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Robertio


Posts: 44
Joined: Nov 2006
Last Visited: 18:24
22nd Jun 2011
Cycling The West Highland Way
Date Posted: 23.07hrs on Tue 14 Sep 10
To try to ensure no one else makes the same mistake we did this year I've thrown together a review of our West Highland Way cycle from a few months back:

[www.learnanddo.co.uk]

In summary - don't do it.
telemarker


Posts: 2934
Joined: Oct 2003
Last Visited: 14:59
12th Apr 2021
Re: Cycling The West Highland Way
Date Posted: 11.30hrs on Wed 15 Sep 10
interesting report.

I have ridden the section north of Bridge of Orchy - as far as kinlochleven

i would do that again! - bit of pushing up devils staircase - but then a fantastic descent down to KLL!

rear suspension could have helped with drainage ditches - but learning bunnyhop skills is better (says he who got a pinch puncture on lochnagar the other week....)

certainly wouldnt try it on a rigid singlespeed....

and would never ever consider biking the loch lomond section - its very well known to be a nightmare to bike



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 07.56hrs Thu 16 Sep 10 by telemarker.
HTH


Posts: 3210
Joined: Nov 2005
Last Visited: 11:13
20th Feb 2018
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Re: Cycling The West Highland Way
Date Posted: 13.41hrs on Wed 15 Sep 10
Good stuff, it's funny how things (and perceptions) change over years. - I did it Glasgow-to-FortWilliam in April 1989 using early model Raleigh Steel MTB's with no suspension and early Suntour 18-spd gearing (48/38/28 cranks) with 14/16/18/21/24/28 rear blocks...stone-age equipment...I mean it weighed like it was made of stone! winking smiley

Day-1: Glasgow to Bridge of Orchy, finished in a flurry...a snow flurry that is.

Day-2: Orchy to Fort William, and although it was a shorter day, it was the main event in climbing & riding, probably the most interesting/challenging section...it snowed that day too.

We also carried a fair chunk up Devil's Staircase, but the descent was worth it. Punctured twice on descent & arrived at bottom on flats front & rear because I couldn't be bothered to stop, repaired outside a cafe...best place for puncture repairs.

I only did it because some fool suggested my cheap raleigh MTB wasn't up to the job, and wouldn't survive the trip...but I couldn't do it on a *fixie*, good effort.

I wonder if breakfast at Orchy Hotel is still as good?
Hustler


Posts: 760
Joined: Oct 2006
Last Visited: 07:52
19th Aug 2019
Re: Cycling The West Highland Way
Date Posted: 22.04hrs on Wed 15 Sep 10
I spend a lot of time on the WHW each year for various reasons and at one time or another I've ridden the majority of the route, some as recently as this Saturday morning on the first part of the Tour de Ben Nevis circuit. Funnily enough, there was a high casualty rate among rear inner tubes for some riders that morning on the descent from the Lairig Mor down into KLL.
The majority of the WHW route is largely rideable, in my humble experience but it is tough and in places well beyond enjoyable. There are many, much more rewarding places to go ride your bike in Scotland but if you must ride this terrain, get some big, heavy tyres and matching tubes. For this sort of riding I'm on a big full-suss bike with a 2.5" dual-ply rear tyre. It's not invincible but it does survive some of my clumsy attempts at water-bar hopping.
If you'd seen the volume of water on the trail on Saturday morning, you'd know why those drainage ditches have to be so big!
As Telemarker (tries) to say above, the northbound descent into KLL from the Devil's staircase out of GlenCoe is also a cracker and I'd recommend northbound on the northern half of the route only, to anyone who absolutely has to ride the WHW.
inchhighj


Posts: 73
Joined: Oct 2008
Last Visited: 21:52
14th Feb 2014
Re: Cycling The West Highland Way
Date Posted: 00.06hrs on Thu 16 Sep 10
Well done for sticking! My friend has just done the who;le route south and loved it on a hardtail, I myself have done fort william to kinlochleven (the descent to the east is phenonmenal only on full suss though) bridge of orchy to kinlochleven (via blackwater resorvoir) another fantastic descent down to the north of the town. having walked the way before i know only too well the difficulty of the loch lomond section but such is the labour of love im not one to avoid a push carry albeit a full days worth, i wish to do the full route from glasgow soon enough as telemarker has but with a little less weight. THe beauty of the bike is for quick access/exit of places you would normally not walk with so little time, but it is really that much of a chore to walk with or push a bike at times if not for whole stretches you would have to walk to get there in the first place?? surely you must have filled your bottle or bag along the way in one of many rivers/streams and fixed the tube after changing it?
Robertio


