[Closed] NC500 - Tips

Don't do it in April or the start of May as the Bealach na Ba will be closed during the (week)day.

Thanks Scotroutes, we are doing it early june

I'm attempting to contact the contractors to find out if the road will still be passable for cyclists.

Keep your ears open for cars, campervans, etc coming up behind you.

Don't rush, there's (hopefully) some great views to take in. Some sections have long gaps between refuelling points (I don't remember seeing anything between Poolewe and Ullapool for example*) so worth having something like Alpkit Stem Cells to keep snacks in.

* There must have been something like a cafe/craft centre off-route - worth spending a while with google streetview on that score.

There are a few places between Poolewe and Ullapool.

Of the top of my head there's Aultbea, a cafe on the downhill before Dundonnell, the Dundonnell hotel itself and a wee coffee shop/gallery before the turn off to the Leiters and the Coffin Road.

But as a general point, don't expect regular coffee/cakes stops 🙂

amend the route for the last section. If your doing it clockwise when you reach Dornach, head up the A836 then take the B9176 to dingwall. The A9 is awful on that section and ruins the last bit of the ride imo.

My wife and a colleague did it at the end of May last year, cycling for 7 days. I drove a camper van round as support, which was surprisingly enjoyable.

The main thing they changed was not to come down the A9. They cycled Durness to Thurso one day, stayed in Thurso overnight, then backtracked a bit the next morning, along towards Melvich, then south to Forsinard, Aultnahara and then overnight in Lairg. Then through to Inverness to finish the next day. The roads were very quiet, and made the last couple of days a bit more pleasant.

+1 for avoiding the A9, it isn't much fun for cycling.

You can turn off at Tain, and head for the Cromarty Ferry. Then a nice ride through the Black Isle to Inverness. Just check the ferry times beforehand.

+1 for dodging as much of the A9 as possible, its pretty miserable.

Get a good quality packable waterproof and some water repellent leg/knee warmers

Don't forget midge repellent.

Don't expect to be able to get breakfast at any hotels unless you had a room there.

Don't expect to get an early start if you want breakfast

The section between Lochinver and Unapool is brutal, make sure its part of a short day.

Budget a few £ more than expected for lunch each day.

Tips? Find a different thing to do. Have a read of the recent thread on doing the NC by van. Same applies but worse on a bike sadly.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/north-coast-500-anyone-done-it/

The thought of riding those (often narrow) roads with that much motorised traffic seemly not used to driving narrow roads feels like a miserable way to spend a holiday.

Find a better/different route in Scotland instead.

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