West Highland Way double

No, not me personally, but I know there’s been some conversation about this on here in the past.

Gary Tompsett and Nicola Macleod have completed an unsupported double on the WHW, including the manky bit down the back of Loch Lomond, in 38:01. They reckon faster wouldn’t be difficult, especially with support, but they weren’t pushing too hard as Nic’s racing at the Terrex Sting adventure race in a couple of weeks.

Someone from here reckoned they could do the double in 24 – I wonder if that happened or just talk?

Is there a blog of this one?

Don’t think either of them blog, but comment from Nic’s FB page:

“in a rare weather window, we decided to sneak/bash/haul both ways up and down the West Highland Way unsupported. It took us 38 hours and one minute at cruise pace, with a wee sleep (in a delaminated foil blanket!) and plenty of food, drink and craic. Team adidas TERREX have a big race in Scotland next week so I was keen to stay uninjured and (relatively) comfortable… but the whole affair still took much longer than we expected mainly cos the track is usually ridiculously technical and we had to haul/ carry bikes for hours in a few places. The East side of Loch Lomond deserves a special mention as it is a boulder/cliff fest and took more than five hours each way! TThat said, we enjoyed WORLD CLASS single track, postcard mountains, torturous climbs, swooping descents and ridiculously quality riding on most of the trail. We met loads of walkers who were very gracious in clearing the way for us… and a few bikers. My favourite 2 are the lad on the rigid cyclocross bike near bridge of Orchy (ouch!) and the lovely bloke who gave me midge repellant (my teddies were flying from the pram). Gary was a legend… a great partner in crime: full of stories (and archaeological miscellany) and cheerful even during the hard bits. A certain Joe Whitaker is the one person to have made it all the way to the finish before. Hats off. Some other quality athletes have come close but, for whatever reason, have not made it all the way. I think going faster would be ‘easy’, especially for a rider with a support crew, but I am prepared to send a bottle of good champagne to anyone who manages sub 24!….”

The record for running it one way is 15:39:15!
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I’d suggest riding it there and back with support in less than 24hrs is very doable!

The thing is though Hells, with running you could maintain a pretty consistent speed.

The latter part of the trail alongside the loch would eat away any good progress you made on the bike in other sections. I’d take a guess that a good endurance runner wouldn’t be too far off the time of a good mtber over the full distance.

Cut out the section of the loch from the ferry to Beinglas and it’s a totally different story.

(dragging a bike through that section on a muggy sunday in July still rates as one of my worst days on a bike ever 🙂 )

contact Rob Lee – @RobLee7ds on twitter – lots of info on his rides on his site http://www.ride7ds.com/westhighlandway.html

I thought Radoggair was going to have a go at it?

Doing a single next month (weather permitting ).

The whole idea of doing the WHW double was to do it in 24hrs or less. All of these people who claim to have done the “WHW double” have simply ridden up and down the WHW, the have not completed the challenge that is the “WHW double” that various people at the top of endurance cycling in the UK have tried and failed to do.

No, the whole idea was to do the WHW in both directions, back-to-back. The 24hr is just a target. Judging by the number of fail-to-completes, i’d say it was still a worthy challenge, whatever the time.

Well I did it both ways in 40 hours. It was reasonably easy and certainly not what I’d consinder a challenge. Even had a nice 8hr kip in the middle.

I didn’t say it would be easy, but with the right person/people and full support then yes it should be doable!

Including the hack down the back of the loch? I’m sorry, but I have to say I don’t believe you.

As far as the records I’ve found go, the records stand at:
Joe Whittaker, supported M, 41:50
Gary T, unsupported M 38:01
Nic M, unsupported F, 38:01

They’re obviously there to be beaten, and there’s some great riders out there to give it a go. Rob Lee has tried and failed once, and I haven’t found any other successful records.

All of these people who claim to have done the “WHW double” have simply ridden up and down the WHW

Well if I did that I’d be claiming I’d doubled it.

Spin – you and me both!

Hells – not sure. Both Rob Lee and Rich Rothwell dropped out on their first sub-24 attempts. They’re both phenomenally good riders, and from Rich’s report he was so, so close.

Pyro,
Great effort and i could not possibly imagine anyone EVER doing it both ways in under 24hrs. Dreaming is the word i think of when i hear that stuff. Well done m8.

