Mountain Bike Routes
1. Dumyat(Bridge of Allan, Stirling) - mountain bike, moderate to hard.
The Dumyat ride is one of those classic ride to the top of a great big hill and blast back down the same way style rides.
To start you need to find your way to Bridge Of Allan and when you come into the town (assuming you have come from the east) keep an eye out for a left turn up the hill opposite the shops. It is called Alexander Drive. You need to follow this all the way to the top and park up next to the forest/woodland on Sunnylaw Road. There is a large playfield next to a layby so you can identify it.
Then you need to ride up through the woods! This is a sometimes steep and sometimes slippy climb up - be careful of people barrelling down on the return leg of their ride up!
Keep riding up the way until you find the road, carry left along the road as if heading up and away still then take the fork in the road over towards the reservoir and ride along the edge of the dam until the end and then enter the 'trail'. It pretty obvious at this stage where you need to go - aim for the great big rocky hill!
Find your way to the top - its a push in some places, say 'hi' to walkers, they are really freindly up this way and seem to be quite happy to encourage you on.
When you get to the top you can have a yarn and a Clif Bar and a drink - I advise a Thermos in spring and autumn/winter, it gets really chilly up there. You get an epic view of the valley and the Bond buildings that store all that lovely whisky!
Next step - drop the saddle, wind out the forks and go for it.
You will have sized the descent up on your way up. Its rocky, loose, steep and most of all fun! Go for it and get the bike right into it.
As you are speeding down you need to remember to take a left over towards the tree line and re-enter the forest higher up.
Be careful as you come down this trail as there are a couple of wee sneaky bits that might catch you out. Keep your fingers over the brakes if you know what I mean.
Ride through the forest aimng towards town/the Uni buildings so you can get your bearings back to the car.
Make sure you stop for a coffee and a cake at Ramsays Deli on the high street - yum!
If you need more directions then look on google - plenty of people know this route and you should be able to find vids as well.
Enjoy.
2. A Pentlands Circuit - mountain biking, easy to moderate
The Pentland Hills are almost on our doorstep and can be easily reached via the Water of Leith path and/or the Union Canal. Once there, you have a multitude of routes to choose from. We've listed one of our favourites, but do get a map of the area (Harveys do a great 1:25k version) and be prepared to explore.
From the car park at Harlaw, head through the main gate and keep straight on through a couple of open fields. When you get to a signpost, head left towards Glencorse. Go through two gates and up towards Maidens Cleugh. There are some wooden water-bars here which need to be hopped or bypassed. The bottom one is the largest. The track is stony and usually drains well. When the path starts to flatten out, pause a moment to look at the view behind you. The path then descends slightly to another gate, overlooking Glencorse Reservoir.
Go through the gate and take the lovely, fast descent, at first through some muddy/peaty ditches but then over more loose gravel. There are a couple of stone water-bars here which you need to look out for as you'll puncture if you hit them too hard. Follow the track all the way to the reservoir, where you go through a gate and meet the Glen Road.
Turn right and follow this tarmac road alongside Glencorse Reservoir. Depending on the water level and time of year, you might catch a glimpse of mink and there may be some geese in residence. When the road crosses a little causeway, look out (usually to the right) for a grey heron as he's often in this area. The road climbs up to Loganlea Reservoir. then along its banks. When the tarmac ends, look for a signpost to Balerno.
Follow this track across the meadows. These get very soft when wet, but are great riding when dry. Over Johnstons Bridge and you're into Green Cleugh. Pass the wee waterfall at Lovers Loup and ride through the narrow pass. Just before the pass opens out again, look for a small, gravel path coming down from the right. Push up this path (yes - I know some folk can ride it). Don't worry if you miss it, just wait until you reach the next gate and you'll see an even steeper path - push up this one instead.
You are now on the Black Hill. When the path levels out, stop for a breather and look around you. On a good day, you can see from Goat Fell on Arran, all the way across to Argyll, Ben Lomond, Ben More, Ben Vorlich, the Lawers Group and right up to Glenshee.
Now start on the Black Hill descent - another one to be avoided in wet conditions but when dry it can be an absolute blast. Many folk rate this as the best track hereabouts. Either let the suspension absorb all the rocks or (like me on the rigid), pick your way through for more "cerebral" fun. When you get to a gate, go across/through it and across a little causeway.
Turn left at the end of the causeway and follow the track along the shore of Threipmuir Reservoir. When it's about to enter a stand of trees, look sharply to the left and you'll see a narrow band of singletrack. That's your path along the shore and some rooty fun. This pops out at the dam, which you go up and over. Now turn left and follow the gravel track parallel to the dam until you see a little footbridge over the outflow. Cross the footbridge.
You now have a fast, wide, gravel track or some more rootiness. Guess which we recommend? Turn into the woods and just follow your nose across whichever option takes your fancy. These rooty detours pop out onto the gravel track again, but when they do so, just look for your next opportunity to dive in for laughs, laughs, laughs.
All the fun must, however, come to and end, so just cross the outflow form Harlaw Reservoir, ride along the top of the dam and you'll find yourself at the Ranger Centre. Go along the tarmac road with the high blackthorn on your right and you'll come back to the car park.
Get back to the car. Ponder all of those other tracks you saw heading off at various places and congratulate yourself. You're now a Pentlander.
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