Posts: 44
Joined: Nov 2006
Last Visited: 18:24
22nd Jun 2011
Re: Cycling The West Highland Way
Date Posted: 22.38hrs on Fri 17 Sep 10
It's good to know we were not the only ones insane enough to waste 20 hours of our lives on it. If I had to do it again I'd do it on foot - I'd be within an hour of the cycling time and not have to manhandle a bike around.
Niall Thomson


Posts: 95
Joined: Nov 2003
Last Visited: 04:54
3rd Aug 2019
Re: Cycling The West Highland Way
Date Posted: 05.58hrs on Sat 18 Sep 10
Like Hustler I ride various parts of the WHW regularly and would echo most of his comments.

I'd disagree almost entirely with your critique - many of your woes could have been avoided by riding the route as it was conceived ( South / North) by using high volume tyres and, dare I say it, by adapting your technique ;-)

Carrying and pushing are all part and parcel of mountain biking in the Highlands - the bigger the challenge, the greater the demands placed upon you, the higher the rewards /sense of achievement. In the context of the overall length of the route the proportion of carrying for a fit rider is relatively low.

The direction is critical on two counts a.) there's something about leaving the urban setting of Milngavie and heading into and through an ever increasing vista of mountains and seascape which gives the journey a sense of purpose b.) you get all the sh1tty bits out the way near the start (which to me are the dozens of gates before Loch Lomond - of which you make no mention - and of course the LL stretch itself)

Just to put this in perspective - you wouldnt walk it in 21. I think the record for running it is something like 14 hrs (pro endurance athlete) but its been biked in less than this by fit club riders



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 05.59hrs Sat 18 Sep 10 by Niall Thomson.
Robertio


Posts: 44
Joined: Nov 2006
Last Visited: 18:24
22nd Jun 2011
Re: Cycling The West Highland Way
Date Posted: 20.46hrs on Sat 18 Sep 10
I made no mention of the gates as living at this end of it I've got used to them and they are much less of a pain when there are two of you as you only stop at every second one :-)

If by adapting your technique you mean leaving your mate who up until 3 months before the trip throught a canal path was off-road then fair enough, but I wouldn't do that. The only time we were apart was on the KLL descent as he had to push his bike down the hill and I figured that there was little chance of anything serious happening to him during this. Left to my own devices I would have been a couple of hours quicker, but that wasn't the idea behind the trip.

In hindsight I should have left my normal tyres on, but went for a narrower set knowing the same effort gave a 2mph speed adantage and expected it to be more cycle friendly than it was. Prior to the trip I'd only done the southern most 20 (or so) miles, which as you know are not like the rest of the way (averaging 10mph along them is perfectly possible for a start).

South to north would have proved inconvenient as we would then have required transport at a time that could not have been guaranteeed - had the taxi service been booked for 1pm and we not made it north until after 5:30 we would not have been popular ;-) As it is I stay 5 miles from Milnagive and Jim closer to 10 so north to south meant we could simply cycle home at the end of the trip.

I can assure you I could easily cover it on foot in 21 hours. It wouldn't all be walked, but in the 20 hour cycle it wasn't all cycled at a gentle pace either - I'm merely comparing like with like.

The writeup was a writeup of our trip and how it felt to us. I'd be delighted if more people posted up trip reports, people could then make informed decisions. As it is we could find very little on the internet regarding people cycling the WHW and had to therefore base our plans on what little we could find/had covered before. Had there been a few reports saying north to south was rubbish and that it was much better from south to north then we could have tried to come up with some way of making that work.

Maybe I'm strange in that I did not do it for a sense of achievement, but because I thought it could be fun. That proved not to be the case. IMHO life is too short to do stuff just to say you've done it, I'd rather do something that impressed no one, but that I enjoyed. Hopefully I'll get a day off work at some point soon to head down to Glentress and have a play there, in a smiles per mile contest between the two distinctly different cycles there is only one winner for me.
Niall Thomson


Posts: 95
Joined: Nov 2003
Last Visited: 04:54
3rd Aug 2019
Re: Cycling The West Highland Way
Date Posted: 07.35hrs on Sun 19 Sep 10
There are dozens, if not hundreds, of reports (or at least anecdotal extracts) from folk who have cycled the WHW. I think you'll find that most conclude, and almost all experienced hands suggest S/N to be the far better direction. Of course a point to point is going to prove inconvenient but you made the choice to end the route in a manner convenient to yourself and you paid the price. There is plenty of advice and trip reports out there - try the mtb specific forums ;-)

Also probably fair to say that advice is split 50/50 on whether to tackle the NE side of Loch Lomond or simply catch the ferry at Inversnaid and bypass this section entirely. One mans meat is another mans poison... You make only the tiniest reference to this in your closing paragraph but you dont explain HOW to avoid it. You also write off 75 miles of good riding because it can be err walked? Well on that basis why ride anything at all?

