Covid permitting, I'm planning to do the West Highland Way mid-April, family won’t be actually doing it but will be along for the trip so planning to do it over three days to make sure it’s manageable and there’s plenty of time to do other things too. Plan is Milngavie to Inverarnan on day 1 (41 miles), Inverarnan to Kingshouse on day 2 (31 miles), and Kingshouse to Fort William on day 3 (24 miles).
I've searched the forum, and Google, consensus on bike choice seems to be either a hardtail or lightweight FS bike.
I have a suitable hardtail 29er (120mm Titus) , a hardtail fat bike, and a 29er 130mm FS frameset which would need built up. I already have a spare wheelset, probably most of a drivetrain etc, main thing I’d need to do is get set of suitable forks for the frameset build if required.
I know it’s a walkers path and I get the feeling that the HT 29er would be fine, but I suppose my concern is that I end up picking my way down the rough descents. The HT fatbike is certainly more capable and an option, but then the FS would be more capable again on any rough descents. So I suppose it comes down to a balance between exactly how much of the route is rougher descents, where a HT will manage but perhaps not be the most enjoyable?
So what would you recommend, and any other tips?
PS – Tyres will be tubeless, and I know about the Loch Lomond section and I’m 99.9% certain I’ll do it anyway.
There's a fair amount of discussion around whether it's CX suitable. Which tells you pretty much what you need to know.
The descent from Conic would be better full sus. The track past inverarnan and the old road across Rannoch Moor are quite bumpy so slightly better with some suspension IMHO, but I'm nesh.
Then the Devil's Staircase would be better on a full suss.
But that's pretty much it. If you like riding hardtails then take one. DS and Conic are the only bits that rate suspension really.
If ( when) I do it again I'll take the Anthem. I think it would be really slow and hard work on my Occam 140/150mm.
This thread has pictures of almost every inch of the trail. Take a look and make your mind up
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/wet-highland-way-duathlon-with-the-wean/
Haven't done the bit south of Crianlarich but for the northern bit anything from a rigid HT upwards will be fine. You'll be pushing up most of the Devil's Staircase and out of Kinlochleven regardless of bike so there's really only the descent of the DS into Kinlochleven that would favour a FS. Obviously there's the constant chatter of the low level roughness of the old military roads to consider as well.
I've done the Crianlarich-Ft William bit S-N on a HT, N-S on a rigid HT and N-S on a short travel FS, all with bikepacking kit. Not much between them TBH but will probably be on the FS when I next do it.
I'm planning on doing the WHW next summer providing we're not in tier 25. I am getting a new Curtis XC9 in Feb, which I plan on using for the 4 day trip. A hardtail should be fine for the job.
Well worth a watch
My conclusion based on this was FS but I'm a wimp with a doggey knee.
Only one additional consideration to add to the comments above; which one is easiest and which worst to cart up and down the rockier sections of Lomondside on the unrideable parts? There are a few spots where you will have to briefly carry the bike up or down slippery boulders.
Personally, I'd be on the hardtail from your selection, you don't 'need' the FS and the fatty may be heavier to lump about. Dropper post is pretty useful.
Over three days then the hardtail will be fine.
For a one-day attempt I'll be taking the Occam, just for the added comfort.
What Scotroutes says.
Descent from top of the DS is pretty smooth these days, conic hill is pretty rough, by far the techiest descent on the whole way.
Only one additional consideration to add to the comments above; which one is easiest and which worst to cart up and down the rockier sections of Lomondside on the unrideable parts?
This is arguably the most important consideration!
I’ve walked the WHW, and then ridden most bits between Tyndrum and Fort William at some point because they’re local. Carrying a bike on the first bit must be a total ballache. My recollection of the descent off Conic Hill is that it was pretty steep but I’ve only walked that, not ridden it, so wasn’t really paying attention to what it would be like to ride down. Devils staircase to Kinlochleven is fine on a hard tail, especially now they’ve sanitised it and removed all the fun.
Enjoy your trip!
I did it on a 100m 29er full sus anthem which was perfect in my view. 17 hours in total and still body took a beating. And best advice i got was to take some pipe lagging for the top tube to help when carrying.
Definitely not the fat bike. Other than that, I'd say the FS purely due to the sheer horror of riding up the military road to Glencoe if you are doing South to North. That is a horrible, seemingly never ending wobbly pain in the back. I would hate to do it on a HT. While the descents aren't super technical, od say they would be more fun on the FS, particularly the descent down to the aforementioned wobbly nightmare from the hill behind Crianlarich.
Hhhhhmmmmmmm thinks. There seems to be a few people did an IAD this year, or fancy doing one in the future
If, for a moment we set aside the pandemic....
and the limited chance of getting a decent weather window...
...I was to book AMS van to transport 8 people and bikes back from Fort William to Milngavie on Sunday morning 20 June at 11 am...
The early birds could leave Milngavie at heinous o clock on Saturday morning. People like me, who enjoy their sleep, could leave at 9am and all drift northwards. The whippets would get to Fort Bill in time for last orders, and the chubbers like me in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Anyone that bailed could be picked up by the van on its Sunday morning run south.
And indeed anyone who fancied a more leisurely trip would just need to leave on the appropriate day Thursday/Friday/Wednesday.
Whaddaya reckon?
I’d say the FS purely due to the sheer horror of riding up the military road to Glencoe if you are doing South to North.
