Cycling

Out for a pedal

Cycling and Mountain Biking continue to grow and evolve on the Isle of Arran, becoming more popular year on year. For those of us lucky enough to live and work here it provides an abundance of varied road routes and off road trails which we love sharing with Arran's many visitors.

 

This page is the new home of the Arran Bike Club website

 

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The Island has always been a popular cycle touring destination but it wasn’t until after the Millennium that Arran’s local population started taking to their bikes in any great number. Since then all styles of cycling have become popular with local residents and visitors alike, as a consequence Arran now sees regular weekly riding from mountain bikers, road riders, gravel riders, commuters and ebikers. The Arran Bike Club was the first group to appear in 2002, with enthusiastic mountain bikers beginning to explore and appreciate the diversity of the island’s off-road tracks and trails. There are now half a dozen cycling clubs and groups on Arran, all choosing slightly different styles of riding but all enjoying Arran’s wonderful diversity.

The Arran Bike Club is still instrumental in campaigning for cycling resources on the island, working very closely with North Ayrshire Council, local island groups and landowners to secure more off road trails and safer road side routes for locals and visitors alike. Time is also spent building and maintaining off-road trails, working with Forest and Land Scotland on the island to help and improve our local riding environment. Helpers and volunteers are welcome on these build and maintenance days, see Facebook for more info.

Each of the groups below have social media pages with general information and live discussions making it easy for planning rides and events, etc.

Road Cycling

Go to the Velo Club, IOA Facebook page for live info and venues.

Usually Sunday mornings at 9.30am, from 2 to 6 hours, sometimes with a coffee stop.

Go to the Isle of Arran Belles Facebook page for live info and venues.

Ladies rides are usually on Tuesdays from approx 10.00am, Thursday afternoon or evening and maybe a weekend ride.

Go to the Isle of Arran Cycling Club (IOACC) Facebook page for live info and venues’ to the bottom of the ‘Road Cycling’

Mountain Biking

Go to the Arran Bike Club Facebook page for live info and venues.

Thursday Evenings at 6.30pm and Sunday Mornings at 10am. 2-3 hours of great mountain biking from different village venues, using different trails each week.

Arran High School MTB Club ride after school 2 or 3 times a week, as well as training, trail building and maintenance sessions.

Gravel Riding

Go to the Arran Gravel Riders Facebook page for live info and venues.

Usually Saturday or Sunday mornings at 9.30am, from 2 to 6 hours, sometimes with a coffee stop.

Off & On Road Leisure Cycling, Ebiking and Commuting

Leisure Cycling and Commuting take place daily all over the island, more and more people using all types of bike for all sorts of reasons. These aren’t organised group rides but Arran Eco Savvy are in the process of developing an Active Travel Hub for Arran, along with funding other equipment and resources around the island to help all cycle users and active travellers with advice, training and information. Download Arran Eco Savvy’s first ‘Green Travel Map’, full of green and active travel info for the island.

Cycling Advice - Arran Style!

Many different types of cyclist visit Arran, simply because this stunning island has so much to offer, but there are narrow and winding country roads, steep hills, changeable road surfaces and dangerously fast descents, not to mention a wide variety of other vehicles, runners, walkers and horse riders all sharing the roads!

Many groups cycle around Arran’s coast roads for lots of different reasons, some for charity or club outings, others for fun or as a personal challenge. The road traffic on Arran has increased considerably over the last few years so here’s some helpful tips and advice to sharing Arran’s roads safely.

Unlike most mainland roads, Arran’s roads are narrow and twisty with blind bends and summits at ever turn. This makes being overtaken much more difficult and potentially dangerous, so being more aware and considerate to other road users and letting them pass safely is vital to all concerned. Cycling in smaller split groups of 4 or less helps as
does slowing down or pulling in when safe and convenient to allow overtaking and avoiding tailbacks – remember buses have timetables and passing a large group can be very difficult! By spreading yourselves out into smaller groups you’ll see more of our beautiful island too!

Let CalMac know which ferries you aim to use. Space on car decks can be limited on specific sailings, so discussing this in advance might save you being left behind! Contact 01294 463470 (Ardrossan) or 01770 302166 (Brodick)

Let the ferry traffic and buses clear before you start your journey from Brodick. Avoiding ferry traffic will make your onward cycle much more pleasant and less congested. VisitArran are happy to offer suggestions, email us. Please keep bus stances clear at all times.

Take care when descending hills, particularly on wet roads. Look well ahead to identify changes in surfaces, drainage, and wildlife such as sheep, deer etc, who also like to wander onto our roads!

Please respect and be courteous to all other road users, use lay-bys and passing places to stop and regroup, Arran’s roads aren’t wide enough to stop safely on verges, blind bends and summits.

A SELECTION OF ARRAN CYCLING ROUTES

Here are some suggestions for both road and off road routes with a little detail to help and advise your decision making on what might be best for you.

The road routes are basic descriptions for use with a map or road atlas, including mileage, grade, timings, etc. The mountain bike routes are downloadable maps / descriptions to print out and follow in conjunction with a good OS map. These range from easy graded routes to very technical singletrack and wilderness mountain trails.

Mountain Bike Off Road Routes

Some suggestions for off road routes on the island >

Road Cycling Routes

Pedal loops around and across the island >
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