Couple of us thinking about heading to Applecross the next decent weather weekend to do route including the Bealach.

Should I be looking at a lower gear than the 34/28 my roadbike would give me…..

It’s not that bad, if you can normally ride that gearing up 200-300m hills without blowing out yer ass then you’ll manage if you control your effort. The first 2/3rds is at a reasonably consistent gradient and it kicks up a bit towards the top but by then you will have the end in sight.

Finding a decent weather weekend might be your challenge. Also, don’t underestimate the road from Applecross to Shieldag, it is hard going with lots of short sharp climbs.

Depends how well you climb 😉

I did it years ago on 39/26. The hairpins where a bit of a grind but I did not die. I’d say 34/28 would be fine for most reasonably fit cyclists.

No willy-wavers yet? I rode it on a unicycle with a 53:11 towing a caravan. Pathetic that anyone would consider less than a 53:16, that’s what my wife uses for climbs like this.

Should I be looking at a lower gear than the 34/28 my roadbike would give me…..

That depends… are you in the late stages of chronic emphysema? Have you suffered any recent injuries resulting in leg amputations? If no, then I think you know the answer… 😉

(to appease tomd)

its not a steep climb nor is it particularly long.

i found it easy – but then i thought i could climb

i went to france….

i cant climb long climbs worth shit – im a sprint climber 😀

different kind of hills.

Hybrid, on the inaugural Bealach na Ba challenge.. May have been quicker walking up the steep bits (not the hairpins, as it happens, the bits before were worse) but pride dictated I ground up. You’ll be fine really..

lol, that’s better.

Its not that hard really, there’s a long straight, I think it lasts about two miles but I’m not 100% sure, before the hairpins that’s quite a grind but before that and the hairpins themselves are fine.

I wouldn’t say its ‘easy’ and I’m pretty bike fit, but I wouldn’t say it was ‘hard’ either but it depends how fit you are I guess and how much you like climbing. I love a good long climb.

Your twiddly wee gear will be fine 🙂

the next decent weather weekend

So any time after March then 🙂

Rode it on the 17th October and it was scorchio, amazing place to be on such a beautiful day. 26t granny ring turning a 24t on the cassette on my slick’d road 29er was fine. Mrs did it on her flat bar fast hybrid, 30t turning 32t. We’re both fairly fit. Met a couple of lads all the way up from Kent, doing the long weekend thing. One practically danced up it, the other coped until the steepest section just below the switchbacks then had to surrender.
Comments about the second half, Applecross to Shieldaig are well worth noting; those last few short sharp climbs along the Loch Torridon shore may hurt a little. Worthy of a stop is the new cafe at the west end of the waterfront at Shieldaig, great coffee and cake.

I managed most of it in third gear in the car. Then took the bikes off up the top and road up to the radio mast. Think it was 22:32 for a lot of it!

34/28 will be fine. I did it on 34/30 and I’m a crap climber. Word of warning, if you’re doing the loop, the rest of it is way harder than you’d think so save some. Also, take some warm clothes for the descent – it’s fast and exposed to the wind /rain. My other half was definitely hypothermic at the bottom.

Yep, as others have said, it’s not *that* bad, and 34/28 will be fine.

And, as others have also said, the road from Applecross to Shieldaig is probably harder than you may have estimated; quite a lot of short, sharp climbs.

Great route though.

It’s not a bad climb, but it’s about as long as you can get in the UK in one go and it kicks up near the end. The first 4 miles are pretty steady and it’s not a steep gradient at the point. When it does kick up there are hair pains to gain a little rest on. It’s hard to compare to something like hardknott but it’s probably easier in the grand scheme of things.

I’m a lightweight and enjoy climbing, but was fine on a 34-25.

And, as others have also said, the road from Applecross to Shieldaig is probably harder than you may have estimated; quite a lot of short, sharp climbs.

This, over and over again. It’s OK if you’re expecting it, but if you leave it all on the bealach it’ll kick your arse.

Much much easier than Hardknott. Its a few years since I’ve ridden up Bealach na Bà but I don’t remember it being that steep, just a bit relentless.

As others have said, the gradient isn’t too bad, however the wind can make it seem a lot steeper than it is if you get a head wind towards the top.

Also, defiantly take note of the back half of the loop to Shieldaig, it almost looks flat when you plot out the route online, but certainly isn’t! Lovely road along the coast though.

It’s a cracking climb but to reiterate It’s long and not that steep. I wasn’t that fit when I did it and still managed it in about 50 minutes. If you want to take pictures don’t wait till the top but get some just after the hairpins as the view from the top isn’t great. I dont think you can compare the BnBa to hardknott as It’s short and steep.
Dont have a pint of Guiness in the Applecross inn before resuming the ride back to Torridon as though little punchy climbs will only make you feel rank. 😳

It was fine with luggage when I was touring round the west coast*

* 30/32 😉

Waste with less than 80bhp tbh

And when you get to the top, turn off right for a nice steep ascent of the mountain. That was the hardest bit 😉

(Mountain bike only though)

I rode it today 🙂 . 56 “lumpy” miles from Gairloch and across Torridon. Beautiful sunshine at the base turning to freezing rain, hail that burned, fog and a pig of a headwind. I was frozen in 2 layers on the descent and couldn’t grip the brakes coming down which made things interesting, as did my shivering.

I was on a 27. The first few miles are easy going, but the last section just below the S bends was too much for me with the weather and gearing so I had to stop for munchies, and to watch the wild deer in the bowl which was great (apart from the weather).

One of the best day’s I’ve ever had on the bike. The scenery around the area is spectacular. The circular route looks great, but it’s lumpy as well so be prepared for a lot of climbing (it’s about 4800 ft in 45 miles). We drove back that way and it’s a beautiful route with deer everywhere.

The pub in Applecross is excellent. Do it!

Great climb, rode it on a lovely calm summers day in 2010. Here’s the view from near the top looking down at the hairpins:

I do like a good bit of tilt-shift

That’s a great pic 🙂

I would have thought you are going to have to stand up quite a bit to push that gear up there, and if it’s wet that might create traction problems.

I’ve only ever done it on a mountain bike, but if I were on a road or hybrid bike, I think I would prefer a touring gear set up with a 26T C/R and at least a 34T cog out back.

My carbon hybrid now has a 24T C/R and a 34T cog out back in order to make Hardknot easier for my 57 year old legs.

I have to confess that the couple of short, sudden steep(er) bits before the hairpins defeated me earlier in the year. Standard 105 compact chainrings and 30t Ultegra cassette on the back.

*hangs heads in shame*

Good point about the Guinness at the Applecross Inn; best avoided on a ride like this.
Much better is their bottled Tushkar oatmeal stout from Shetland, now that’s a proper ‘energy drink’.

I’ve done it on a 65″ fixie about three times. Depending on wind direction, the lower sections are easier than you might expect. I wasn’t racing, so I stopped for a breather before the hairpins, but I managed to wrestle my way up the hairpins.

The road to Shieldaig is tough. Some of the hills look worse than they are, but I found that the cumulative effect of all the hills can make the last few miles hard work. I didn’t have to walk, but I remember having to give it everything on a few sections.

I remember I kept leap-frogging another cyclist, and the first time I saw him he was quite chipper. Each time I saw him his voice became weaker and more querulous, and he began to ask, “How many miles to go?” and ‘”Are we nearly there yet?” The last I saw him he was stopped and hanging his head over his handlebars!

From memory, the worst bit is the end of the ‘straight’ bit before the left hand bend into the hairpins. It doesn’t look any steeper than the rest of it, but it feels vertical…