west highland way

A mate and I are thinking of having a crack at the West Highland Way.
Has anyone any thoughts on this route?

North to South or South to North?
Time of year?
Is it doable on a rigid geared bike or is bounce necessary?
How many days 2/3/more?
Any recommended websites?
Any luggage carrying services for laziness?

South to North. It would hardly seem like an achievement to “arrive” in Glasgow.

Anything is doable on a rigid geared bike. Front suspension might be appreciated for comfort and for bits like the Devils Staircase descent.

Some folk are doing it one (long) day, so 2 seems like it would be enough.

Google for the West Highland Way

Luggage?

The most difficult riding will be the section up Lomondside after Rowardennan as this will definitely involve some carrying. The rest is mostly on good, made path.

You might want to skip some small sections across fields and the like and just use the road (e.g. from Kinghouse to the DS).

Yep, would agree with druidh, can be done on a hardtail no problem, rigid forks would be punishing after the first 100k or so though!

I went tubeless before i did it and really appreciated it, very rocky in places, and some nasty drainage ditches too..

I quite enjoy the section between kingshouse and the devil’s staircase, but it is a bit pointless if you’re in a hurry/knackered.

2 75km days seemed good to us, although we didn’t pace ourselves or eat properly. The walking section along lomonside is a pain but not so bad if you’re anticipating it, and the riding either side of it is ace.

i think south to north also gives you shorter (sharper) climbs and longer, faster descents.

OK – I gotta ask about your logon id……

South to north would def be the best option.

I’ve done the top half with my pal, who was checking it out before doing the whole lot in a day. He did that a few months later… in 17.5 hours! I’d not recommend that though unless you’re a total lunatic. The top half is on my list of favourite ever rides with some great scenery and some lovely riding terrain too. Yeah, it was tiring, but a good day.

From what my pal said, the bottom half is less interesting and more draining due to a bit more walking… especially along lomand side as mentioned. but you’d be over that on the first day and enjoy the second more knowing you’d be riding the whole thing. Nice sense of achievement.

There’s info on my pal’s blog but his server seems to be down just now.

That’ll be mr somerville stooo? Rode with him before christmas, he’s inspired me to take on the one day challenge now.

druidh, it doesn’t bear much explaining, the4thdeadmonk was taken from a red snapper tune (4deadmonks) and now i’m deviously combining the4thdeadmonk with 13th floor elevator (amazing 70s garage/psych band) to achieve… 13thfloormonk. Could have been the4thdeadelevator but it didn’t have the same ring to it…

I must confess I do not see the attraction in riding the west highland way – there is far better ridding out there. some sections of it are good, some useless on a bike and some just dull.

To be honest, i don’t understand the detractors : )

I reckon most of it is good (by which i mean, singletrack-ish, rocky and rough) interspersed by some ‘dull’ landrover tracks or short tarmac sections, which i found a welcome relief and a chance to appreciate the surroundings.

Its also an easy and convenient fix of long distance riding which fits into a weekend, and allows you to see a large and varied selection of scottish countryside.

The unrideable section on Loch Lomondside (i’d be impressed if anyone could ride up the whole Devil’s Staircase, but its mostly rideable) is a)avoidable if you want to take a ferry ride or b)a fun scramble sandwiched between some brilliant trail.

In fact, the only downside i see to the whole route is the waterbars, a necessary evil about which i’ve moaned plenty elsewhere…

Care to expand on what you don’t like TJ? (I’m genuinely interested, not trying to antagonise!)

13thfloormonk.

I have ridden and walked many sections of it over the years in bits – never done the whole thing.

I know of many much better routes for MTBing where you will not be constantly mixing with walkers, where the scenery is as good if not better and where the riding is more interesting without being to difficult.

Some sections of it are good – but there is so much more out there if you want to look for it.

I prefer to be away from the tourist trail – maybe its snobbery but I prefer to make my own routes and adventures rather than following a well used tourist trail. Dull in terms of adventure rather than dull in terms of riding and scenery.

To me its an easy dull option – go and find some real adventure / exploring.

I did a 200ish mile loop around the highlands on the tandem with camping gear last may. We used some bits of the WHW but the best days (apart from the ride into kingshouse on telfords parliamentary road which I really liked) were all on other tracks. I am not one for miles of gnarlyness but I do like to get away from hordes of grokles all doing the same thing.

TJ, i couldn’t agree more, I’ve spent a couple of camping trips in the areas surrounding the west highland way and know some blinding trails, some i’ve ridden, some i’ve still to ride.

I don’t compare the west highland way to these trips though, i prefer to think of it as a sort of epic trail centre black run (following the logic that distance + terrain = black) which is also more weather resistant than the wild country routes (i can testify to this having ridden the section from Crianlarich to Ft Bill in constant, solid drizzle) and can be ridden more brainlessly than a real back of beyond ride (just look for the next thistle signpost, and keep pedalling).

Another way of thinking of it is as a familiar thoroughfare connecting some brilliant areas of countryside, and the trails within them. Riding it once, end to end, opens up lots of other possibilities, and gives you a taste for better riding than the local forest loop.

So i think easy and dull is a bit harsh, easy in as much as it requires little planning (a good thing for a last minute jaunt) and dull only because it follows where many have been before, for good reason.

And as for the gorkles, they make good drinking companions, and provide banter and occasionally eye candy to boot. : )

mlke,

Drop me a line, info@scottishmountainbikeguides.com if you want us to do luggage transfers, arrange accommodation, provide mechanical backup etc.

We could run it as a wee”Custom Tour” for you.

Cheers,

Phil

http://www.scottishmountainbikeguides.com

Thanks for all of the above peeps.

Whenever we’ve done it we’ve got a boat from Inversnaid hotel across the Loch just to miss out the worst bits of loch lomond side – it does mean that you miss out a really tasty section from the bothy to the drovers inn though.

Try it in both directions – it’s a totally different ride each way.