The entire route proper is a considerable one day challenge for a fit rider on an appropriate bike. The mileage alone dictates that its still a serious undertaking in two. With respect, your '75 miles in a morning' comment belies your relative inexperience. You also took a beginner on it, who was kitted out with a single speed fully rigid bike - no wonder he had to walk so much of it! I'm sure most folk realise that the WHW is a 30+ year old walking specific route and GT is what -less than 10 years old and bike specific? Once again some context would have helped. Fun though GT is I'm more than happy to trade the enjoyment and certainty of doing a circuit in a Sitka forest with the challenge and sense of adventure you get on the WHW. Different strokes and all that....

In summary - try it! ;-)

Peace out.




Edited 1 times. Last edit at 07.37hrs Sun 19 Sep 10 by Niall Thomson.
Hustler


Posts: 760
Joined: Oct 2006
Last Visited: 07:52
19th Aug 2019
Re: Cycling The West Highland Way
Date Posted: 12.27hrs on Mon 20 Sep 10
Hey Robertio, if you think you might be able to do the route in around 21 hours on foot, why have I not met you at the WHW Race..?
Check out the website [www.westhighlandwayrace.org]
where you'll find me known as "Lord of the Bridge".

For my sins I've been a committee member of this annual event for nearly 10 years. It is held in June and as close to the summer solstice as we can manage. The mens' course record is 15.44, set by Jezz Bragg, who happens to be one of the best Ultra-runners on the planet. There are many folk who would dearly love to be able to do a sub-21; most come for the challenge and the adventure, knowing that they have no chance of being anywhere near the leaders. The risk or uncertainty of being able to finish within the 35 hours of the event is part of the attraction and it is surprising how many seriously good athletes find themselves unable to complete on race day.
The event is supported, to the extent that a back-up crew of 2 per runner is a minimum requirement, so runners travel light and are fed regularly. Applications open on the 1st October.
moffatross


Posts: 1525
Joined: Mar 2006
Re: Cycling The West Highland Way
Date Posted: 15.39hrs on Mon 20 Sep 10
Sub 16 hours on foot is just amazing and must have been timed perfectly to coincide with no wet roots or rocks and daylight throughout.

I walked the WHW two weeks after a 3h25m London Marathon a few years back and remembered at the time thinking that it'd be a bit of a grind to do in less than 4 days even if I hadn't been carrying food, tent & my whole life story in a rucksack. I did just 54 miles of it in about 21 hours more recently for the Caledonian Challenge and recall the narrow & rolling woodland night-time section from around Tyndrum towards the Falls of Falloch being just downright hazardous in the dark.


HTH


Posts: 3210
Joined: Nov 2005
Last Visited: 11:13
20th Feb 2018
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Re: Cycling The West Highland Way
Date Posted: 14.07hrs on Tue 21 Sep 10
Robertio Wrote:

A ) In hindsight I should have left my normal tyres on, but went for a narrower set knowing the same effort gave a 2mph speed adantage and expected it to be more cycle friendly than it was.

B ) South to north would have proved inconvenient as we would then have required transport at a time that could not have been guaranteeed ...

C ) Maybe I'm strange in that I did not do it for a sense of achievement, but because I thought it could be fun. That proved not to be the case...


Probably not alone in thinking these aspects are just part of planning any significant hill trip, point-to-point, on foot/ski/bike or any other sort?

A ) I'm a roadie & appreciate faster tyres..but this is a hill trip, and everybody knows it contains soft terrain, steep descents & drain gaps. - You know you need good off-road tyres.

B ) Why not use the train.? We did, and planned for the last train, arriving in FW with time to have a curry before reeking out the train. - Train ride is part of the deal in the West Highlands.

C ) Plan right, and it will be fun. - Not just the decents, but areas around Orchy/Kingshouse are nice to be out just riding through the scenery, and can be a bit speedy if you like.

