This Saturday, 28 April there will be around 800 ultra runners setting off from Milngavie at 0600, heading for Tyndrum. I'd respectfully suggest that if you were thinking of being on that 53 mile section of the trail this weekend, that you consider adapting or changing plans. The leaders will cover the ground to Tyndrum in about 7 hours and the tail enders will get there at around 2100hrs. In between it will be very busy indeed.
That's awfy inconsiderate of them. 😆
Oddly most people tend to organise WHW trips more than 5 days in advance - can’t see many people changing anything
I take it the forestry workers know so they can adapt or change their plans? Wouldn't want to inconvenience the runners 😉
Once they spread out, it won't be that much of an inconvenience, I would consider it a quite pleasant change to stop every now and then, give the competitors a clap and bit of encouragement.
I’d respectfully suggest that if you were thinking of being on that 53 mile section of the trail this weekend, that you consider adapting or changing plans.
On the other hand I’d respectfully suggest that if you were thinking of being on that 53 mile section of the trail this weekend, that you go right ahead as you’ve just as much right to be there as anyone else and maybe they should go and race somewhere else more appropriate/less busy.
And folk on here wonder why mountain bikers have a bad rep. FFS 😉
Maybe taking the tone of giving people a heads up on the busyness of the trail would be better received than ‘respectfully suggesting’ that they stay away.
remember to ride 4 abreast on the wide sections.
And yell "STRAAVAAA!!!!" as you come up behind them.
And yell “STRAAVAAA!!!!” as you come up behind them.
hmmm, even if I set of at half 4 they'd still beat me there! 😆 props to the ultas runner, they are hard as nails!
My partner and I started the WHW on the same day as the race a couple of years ago. TBH it made precisely chuff all difference to our walk. The many, many waypeople we got to know along the way said pretty much exactly the same thing.
The Scottish six day trials at Kinlochleven, however, were more of a challenge but it meant we got a second night at the Kings House Hotel so all was good. Got to see some nice classic trials bikes in scrutineering too 🙂
Respect to the runners, and good on them...but really?! I don’t think there’s a need to vacate the entire south end of the WHW for them all day. It’s not that narrow. And where it is I’m sure folk’ll let them by and cheer them on.
Fails all around on this thread. OP got his tone wrong (qtip has it better) and responses come over with a touch of the wazzock. I hope everyone has a lovely day irrespective.
I think the "touch of the wazzock" in the responses was brought on by the "self righteous arseyness" of the OP to be fair.
Agree with the sentiment though, everyone have a great day, regardless of "the warning".
In semi-related news had a good days riding today on the whw from Fort William to Kinlochleven. Was expecting basic fireroad, got fireroad plus single track plus good stony doubletrack. Many water splashes, not just from the sky either.
Path sharing was no problem, courteous and friendly people of many nationalities
Some right knobby responses.
I would be glad of the info (although perhaps a bit late the f a trip already planned, but I would check before going what was happening)
Let people have their day, it’s an event only run once a year.
Let people have their day, it’s an event only run once a year.
I reckon most people walking the WHW will only be doing it once a year too.
knobby OP = knobby responses
For those who don't know, its the semi-legendary Highland Fling:
https://www.highlandflingrace.org/
If you want to ride your MTB on the day, just do it- the organisers are cool with it. Just use the usual consideration that you'd have for walkers, and maybe use extra care if you're riding North to South.
Good lord, talk about flaming the messenger!!!Some folk really need to take a look at themselves and their attitude towards respecting others. As part of the race team (chief medic), a keen MTBer and busy trail advocate, I put a lot of effort into helping other folk get as much enjoyment from outdoor life as possible.
I volunteer at a dozen or more MTB & ultra trail events every year, have done for donkey's years. A wee bit of planning or some adapting might help someone enjoy their Saturday more than if they found themselves ensnared among several hundred slow moving runners near the back of the pack. That's it. The original message is a wee heads up; if it is relevant to you, please take it as such.
If you want to ride your MTB on the day, just do it- the organisers are cool with it
not like they have a choice do they?
'they' being the unpaid volunteers who annually put hundreds of hours of work into multiple events for the benefit of others, without financial reward.
'they' also being keen runners, bikers, skiers, sailors, kayakers and everything else besides, who understand access rights in Scotland and work within the framework to give as many folk as possible the best experience they can, while keeping it all as safe as practical.
Yes, we're cool with it. As are the numerous private landlords, local businesses along the Way, the Forestry Commission, the Ranger Service and national park authority, Police Scotland, Scottish Athletics, several local councils and over 200 volunteer marshals & medics.
Thanks for the heads-up @highlandman. That's my local trail and I weekly ride it either up to Rosies Road or along to the Distillery. I'll go somewhere else this weekend as a quiet day on the WHW is often like Sauchiehall Street, so I can imagine this weekend being particularly problematic.
Running an event on Scotland's busiest right of way, 'advising' people not to use it, then getting a tad flouncy when folk respond less than enthusiastically - it's a win all round for the 'semi-legendary Highland Fling' I'd say 🙂
I'm nowhere near it, but if I was I'd probably avoid it so that I'm not shown up by a 60 year old racing whippet who's going quicker than me up a hill!
it’s a win all round for the ‘semi-legendary Highland
never even heard of it before.
Yes, we’re cool with it.
don't really have an option do you 😉
Damn, you guys are a bunch of miserable so and sos. An event organiser helpfully posted up a message stating when and where his event was happening, how many people were to be part of it and suggested that we, as cyclists, might have a better time elsewhere that day rather than constantly passing slower runners on a narrow trail. At no point did he suggest that the trail was closed for his event, nor that you couldn't ride it if you really wanted to - he simply provided some useful information which people were free to heed or not as they saw fit.