Gary had a cheeky comment about something happening, now I know what it was , amazing effort. Well done both…

Having done the single unsupported in 18 hours, I will take my hat off to anyone who can do the double in 24hours. I reckon I could have made half an hour or so on the very first bit out of Milngavie/Conic Hill, and probably another hour if I was supported, but that still doesn’t even come close!
I think the fastest bike attempt as far as i’m aware is Rab Wardell, not quite sure of the time, maybe 12ish hours. an awesome enduro though, cept for the Loch Lomond bit!

I thinking I must have meet them last week at around the Inversnaid hotel headed north. I was biking the north side of the loch twice that day. Awesome archivement at 38hrs. Not sure what Glupton’s issue is with people outside 24 hours for WHW. If you’ve ridden it both ways non-stop then it’s a “double” in my book. Also meet the guy on the CX bike. Meet him later that day at the campsite at Crianlarich. Must have been mightily uncomfortable on a CX bike.

Has it actually been ridden ‘non stop’ yet ?? without sleep ??

It makes no difference as this route has been doubled only a handful of times .. the fast times will come from those who tackle it without sleeping .. I have ridden it in one direction and it was tough enough for me to think the 24 hour double would require an exceptional ride.

Yesterday (about 4pm) I met 3 guys (Santa Cruz, Boardman and something else) who were climbing out of Kinlochleven, on their way to Fort Bill. They’d left Glasgow in the early hours – said the route around Loch Lomond was ‘hell’, esp. in the dark.

Myself I managed Glen Coe ski-lifts to FW and back. Took 12 hours in total, but that included a long lunch (and beers) in FW and then another stop at the cafe/bar in Kinlochleven on the way back plus a beer in Kingshouse (and lots of photos in-between). Best bit was probably the top of the Devils Staircase to Kinlochleven.

And I reckon a light bike is the way to go, a fair bit of hike-a-bike.

Top of the Devils Staircase looking into Glen Coe/Rannoch – about 0830.

One thing is a given whether you are going there and back .. in 24 minutes or 24 days .. the riding is awesome 🙂

great pic b r

One thing is a given whether you are going there and back .. in 24 minutes or 24 days .. the riding is awesome

*nods*

Has it actually been ridden ‘non stop’ yet ?? without sleep ??

Not successfully, it seems Paul! You up next?

I keep thinking about it but it’s a head kicking … Prefer my ‘long’ rides to not traverse the same ground twice …. Much easier to get your head into a route when your not thinking about how much the return leg will suck 🙂

Southern Upland Way?

West highland way to east highland way to speyside way :). That might be a good day on the bike

b r – Member

Southern Upland Way? What sort of time could the top men do the SUW in do you reckon? 200+ miles, some well rough sections.

What sort of time could the top men do the SUW in do you reckon?

’bout the same as the top women, I reckon 😉

I think the fastest bike attempt as far as i’m aware is Rab Wardell, not quite sure of the time, maybe 12ish hours

It would appear to be 12hrs 10min:

http://www.dirtschool.co.uk/backyard-clock/scotland/west-scotland/west-highland-way/

If that is the ‘record’ (and it would seem to be) that would suggest that everyone who says doing double the distance in less than double the time is possible, is making a rather bold claim. Not to mention that most “normal” people do it over 3 days spending 24 hours ish in the saddle to do it ONE WAY.

I think the fastest time is 11:30 (approx) by Steve McInnes of Isle of Mull.

I can verify this ?
jim

Aye rab did it again last week in 11:46 so your still out there steve

Hells – not sure. Both Rob Lee and Rich Rothwell dropped out on their first sub-24 attempts. They’re both phenomenally good riders, and from Rich’s report he was so, so close.

Rich Rothwell called it a day at Carbeth only 5 miles from the finish at Milngavie. One more huge climb and descent to go but he had been on the bike 28 hours at that point and the weather had gone from bad to worse.
The stretch up the east coast of Loch Lomond is the killer. It took about 4 hours on the way up and was even wetter/muddier/unrideable on the way back.

apparently 28 hours and 59 minutes… read more here,

clicky….

One more huge climb and descent to go
Not between Carbeth and Milngavie there isn’t.

Steve Macinnes is still the fastest I’ve heard of. 7th in the 3 Peaks last weekend btw.

Phil’s double is an awesome ride – as was Joe’s before him.

Not between Carbeth and Milngavie there isn’t.

sorry got my place names wrong i don’t know the area. it was the last big climb when he threw it in though. honest, i was there! over a year ago now though.