Jake rode the first bit with me (only a couple of hundred yards!).  The day showed promise and started off sunny.  This only lasted about half an hour though and then the showers came.  The route looked good but in fact was a slow grind on an old A road.  It was still dual carriageway in places, I think approximately 15 cars passed me during the 30 miles or so that I was on it.  The surface was shocking; Pablo turned into a bone shaker.  The first stop was a truck stop in Lesmahagow.  This turned out to be a Tesco supermarket construction site and the support team had had to stop at the side of the road on a slope and hope that I saw them.

 
After a cup of tea and a bacon roll it was on towards Glasgow.  The road had improved and the run into the city was an easier ride and better than expected. 

Heidi didn't seem to want to drive around the streets of inner city Glasgow, so I was on my own.  I had plotted a simple route, taking a cycle path along the Clyde and out to Dumbarton.  I had visions of this being easy and of sitting alongside the river, eating my packed lunch.  Unfortunately there was a festival on which had closed the path and I had to pick my way around some awful roads through Glasgow.  To add insult to injury, once I had rejoined the cycle path, the surface was cobbled and shook me to pieces.  If that wasn't enough, I got lost and ended up in a car park for an engineering works.  Having clambered (with Pablo) through the undergrowth of nettles and grass to a canal, I then rejoined the path and finally made it out to Dumbarton.  It was a relief to see the support team, which had increased in size with reinforcements, in Asda car park.  Grandparents are great for keeping the kids occupied who were a little stir crazy in the van.

After all this, there was still another leg to go and after a snack stop, I then took the busy road out towards Loch Lomond.  There was a cycle path in places, which made it a bit easier and the views of the Loch made it better.  The sun had been shining and things were looking good.  At the top of the Loch the heavens opened again and to finish me off, it hammered down and I knew that there were 4 miles (in the wrong direction) to go to the campsite.  I finally arrived, tired and wet, but happy to see the support team (well Sally, as the kids had hot-footed it over to the playground).  The campsite was lovely and was right next to Loch Long.  After a long (and welcome) shower and another one of Sally's fab meals, we went down to the Loch and skimmed some stones with the children.  It almost felt like I was on holiday (just for a few minutes until I caught sight of the bike again!)