And you lot flamed him for it.
Nicely done and great way to ensure that he doesn't bother to let people know next time (or, in fact, ever bother to post here again). A simple "thanks, that's useful information" would have sufficed and if he got a bit snarky in his later replies, I can't blame him at all based on the earlier replies to his post.
Honestly, sometimes I despair...
On the other hand I’d respectfully suggest that if you were thinking of being on that 53 mile section of the trail this weekend, that you go right ahead as you’ve just as much right to be there as anyone else and maybe they should go and race somewhere else more appropriate/less busy.
Typical STW response, to a perfectly polite heads up from the OP. Any need to be such an arse?
Any need to be such an arse?
I wonder if this could be emblazoned across the top of the whole site...?
I wonder if this could be emblazoned across the top of the whole site…?
Or just re-name the whole site.......
Typical STW response, to a perfectly polite heads up from the OP. Any need to be such an arse?
A friendly "Just letting you know we're running this event here, so if you're in the area it'll be quite busy, but please cheer on the competitors if you're about!", would have been polite.
The tone of the OP, title and body, was not polite. The inference of the text is that he/she believes they have the right to tell others to keep off what I understand is a public right of way, is equally so.
The refusal of the poster to acknowledge it? Draw your own conclusions.
Yep - the heads up was a good idea. Shame it was so clumsily worded as it suggested a sense of entitlement.
A friendly “Just letting you know we’re running this event here, so if you’re in the area it’ll be quite busy, but please cheer on the competitors if you’re about!”, would have been polite.
The tone of the OP, title and body, was not polite. The inference of the text is that he/she believes they have the right to tell others to keep off what I understand is a public right of way, is equally so.
The refusal of the poster to acknowledge it? Draw your own conclusions.
Completely disagree. I suspect the limitations of text based communication are at play here, coupled with the poor attitude of many of the regulars on here. The only 'tones' I'm picking up are those of self entitled losers with chips on their shoulders, bitter at their lack of achievement in life, who react badly if they think someone is telling them what to do.....perhaps I am misjudging the tone and inference in the text though, and reading too much into it :-).
I've read and reread the op. I don't see this tone you lot are seeing. It was a perfectly reasonable heads-up that some folk just want to read differently.
I think this was meant to be a heads up, but this bit:
I’d respectfully suggest that if you were thinking of being on that 53 mile section of the trail this weekend, that you consider adapting or changing plans.
Reads like an attempt to make people go elsewhere. If you'd hadn't noticed, people don't like to be told what to do.
OP doesn't do themselves any favours with their response:
I volunteer at a dozen or more MTB & ultra trail events every year, have done for donkey’s years.
Which comes across as trying to qualify themselves to make the recommendation to tell people what to do. It's reads just as badly as 'I'm an engineer don't you know'.
It’s reads just as badly as ‘I’m an engineer don’t you know’.
As part of the race team (chief medic)
ha ha ha ha
A friendly “Just letting you know we’re running this event here, so if you’re in the area it’ll be quite busy, but please cheer on the competitors if you’re about!”, would have been polite.
The tone of the OP, title and body, was not polite. The inference of the text is that he/she believes they have the right to tell others to keep off what I understand is a public right of way, is equally so.
The refusal of the poster to acknowledge it? Draw your own conclusions.
this^^ +1
Some folk really need to take a look at themselves and their attitude towards respecting others.
oh the ironing
The easiest thing would have been to say.
Alright troops, wee heids up, there's ultra marathon thingy happening on the WHW on saturday, so the guys will appreciate your support as they pass by you. It's a race, so help them along, give them a wee bit of space and cheer as they pass. Gonny be a great day, should create a good buzz in the trail we hope you'll get involved!!
I still disagree.
If any of you have ever cycled along the WHW at the weekend you'll know it's always super busy. Constantly slowing for dog walkers. Often stuck behind folk with earphones who can't hear your bell. And of course there's plenty of hikers walking the WHW proper, full length. In short, you have to reign in your riding. Which is fine.
This weekend, with 800 runners added to the mix, I can't see that being any fun to ride through. It's not the widest of trails, so slowing to squeeze past packs of runners every couple of minutes just sounds like a pain. I may well go anyway given the weather doesn't lend itself to a longer ride elsewhere. Still, I appreciated the heads-up.
I'm still of the opinion he was merely saying heads up - trail traffic this weekend, you might enjoy riding someplace else more, otherwise be warned your ride may be slower and less fun. Once the internet jumped down his throat he was merely saying, look I'm an MTBer too, and I don't just take part in running events trying to ruin your riding day.
It's never really that busy. once you get out of milngavie it gets fairly spread out and the dog walkers dissapear(They never walk far. it'll be the same at the populated bit further on.
They are starting at 6 am, so they'll be well ahead of any walkers or mtbers out of milngavie.
tbh if conic hill is busy, that'll be their biggest bottle neck point.
Mountains and molehills springs to mind for me.
It’s never really that busy.
Hope you mean the race here and not the WHW! Dropping down to Victoria Bridge at the end of last year's HT550 was like trying ride along Blackpool prom!
'It’s never really that busy'
Strongly disagree, I did it last year on my bike in late September thinking it'd be quieter it was alot busier than I thought.
Agree with the sense of entitlement in the original post. Sentiment was there delivery was open to interpretation.
Live and let live etc.
I was just checking for something on the WHW and came across a notice that there will be works on the lower end of the Devil's Staircase heading towards Kinlochleven. The notices states that access will be kept open at all times but obviously there could be machinery moving about.
I'm assuming this year since there's no date attached to the posting but Monday 9th April is this year, not last.
