Just been to the Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival and thinking I need to plan an adventure/challenge.

Suits my lifestyle cos I am too skint for a proper holiday. I’ve done off road tours before so I know how grim it can get.

But I only own racks and panniers, no backpacking gear 😛

Anyone on here able to comment on doing it in say a week? Fun or miserable?

when you thinking ? i wouldnt mind going for a ride round it when the weather picks up – or should that be dies down.

tbh i think doing ti with panniers would be fairly misrable…. if you have a 19 inch ish frame i could russell up a frame bag and a bar bag – as mrs t-r has kit. She doesnt have a rear bag though.

A lot will depend on the weather, sunny with a gentle breeze (to keep the midges away) and it will be tough but enjoyable; the summer equivalent of what we are having at the moment and it will be grim. You also tend to need to try it before the stalking season starts (technically 1st July).

I take it you’ve seen the finishing times from the group start – http://www.highlandtrail.net/index.html and click on “Ride Records” not that many get under 7 days (unless you mean a two weekend week).

Edit: You might also consider the original shorter version which would definitely be doable in a week. Basically it misses the northern loop up to Bealach Horn.

It’ll very much depend on your definition of “fun”. You might find it fun to get around it within a self-imposed deadline or you might regret passing through so many nice places with no time to stop and take it in. That might be less of an issue for you if you’ve already been on most of the route and you’re really just stitching it all together. There are also some significant hike-a-bike sections that you might not have chosen if you’d been planning your own route.

Thanks all. Was thinking of the mass start event.

I’d like to tour round the area (again) but I’m looking for a new challenge, and a reason to keep my fatbike!

This years mass start is already full. An email to Alan Goldsmith might get you on the standby list – if there’s space.

have you done a qualifying event recently ? know a couple of people who were knocked back even having done one…. seems to be a mixed international field this year…..

Lol, sounds like some preparation needed!

Oh aye – and SPOT Trackers are obligatory for the mass start. I think there was somewhere you could hire them from for last years event.

http://www.highlandtrail.net/

http://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=6420

It’ll very much depend on your definition of “fun”

Type 2 only need apply

Meh. I’ll need to find something else.

You could still do it as an ITT. You choose start date/timescale. No SPOT, no qualifying event required.

I know. Not sure I’d be arsed!

“You could still do it as an ITT”

Is that like another name for going out for a ride on your bike ? 😀

Depends if you want to log your time and let the world know how fast/slow you are 🙂

How ride-able is the route? Some of the write-ups emphasize a lot of hike-a-bike.

Lacking any money this year I was thinking of doing something like this, but as a holiday I’ve less interest in doing type 2 challenges for the sake of them!

10-15% hike-a-bike? Maybe less with this years changes. Depends on ability, fitness load and conditions though.

Probably more than I’d like, 50-80miles is a lot of walking!

Know of any ~400mile routes designed to minimise hike-a-bike? I know the Lakes 200 was designed to maximise it, so that’s off, and I’ve ridden a fair bit of the Dales and NYM so fancy going somewhere new (i.e. Scotland).

Have a look at the HT550 route. There are certainly points at which a little (quiet) road work would bypass a bit of walking. I suppose it’s trying to get the balance of the stunning scenery and ease of pedalling.

The Cairngorms Loop is only 186 miles, though still includes some walking. It would be a good taster though and you could supplement it by starting in Fort William, or even Milngavie and do the West Highland Way first.

scottish coast to coast ?

can be as much or as little hike a bike as you want.

There is some i would recomend doing and some i would actively avoid if doing it again ….

I know a few people who have got involved one of whom has finished it twice and then set up the Capital trail as part of the Edinburgh Festival of Cycling http://www.edfoc.org.uk/events/event/capital-trail-220/

One other guy pulled out after a couple of mechanicals and getting very cold and miserable after day 4+ he said one of the biggest challenges was the creeping isolation. Afterwards I showed him the thread on here and elsewhere as well as the Twitter chat from our local Bike club (he is also a member) and he had no idea anyone was paying attention! He’s decided to enter again for 2016. I am tempted but have never spent that amount of time out on my own and think I would find that more of challenge than anything else. Plus I also support what @Scotroutes says.

Will look at those other routes. I’m unlikely to motivate myself if I don’t feel its a race.

I did the Colorado trail in 1992, took 3 weeks for 500 miles, im well used to being a lonely ****!

These should help give you an idea of how long a HT550 tour would take.

Colorado Trail Race Results 2015 http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/ultra-racing/ctr-2015-results/

Highland Trail Results 2015
http://www.highlandtrail.net/riderecords2015.html

I hold the dubious record of the worst finishing record for an actual finisher (1 in 3).

In 2013, I got to Contin then binned it
In 2014 I finished (7days, 4hrs, 15mins)
In 2015 I scratched in Ullapool after a horrific bonk and some injuries coming back, and also a 2014 finish meant I didn’t need to continue.

In short, it’s tough, it’s grim, it’s long, and it’s bloody good fun.

Here’s some reading material, but drop me a message if any other questions or I’ll be online tonight: https://alasdairmc.wordpress.com/2014/11/16/highland-trail-550-2014-attempt-first-post/