If Planning to split the ride into 2 days as you did, which I would recommend if you want to enjoy it anyway, then best to split it 50/50 in terms of legwork, rather than mileage. - Bridge of Orchy is probably the 50% legwork point, rather than Crianlarich area. That's where we split it, and I'd split it there if doing it again.

Planning is everything, and your observations on the ride are useful because it does highlight the importance of being prepared. - I think the comments on drain gaps are also very important, if only because it is likely to discourage any impending Dalek invasion of the Earth...
HighRustler


Posts: 261
Joined: Apr 2007
Last Visited: 17:28
23rd Nov 2020
Re: Cycling The West Highland Way
Date Posted: 21.09hrs on Sat 9 Oct 10
I completed a South - North trip in 19 hours a couple of years ago and have to say I enjoyed it immensely. I think having walked the route twice previously and biked sections like Altnafeadh to Kinlochleven helped as I knew what I was letting myself in for i.e the amount of stiles/gates to cross, the hike a bike section from Inversnaid to the north end of Loch Lomond etc

I agree with Hustler's comments on tyres. I have a 2.25 tubeless tyre set up and was fortunate not to suffer any punctures along the way, but if I was going to do the route again (and I plan to at some point) I would favour a 2.5 tyre to soak up the punishment.

So many memorable sections of the route - for me they far outweigh the effort required to carry, drag and cajole your bike over and around the rocks and trees from Inversnaid to the head of Loch Lomond, although I can understand why this section would spoil many people's enjoyment.

Quite a few mechanicals in the group along the way slowed things down but as Niall mentioned it's very possible to complete the route in less than 14 hours given good fitness and good fortune with mechanical issues.

So when I get round to doing the WHW again I would:

- Go South - North again. For me, S-N flows better.
- Start at 2am in summer - Last time I started at 5am: An early start through the relatively easy Mugdock Country Park and north from Milngavie would see a daylight finish in Fort Bill.
- Use wider tyres (2.5) to maximise enjoyment and minimise punctures along the rougher sections.
- Have a support vehicle if possible. The possibility of a serious mechanical issue is fairly high given the terrain/distance covered. Having a support vehicle to carry extra bits of kit and to provide some welcome hot drinks/food can help make things a little easier. Extra items can then be picked up/left behind at each meeting with the support vehicle. Admittedly it's going to be a complete pain of a day for the support driver, so it would need to be someone with a lot of patience :-)

I know this route will not be to everyone's liking but the changing landscapes and terrain encountered on this route makes it an absolute classic MTB ride in my opinion and a must for anyone who thrives on epic endurance days out in the hills.

DaveE


Posts: 491
Joined: Jan 2007
Last Visited: 20:09
23rd Oct 2014
Re: Cycling The West Highland Way
Date Posted: 00.09hrs on Fri 15 Oct 10
This thread caught my eye as ive just finished reading Novembers MBUK magazine which has an article on biking the WHW. Ive never done the route on a bike but walked it back in April 2000 and thought back then that i'd like to repeat it on a bike one day. The article certainly hypes up this ride as a classic and the rider Dan Milner appears underwhelmed by the loch lomond section and finishes it wondering what all the fuss was about. He suggests doing it from north to south which conflicts with a few of you above. The reason is so that you are most likely to do it facing walkers head on??
I think to get the most of out riding trails like the WHW you need a good level of fitness and know how to handle a mountain bike. My favourate trails are some of those cited in kenny Wilson's mountain bike book of Scotland such as the Torridon routes which has the sort of single track that the likes of GT and the other purpose build trail centres can only dream of. If i had ventured into these trails when i first started mountain biking i would have not have coped however. These are trails where you have to adapt your riding to what's in front of you not the other way around. Part of the appeal is that you don't know what's round the corner and whether its ridable (which it usually is if your good enough). Ive done most of the trail centres in Scotland (kirrochtree or whatever its called and Golspie being best) and they have great year round appeal. I love the features such as drop offs and jumps etc. They do however give you a false sense of security into how well you can handle a bike. I mean the black at GT (the last time i was there) really isnt particularly difficult. They don't have the greasy off camber roots and massively wide drainage ditches to hop and scary steep as hell rock slabs that make Laggen's black seem like a canal path. I was lucky enough to learn my trade in places like contin woods where you really have to shift your body around your bike to remain in control and ride without foot downs. I think some people these days start riding at places like GT and then try natural trails and get a bit of a shock if the terrain gets a bit technical. Many then say you can't ride it or its not good mountain biking. Its like going from skiing a steep piste in Scotland (if one exists) to say double black diamond trees of British Columbia.



