Well done sir. It is a fantastic ride.
For the best time to do it – I would say in the months when you have a lot of daylight. It goes through stunning mountain scenery and (for me) it would be a shame to miss seeing it. I may have been lucky but when I did it on a Wednesday in late July I didn’t encounter very many walkers. I’d fitted a bell for when I needed it but that wasn’t often. I think from Victoria Bridge onwards I only saw two people on the trail.
Actually, my intention had been to ride it on the longest day but I’m at the point of forever abandoning the idea of doing anything on that day as the last few years it’s been rubbish.