Cycling in Glasgow

Whether you're a first time visitor to the city or a local resident, getting around Glasgow by bicycle is an increasingly popular and convenient way of travelling. The city's cycle hire, bike facilities, and bike events all provide a great way of getting on two wheels, even if you're just starting out. Here's more information on cycling in Glasgow:

Glasgow Bike Tours

Ride along and take in some sightseeing with Glasgow Bike Tours for a close up view of the city. Visit locations where you can see spectacular views of the city, not possible by bus or car. The Tour route is generally flat and on good cycling surfaces and has been designed using cycle paths, river and canal pathways and minor roads with very little traffic. Your local guide will share their enthusiasm for Glasgow’s fantastic culture, architecture and history with you.

Cycle Hire

Glasgow is now home to a public cycle hire scheme, operated and maintained by Nextbike! With 400 bikes for hire in 43 locations, it's available 24/7. You can rent a bike via nextbike’s Android/iPhone App, through the on-bike computer, or by phoning +44 (0)20 816 69851. Rental starts at £1 for the first 30 minutes - get started here. 

Sport

With a number of dedicated facilities for cycling as a sport, Glasgow is the perfect place to get involved. Speed demons will love a track cycling taster session at The Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, one of the main venues for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, with opportunities to take it further with accreditation courses. Alternatively, get out in the wild at the Cathkin Braes mountain bike trails for a real challenge, alongside other trails in Pollok Country Park and Alexandra Park.

Cycle Routes

Tackling the daily commute by bicycle has become more and more popular in Glasgow, and it's no wonder, given that commuting on two wheels is both environmentally friendly and provides a dose of extra exercise. With over 300km of cycle ways in the city, take a look at the different cycle routes in Glasgow and plan your route efficiently, whether it's a commute to work or simply a weekend ride to a different part of the city.

Bike Shops

Need a trustworthy shop to repair your bike, or looking for some new cycling gear? Check out our handy map of Glasgow's bike shops above, which will provide you with anything from a brand new bike to the smallest of components.

Cycling Organisations

Glasgow's home to a number of organisations that promote, encourage and support cycling in the city - here's just a few:

• The Bike Station - Glasgow's bicycle recycling and cycling promotion charity
• Go Bike - a cycle campaign group promoting cycling in the Strathclyde area with meet-ups
• Sustrans - delivering practical cycling projects in partnership with schools, communities and workplaces
• Free Wheel North - cycle charity promoting awareness of cycling in Glasgow particularly for those with disability
• Cycling Scotland - National Cycling Body promoting cycling in Scotland
• CTC Scotland - national cyclists' organisation protecting and promoting the rights of cyclists
• Healthy Working Lives - assisting employers and employees by promoting active travel to and from the workplace
• Paths for All - a partnership of organisations committed to promoting walking for health and multi-use paths
• Scottish Cycling - national governing body for cycle sport, covering BMX, Mountain Bike, Cyclo-Cross, Road, Track, and Cycle Speedway

Public Transport

Take your bike trip one step further with the range of public transport available in Glasgow - take advantage of the bike parking facilities at a number of Subway stations, and if you're a regular user of Scotrail's trains, cycle racks are provided on the trains and cycle parking is available at virtually all of their stations.

What's On

Can't get enough two-wheeled action? Check out some of the city's bike events - Pedal for Scotland organise annual rides for charity, with an amazing 10,500 riders taking part in 2014! Also, keep an eye on Bike Events Scotland for all types of different cycling events, from beginner rides to mountain biking. 

More info

With ongoing changes and improvements to Glasgow's cycling infrastructure, find out more at Glasgow City Council's online hub for more details and information on cycling in the city.