and we looked round and Rupert had had quite an accident so we're
14:49just currently trying to work out what we're going to do next because Rupert does
14:53no longer have a rear mech oh that's not ideal so it's not the hangar that snaps
14:57um it is the hangar is yeah the hangar is blown well you're lucky we're on the hiker bike yeah
15:05totally walking anyway the West Islandway is quite hiker bike anyway but he literally had to hike the
15:26bike the whole way along and so yeah for Rupert it was funny but now that I realize we're kind of
15:35quite far away from Rupert Foyle I'm a little bit filled with a bit more pity for him
15:40so I bent my rear mech in the crash and then I snapped it off on the West Highland way and now
15:59I need to find a solution so I can do the rest of the ride and I think that solution is going to be
16:05stealing our drone pilot Ruben's bike so sorry Ruben but I'm commandeering your mountain bike
16:14after a steep 10% climb out of Inversnaid we wound our way along the gorgeous shores of Loch Arklot and
16:29then down to Loch Arn before a welcome gradual descent into Aberfoyle the gravel roads here are
16:35what dreams are made of wide open and super fast we couldn't stop grinning the whole way home
16:40so I'm on Ruben's mountain bike and uh it's great so comfortable compared to the gravel bike but
17:08it's a little bit slow and I have now been dropped by Catherine and Kerry that puff of dust going up
17:19over the crest of the hill is Catherine and Kerry so it's a tough ride
17:38with 85 kilometers 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 from wide open remote mountain
17:56vistas epic hiker biking and fast gravel roads we'd been blown away by the riding on offer and the
18:01community that it had fostered
18:13here we go
18:16hi
18:18new badge
18:18new badge
18:19we made it
18:20wow
18:21that was a big day
18:22it was a big day
18:23it's definitely a whole day route that isn't it
18:27full on
18:28full on
18:28so worth it
18:30i did worry that was a bit greedy with wanting to show you everything but i think it was worth it
18:34we asked you for the most epic ride you could put together in Aberfoyle
18:38and you did it
18:40i think it's safe to say
18:41we had it all honestly
18:42i completed the brief
18:43yeah you did
18:43and we made it back
18:44even if we're one bike down
18:46yeah we were one bike down but thanks to drone pilot Ruben's generosity
18:52he walked home
18:53well three of us have made it back
18:55yeah
18:55goes without saying if you want to see the route that we've ridden today it will be in the
18:59description 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 to have a
19:18look and find some absolute belters of rides and trails if you have enjoyed this video then
19:23please do give us a thumbs up and subscribe to cycling weekly youtube channel and leave us a
19:28comment in the comment section below telling us what you loved and whether you'd come and ride in
19:33the amazing place that is Aberfoyle now we'll be back soon with some more great adventure content
19:38and we'll see you then
19:42you