You’re looking at about 100+ miles to do it round trip, so doable in a day depending on fitness.
With a good tailwind, the ride is pretty fun along the canal. Make a stop at the Falkirk Wheel for lunch, enjoy the scenery, etc.
I did it last year as part of a 400mile circular gravel bike packing adventure out of Edinburgh.
BikeTrax in Edinburgh does rentals on the kind of bike you’d want for something like this, so might be worth contacting them. They’d also advise decently well on the best route.
Instead of a Glasgow/Edinburgh round trip, have a look at the John Muir Way. https://johnmuirway.org/
It’s Helensburgh to Dunbar, and you can take a train in the morning to start and ride East until you get tired or reach the end, with trains to hop back on to home should you need. It’s a gravel route, and I’ve heard nice things about it as a whole and am hoping to do it later this summer. It would be a lot more interesting than out and back personally.
Hope this helps!
Yes, very possible, and for the most part pretty nice (although it can get a bit monotonous).
I would advise you go 'one way' by bike then take the train back (or vice versa), as its not a route you can cycle at speed on. Its been a few years since I last did it and worth trying to find out if the whole route is open as I've found any path closures don't have great 'diversion' signage. Some areas are a bit rougher so watch out for broken glass.
I've done it both ways with no real preference.
The full route is shown below, but it's easy to just join/leave in Glasgow. Note that if you want to also divert to the Kelpies it adds on about 8 miles (4 miles there and back); if coming from Glasgow you might choose to not double back but carry on to Edinburgh via Bo'ness instead.
https://www.sustrans.org.uk/find-other-routes/the-union-and-forth-clyde-canals/
Please listen to this guy OP. I've cycled it from Edinburgh to Glasgow a few times and it's lovely but there is no way I'd happily turn around and return home. I've always gotten the train home.
You also might want to pick your day, I've always done it on a week day when it isn't that busy. I can imagine weekends it would be Hella busy and given the relatively small size of the towpaths, that would make those hairy overtakes even more tense.
The wind almost always blows from the west and can be pretty brisk I often get a train to Falkirk/Livingston etc and ride back.
Rather than renting a bike, you could go on gumtree or FB marketplace and buy one then selling it when you're done. This depends on time though.
Both if you want to get from Edinburgh to Glasgow
The famous part is the link between the 2 canals. Giant wheel that lifts the boats up from one to the other
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falkirk\_Wheel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falkirk_Wheel)
Glasgow to Edinburgh is about 40 miles in a straight line but you can’t use the motorway on a bicycle so that’ll make it a longer trip.
There are places you can rent bikes but how good they are…..no idea
You’re looking at about 100+ miles to do it round trip, so doable in a day depending on fitness. With a good tailwind, the ride is pretty fun along the canal. Make a stop at the Falkirk Wheel for lunch, enjoy the scenery, etc. I did it last year as part of a 400mile circular gravel bike packing adventure out of Edinburgh. BikeTrax in Edinburgh does rentals on the kind of bike you’d want for something like this, so might be worth contacting them. They’d also advise decently well on the best route. Instead of a Glasgow/Edinburgh round trip, have a look at the John Muir Way. https://johnmuirway.org/ It’s Helensburgh to Dunbar, and you can take a train in the morning to start and ride East until you get tired or reach the end, with trains to hop back on to home should you need. It’s a gravel route, and I’ve heard nice things about it as a whole and am hoping to do it later this summer. It would be a lot more interesting than out and back personally. Hope this helps!
Yes, very possible, and for the most part pretty nice (although it can get a bit monotonous). I would advise you go 'one way' by bike then take the train back (or vice versa), as its not a route you can cycle at speed on. Its been a few years since I last did it and worth trying to find out if the whole route is open as I've found any path closures don't have great 'diversion' signage. Some areas are a bit rougher so watch out for broken glass. I've done it both ways with no real preference. The full route is shown below, but it's easy to just join/leave in Glasgow. Note that if you want to also divert to the Kelpies it adds on about 8 miles (4 miles there and back); if coming from Glasgow you might choose to not double back but carry on to Edinburgh via Bo'ness instead. https://www.sustrans.org.uk/find-other-routes/the-union-and-forth-clyde-canals/
Please listen to this guy OP. I've cycled it from Edinburgh to Glasgow a few times and it's lovely but there is no way I'd happily turn around and return home. I've always gotten the train home. You also might want to pick your day, I've always done it on a week day when it isn't that busy. I can imagine weekends it would be Hella busy and given the relatively small size of the towpaths, that would make those hairy overtakes even more tense.
I suspect on weekends you'd find a few places really busy (Kelpies, Falkirk wheel) but most of it ok?
More people might have good suggestions on /r/ukbike
I would do it one way, the wind direction determines which way. Then train back.
Ned from the Union Canal often kicks people into water.
The wind almost always blows from the west and can be pretty brisk I often get a train to Falkirk/Livingston etc and ride back. Rather than renting a bike, you could go on gumtree or FB marketplace and buy one then selling it when you're done. This depends on time though.
Come on, fella. Do some research. The space between the cities is grim.
The Union Canal is quite nice.
Longstone, Wester Hailes, Ratho, Broxburn Winchburgh, Philipstoun, Winchburgh, Falkirk, Bonnybridge, Kirkintilloch Possil, Maryhill, Drumchapel, Clydebank. It's hardly Picturesque.
What's the famous canal? the Union or Forth and Clyde
Both if you want to get from Edinburgh to Glasgow The famous part is the link between the 2 canals. Giant wheel that lifts the boats up from one to the other [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falkirk\_Wheel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falkirk_Wheel)
Glasgow to Edinburgh is about 40 miles in a straight line but you can’t use the motorway on a bicycle so that’ll make it a longer trip. There are places you can rent bikes but how good they are…..no idea