Whereas I did that on my VN Amazon #gradventourer last year (650x47 tyres) and thought it was OK.
Sounds good thegeneralist, I'd like to do it again, we did it in August at a VERY sociable pace! 😂 I'd like to have something to train for and look at doing it around the 17hr mark.
Tbh I know I was on a 160FS but I didn't really think the route over from Tulla to Glencoe was really very rough at all.
I've had an IAD in mind for a few years but my logistics wouldn't work out. I'd also likely go midweek.
The Generalist: Just a wee heads up. That's the weekend of the WHW Race ultra marathon, so you'll be sharing the trail with an extra 230 runners, who will have set off at 0100 Saturday from Milngavie. It's not a huge conflict but worth knowing about. They'll all be off Lomondside by late morning.
Thanks all for your input, sounds like the 29er HT is the sensible choice, I’m pretty happy on it in the rough stuff but didn’t want to be kicking myself thinking I’d need to do it again on a FS to get the best out of it.
This thread has pictures of almost every inch of the trail. Take a look and make your mind up
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/wet-highland-way-duathlon-with-the-wean//blockquote >
Excellent thread which I'd missed and what looks like an excellent trip, I think it will be a few years yet before I could try convincing my 3 year old!
And best advice i got was to take some pipe lagging for the top tube to help when carrying.
Good shout, will be added to the list.
How does the West Highland Way compare to the Trans Cambrian Way?
Easier or harder physically? More or less technical?
How does the West Highland Way compare to the Trans Cambrian Way?
Easier or harder physically? More or less technical?
The WHW (well the northern bit) is on hard pack or stone trails so fairly weather resilient - the first time I rode it was the weekend when the Ft William world cup was cancelled/delayed because of the high winds and rain and it was generally rideable. The TCW is pretty boggy when it's wet - there was one section near Dylife where I had to push downhill the mud was so sticky and almost impossible to push through.
There's nothing really technical on the TCW but you've Conic Hill and the Devil's Staircase on the WHW.
Thanks. TCW is very tame, so that’s good to hear. I’ll have to come up and blast the WHW some time.
The times on it seem pretty quick but the guy in the video wasn’t exactly doing it under ITT rules.
Lochlomondside is a totla ball ache and I would avoid if you can. Other than that the route is great and a 29er either HT or full sus is grand.
Either way have a good time if you do it/ I had welts on my arse after 14hrs of doing it in the saddle.
Also- the hike a bike bit is packed with ticks. Had to take 12 of them off my legs after that section alone. YHBW!
Ticks as well as midges and gingers?!
Maybe not then...
No ticks here, and if you avoid lochlomondside, then you've not done the WHW!.
I've got ferry across before, tbh it takes you quite a bit south again, meaning a horrible road pedal on the super busy and tight A82.
Excellent thread which I’d missed
That'll be because I stuck a dollar in the thread title
We$t Highland Way Duathlon with the Wean
rather than an S, to placate people like NaeBeer....
Lochlomondside is a totla ball ache and I would avoid if you can.
and if you avoid lochlomondside, then you’ve not done the WHW!.
The thinking being that the north end of loch Lomond is loads of ups and downs and wiggles and stuff, like an S. But when I did it with the kid we just jumped in a kayak and straight lined it. Like the bit that turns an S into a Dollar...
I figured I'd get loads of diss if I claimed to have done the WHW with the kid if I hadn't.
I'll get my coat.
Oh I soooo much want to go biking.
Lol! Tbh I noticed there's a double track that you leave not long after inversnaid, then rejoin when the worst of it is over, if that continues I'd do that next time! And miss out the whole bloody clamberfest 😂
Can't see that track on Google maps/earth.
Aye, I'm sure it's too good to be true!!
clamberfest- yes if you are a purist but a sadist. Otherwise I'd avoid it.
Tbh I noticed there’s a double track that you leave not long after inversnaid, then rejoin when the worst of it is over, if that
I thought that was at a different pont to the worst of the ladders/ rocks....
I mentioned it in my thread and the consensus was that it avoids a new section of path, but not the ladders.
Would like to know for sure...
And also, which way do you need to go for the full tick?
I've done it on a hardtail 29er..nothing to worry it at all. Would do it again on my rigid fat bike no worries. Never doing the loch lomand shitty section with ANY bike ever again,I believe you can avoid it. Think I'll bike pack it next time.
For the best tick experience, go to any of the sections with wild goats. That's quite a bit of the route, then....
@Mole yes, it is shitty.
@OP it was the hike a bike bit last summer Loch lomond side that was a tick fest. Honestly I would avoid this part in future. IMHO obvs
I mentioned it in my thread and the consensus was that it avoids a new section of path, but not the ladders.
There's definitely a quad track that the track after the ladders emerges onto, as my riding buddy had a proper nasty fall down onto the loch shore from the section 5m before the ladder, that I remember clearly. Whether it actually links up to the quad track you come off just after inversnaid, perhaps I was just getting my hopes up for next time! 😂
I did it self-supported in 3 days on a coil sprung 160 bike with proper tyres. It sucked. Adding bags, 3 days food to a 35lb bike did not make Lomond etc hike-a-bike pleasant.
I'd say ~120 fs is perfect, although any fs+dropper limits you on seat packs if you're doing >1 day.
For a one day effort you don't really need much, there's loads of food options along the way, I only carried enough food to get to Tyndrum.
A very light change if clothing fir next day, and a good weather window meant a 20 litre pack, and not near full.