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 13.16hrs Fri 15 Oct 10 by DaveE.
DaveE


Posts: 491
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Last Visited: 20:09
23rd Oct 2014
Re: Cycling The West Highland Way
Date Posted: 00.27hrs on Fri 15 Oct 10
Robertio by the way im not suggesting that you are one of those (only trail centre) type of riders im just making a general point. One last point is that i reckon using 2.5 tyres is a little overkill on a route that long, especially if you saviour the climbs as well as the descents. I probably would chose tubeless 2.25's or at most 2.35's on a lightish full susser with around 120mm travel.
Marty


Posts: 2
Joined: Jan 2008
Last Visited: 01:12
30th Nov 2018
Re: Cycling The West Highland Way
Date Posted: 18.00hrs on Sun 7 Nov 10
Have ridden the WHW twice. First time S>N over 3 days and second time N>S over 2 (riding Kingussie>Corrieyairack>GGW>Spean Bridge the day before).

3 days was too many and resulted us being in the bar at the Bridge of Orchy by 1500. 2nd time we split at BoO again and once again spent a little long in the bar... Think 2nd trip took 16 hours all in.

Top end of Loch Lomond is a bit grim, but Balmaha to Inversnaid has some good riding.

Both times on rigid singlespeeds. smiling smiley
coaster


Posts: 222
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Last Visited: 23:14
16th Jan 2017
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Re: Cycling The West Highland Way
Date Posted: 19.26hrs on Mon 15 Nov 10
I rode the WHW from s/n in the late nineties as part of a group raising a few hundred pounds for charity and i can recall pushing the bike over a number of sections in very hot conditions.Funnily enough i remember(vividly!) some topless sun bathers being alarmed as we rode past at the western end of loch lomond.We rode over 2 days in temps approaching 28oC with little wind.I had an Orange E4 hardtail at the time and we stayed at Crianlarich overnight where we enjoyed a welcome barbecue and some aftersun!The final day saw one of our riders coming down with sun stroke and spending some time in the Belford hospital in Fort William.
Sunstroke and Fort William in the same sentence i jest thee not.......
CrispySte


Posts: 229
Joined: Feb 2009
Last Visited: 10:56
28th Feb 2018
Re: Cycling The West Highland Way
Date Posted: 16.56hrs on Tue 3 May 11
I was planning a WHW trip this year, I read the first post here and was nearly put off until reading further down. This guy is obviously a muppit, and I am still looking forward to it!
seocan


Posts: 58
Joined: Mar 2009
Last Visited: 12:35
12th Jun 2016
Re: Cycling The West Highland Way
Date Posted: 09.28hrs on Wed 25 May 11
CrispySte,
myself and two pals did it this last weekend in the wind and rain (it was atrocious weather). Milngavie to Bridge of Orchy on the Saturday and the rest on Sunday.
You'll be fine as long as you have reasonable mtb skills, and can clear an average drainage channel. There were a few I had to get a foot down on but mostly they're rideable. There are plenty uphills which are a good challenge because they're steep and loose, but the downhills are well worth it, especially on the Northern half.
The section from Inversnaid to the end of the loch IS unrideable, but its not a difficult carry and there are short sections you can get on your bike. Day two was at least twice as good as day 1. We did it in 11.5 hours on the saturday and 6.5 on the sunday, with plenty of stop and chat time, and not pushing it at all.
Its a great route, but as it is a walking route you should expect what to get.

My own opinion on this is the 'graded' routes at mtb centres, which are one step removed from being pavemnent in a lot of cases, make people forget what mountain biking is about. Oh aye,and I think Robertio was maybe being a bit of a jesse.
CrispySte


Posts: 229
Joined: Feb 2009
Last Visited: 10:56
28th Feb 2018
Re: Cycling The West Highland Way
Date Posted: 08.12hrs on Thu 26 May 11
seocan Wrote:
My own opinion on this is the 'graded' routes at mtb centres, which are one step removed from being pavemnent in a lot of cases, make people forget what mountain biking is about. Oh aye,and I think Robertio was maybe being a bit of a jesse.


I couldn't agree more! I stay clear of the trail centres and like to head out into the mountains (usually in Cumbria seeing as I'm in England). Hence the plan to ride the WHW. From description, that sounds like my kind of ride grinning smiley cheers.
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