Advice on commuting from Glasgow to East Kilbride

[mekanopsis]

Hi guys, new registrant here, been a CTC member for a few years.

I'll be needing to commute from Glasgow to Southeast East Kilbride (Kelvin) this summer. I'd like to do it on my road bike. I'm fairly out of shape but used to do things like century rides, rides around the campsies (on a fixie no less). So I'd like to use commuting to get back into shape.

It looks to me like both the obvious routes to EK via Carmunnock on the B768 and via Rutherglen on the A730 would be fairly dangerous. Can anyone with experience cycling between Glasgow and EK recommend a route? I would be arriving at 8AM so the roads may be mercifully quiet at that time. If so I'd compromise for a morning outbound commute by bike and a train/bike commute home. I live in the West End of Glasgow..

[Neil Mc Ivor]

On your commutes the traffic to and from EK should be lighter in the morning and evening respectively; as the majority of the traffic is EK to Glasgow in the morning and Glasgow to EK in the evening. ie when you are travelling most of the traffic should be going the other direction.

The A730 from The Gorbals to Blairbeth Road Is dual carriageway, Blairbeth road for one mile from Mill St. to EK Road is single carriageway. EK Road A749 - South to EK is all dual carriageway there is an extra wide pavement most of the way from Greenlees Toll to Nerston which I think is part of the national Cycle Network but I see plenty of cyclists on the road. Once you are past the Whirlees Roundabout most of the roundabouts on the Kingsway and Queensway have off road cycle paths.

The Carmunnock by pass route is reasonably good as well.

You have a good climb on either route as you are going from almost sea level at Glasgow to about 700 feet at EK. But you get a good freewheel back down to Glasgow.

[irc]

At 8am it's peak rush hour. The B768 is fine all the way out though right up to the A727. The A727 carries two lane high speed traffic. At the A727 I used the pavement up to the junction with the A726. At that point I was going south so went under the roundabout and along Barbera Rd then along Redwood Rd which might work for you going to SE E.K.

The A727 is now an orbital bypass, not attractive and I'm not sure if cycles are allowed.

[songsforpolarbears]

How about the route shown on this leaflet?

Fit For Life - Glasgow cycling route map

http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/ ... lasgow.pdf

[mekanopsis]

Thanks for the replies. I commuted today along the Carmunnock by-pass and through Langside / Pollokshields, aided by the guidance of a nice chap I met lost on Peel road (had a Cannondale bad boy). It turns out coincidentally that following the Carmunnock bypass all the way to Peel road, under the A727 and then all the way along Greenhill Road is an excellent way to reach South East EK.