Anything simlar to the Deeside way?

I’m just back from a thoroughly enjoyable mountain biking/bikepacking hybrid trip. Let’s maybe call it “hardpacking”? 😉

We set up our mountain bikes for bikepacking and used the Deeside way to get from Aberdeen to Ballater, and when we got to Ballater we stripped off the bikepacking addenda and rode the mountain biking/enduro trails around there and Aboyne.

It was a really fun way to go on a mountain biking holiday. Combining the smugness of bikepacking with the gnar of proper mountain biking.

The beauty of it is that the Deeside way is a very pleasant ride in. Relatively flat, and short enough (~40miles) that it’s possible to do it in day on a hardcore hardtail.

My question is, are there other similar combinations of trails? ie trails in the mountains with accomodation nearby that are a relatively easy pedal in from a train station.

PS when we do it again, we’d stay in Aboyne because it would make the ride in/out slightly quicker by an hour. I’d also use slightly easier rolling tyres than an Assegai/DHR combination.

Have they sorted out the bit(s) where it disappears between Banchory and Aboyne? Used to be you had to head up Scolty to Kinker, then it disappeared again in Kinker, reappeared in Dess, disappeared again, then sort of reappeared in a spiderwebby way in Aboyne. Agreed it’s lovely, though. Used to cycle commute to Aberdeen along it from Bunkry, and regularly do Dinnet to Ballater with a trailer on the back when the kids were much younger. 😀

@misteralz -you still have to head up Scolty, but only a small part of it is on the (very quiet) road, the rest of it is separate trail.

There was one part that was blocked by fallen trees just before Aboyne where we had to divert on the road, the rest was pretty easy to follow and 95% + was off the road.

Ahhhh, nice!

My question is, are there other similar combinations of trails? ie trails in the mountains with accomodation nearby that are a relatively easy pedal in from a train station.

Mabie is very close to Dumfries, Dalbeattie and Ae Forest a little further away.

Fair bit of nice riding around North Wales, accessible from Conwy / Llandudno – natural trails around Dum Mountain, or down the valley to Llanrwst / Penmachno

That’s a good shout, thanks.

and of course, there are trains between Manchester and Sheffield through the middle of the Peak District, some nice riding there, or trains through Calderfornia aka Calderdale

Rob Roy way, Speyside Way?

Both of those look interesting @Fat-boy-fat, thanks

Train to FtWilliam, ride to/around Laggan, and leave via train at Aviemore.

Train to Pitlochry, over to Glen Lyon, ride at Glassie, ride on to Dunkeld and trails, train out again.

Black Isle and Learnie RedRocks from Inverness?

Great Glen way?

Both of those look interesting

Speyside way has Monster Trails en-route.

Speyside way has Monster Trails en-route

And Glenlivet just off the Tomintoul spur

And Glenlivet just off the Tomintoul spur

Of course.
I’ve even ridden it. D’oh.

Kramer, that sounds great. I watched Laura’s video of the Deeside Trail and while it looked ace, I couldn’t help thinking about the frustration of travelling all the way up there from Yorkshire to potter past it all on the fatty.

We did the Traws Eryri recently with a few techy additions and need a new challenge.

Should the West Highland Way be on our list too?

If you fancied a Calderdale one I’m sure we could sort you one out.

From Sunderland you can follow route 7 which is pretty much traffic free to Stanhope and then pop over the hill to Hamsterley forest for trail centre, moorland and woodland trials. I’ve not ridden much of the route but I think it mainly follows old rail lines.

Northern trains to Sunderland are easy with bikes too. Chips by the sea at Roker before getting the train home are also recommended. There is a proper wide cycle path, separate from the road and pavement with a dotted white line down the middle along the sea front at Roker. I was very pleasantly surprised when I rode through a week or so back.

@slowol – I did a fair amount of the stuff round there when I visited last month. I agree that’s the sort of stuff I’m looking for.

NCN 7 is indeed a cracker of a ride.

Looking at the map you can do similar using route 7 on the West coast. Start from Whitehaven, Workington or Penrith and head along route 7 to stop somewhere near Keswick. Lots of options for MTB from there at Whinlatter for trail centre, Borrowdale bash or Skiddaw if you want to put the mountain in biking.

Trains are relatively easy to any of those start locations. When we did the Hadrian cycle route a week and a half ago Newcastle to St Bees only cost £12.30 booking an advance ticket the day before and bikes were no problem.

Edit: I like your concept of combining easy touring / bikepacking with a bit of mountain biking. Looks like a great long weekend / short holiday concept.

Edit 2: could also do Bristol to Forest of Dean on route 4 or link some of the S. Wales trail centres using the network of valleys cycles route. Similar possible in N. Wales or even Stoke or Birmingham to Cannock for and escape from the city without the car.

 I like your concept of combining easy touring / bikepacking with a bit of mountain biking. Looks like a great long weekend / short holiday concept.

Thanks, we really enjoyed it. The two worked well in contrast to each other.

WHW to Drymen then Rob Roy way. Take in Aberfoyle, Glassie Bike Park and Pitlochry.

A pleasant journey with some tricky trials and even some bike park.

WHW or Sarn Helen were the long-distance trails that sprang to mind for me.

Maybe get train to Crianlarach and ride on to Kinlochleven on the WHW from there, then Fort Bill to return.

Dava way – Moray coast trail- speside way trilogy looks lovely, I’ve done various sections and it’s beautiful

Just wondering about the Pictish trail north, goes through golspie  Train access etc

You could start in Edinburgh and ride through the Pentlands taking the Drove road to the Tweed Valley.

Should the West Highland Way be on our list too?

My memory of the WHW – the stuff by loch Lomond was (quite a few years ago now) a bit vague and tussocky and a PITA.   But on a later trip we just started at King’s House and rode to Ft W (then a road bash  to get to Crainlarich where the ferry is). I still relate this as the best single day out riding in ‘proper hills’ that I’ve ever done. Nothing uber gnar as I recall, but a proper big day out in proper hills.