The Loch Thom Loop
The weather forecast suggested today would be a belter so I opted for a day on the coast riding one of my favourite routes. It takes in North Ayrshire, Inverclyde and Renfrewshire with a few climbs (the ride is hilly in general) over 80kms in about 3 hours. I started from West Kilbride and headed up the A78 to Largs - past Vikingar you'll see a sign for the Brisbane Glen road - it's a wee cracker - I only passed three cars in about an hour and the other 'A' roads are not exactly choking.
The climb to Loch Thom is a steady one - just remember to look over your shoulder near the top and you'll have an amazing panorama to the islands of the firth. Well worth the sweating. At around the same point, the mountains of Argyle will come in to view, and amoungst others, you'll spot Ben Lomond in the distance. Just watch out for the erratic lambs. The view gets very close before you fall into Greenock. Cycle at pace whilst keeping left on reasonably main roads and you'll find the road for Kilmacolm which rolls down the Garnock Glen towards Lochwinnoch and Dalry before heading back over to the coast. Bish, bash, bosh - back in time for a deep-fried pizza.
