The mountain biking trails on Cathkin Braes in Glasgow were developed for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Simon Wilkinson / SWPix.com Before reaching that promised land, however, there was the other promise that Neil had mentioned at the start – crossing that aforementioned “boggy” bit. It would transpire that “boggy” was a gross understatement, with the emphasis very firmly on gross. To fill the considerable holes in our knowledge of the region, we had recruited the planning expertise of Komoot ‘Pioneer’ and local rider Neil Henderson. The path to Pioneer level involves having ridden a lot in a particular area and knowing every nook and cranny.

Gravel riding offers something to every cyclist. If you’re a mountain biker, gravel riding allows you to explore further than you could on a mountain bike, while if you’re a road cyclist, a gravel bike let’s you leave traffic far behind you. Great British Gravel Rides is not your ordinary cycling guidebook. Instead of simply compiling a variety of routes to ride, I (Markus Stitz) took a different approach and introduce you to key people in the gravel riding world, understand their motivation for cycling and to ride their favourite routes in Britain. The book features a total of 25 different routes for beginners, intermediate and expert riders, spread across England, Scotland and Wales. Big Rides: Great Britain and Irelandis an inspirational guide to the most iconic, epic and popular long-distance cycle trails in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland, including two excursions from mainland Britain to Northern France. The twenty-five featured routes showcase the best of Britain on two wheels. For those who prefer to pedal on-road, the routes take you along the historic Way of the Roses trail through Lancaster and York, as well as across Scotland’s Atlantic perimeter on the Hebridean Way. The trails head off-road to Northern England’s hills on the Sea to Sea (C2C) and past iconic monuments in Southern England on King Alfred’s Way. Mountain bike enthusiasts will find plenty to challenge them in the Sarn Helen and through the Scottish Highlands on the renowned Highland Trail 550. The routes then head offshore, to Ireland’s coast on the Wild Atlantic Way and from Devon and Dorset’s Jurassic Coast to Normandy’s alabaster cliffs on the Tour de Manche. Vertebrate Publishing’s Big Rides books are designed to inspire big adventures. Rather than being carried along the route, this guide provides everything you need to plan and explore further, including a general overview of the trails, specific technical information, overview mapping, key information and stunning photography. As well as this, each route specifies approximate timings which allows for you to plan your adventure at your own pace. Whether you’re completing routes at a leisurely speed or racing towards the finish, let Big Rides: Great Britain & Ireland be your guide. The area around Hay-on-Wye is stunning,” says Markus. “The countryside is absolutely amazing. This is also one of those routes which is very green, very enjoyable and it's got everything that gravel riding is all about. It is quite a difficult route as well, but there is some very nice stuff there.”Adventure … gravel biking lets you explore remote places and discover incredible sights on your own steam, what could be more thrilling?

Markus says: “I find Kinross quite an interesting place. There used to be three railway lines going into it and now it has none. That's partially because someone decided to build a big motorway from Edinburgh northbound, and the railway line had to give way to that. So in a way, Kinross as a town is a place where public transport has been going in and out for decades. Contains 28 routes, ranging from 31 to 128 kilometres in length, exploring the very best gravel riding that Scotland has to offer.The other thing that I found really interesting is that we passed a house which used to host a recording studio, where Jamiroquai and Portishead recorded albums. So you get routes in the book that have all these big landscapes and stories centred around them, and then you have these more urban routes where popular culture creeps in.

You can also extend things by looping around Arran, which adds 88km for a complete circuit of the island. Weather is a major factor in planning any outdoor activity, but the fact that gravel routes are mostly all-weather surfaces holding up against most rain or snow conditions means they can be ridden in most conditions if you’re prepared with the right clothing and considerations. If you like ferries, you’ll love this circular route that starts in Ardrossan on the mainland under an hour for Glasgow. The route takes in everything from Glen Fearnach and Glen Tilt to the Cairngorms, the River Tay (Scotland’s longest river) and even passes the last surviving oak tree from the wood that inspired Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

3. The Commonwealth Trail at Cathkin Braes

The impact guiding has on people is what Aneela loves most about it. The effect it has, not just in terms of the journey or the ride itself, but also the social interaction and being connected to the environment. She has the ability to show people places they've never been, and enjoys how confident and happy cycling makes people. And does she plan to run any guided gravel experiences? Not yet, but possibly in the future. Tweed Valley gravel route Start from the south and head north to take advantage of the, potentially strong, prevailing winds rather than spending your days riding into a headwind. The route is waymarked so it’s easy to follow.