UKH

Has anybody here ridden the west highland way, and if so how do you get from the end back to the start? Seems like only bus transport which usually dont take bikes in the uk afaik

...or the train? That’s what most people do I think.

You can get a train from Fort William to Glasgow ( or vice-versa ) - takes just under 4 hours

Ride back again? But seriously there is a train from Ft William

As far as I know buses on routes like Fort William to  Glasgow still take bikes though with restrictions like in bike bags and max of two iirc.

Train details are covered at the end of this rather lengthy thread.

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/wet-highland-way-duathlon-with-the...

TLDR: train, book in advance.

ah thanks i didnt see there was a train all the way, good to know, and yes I was thinking perhaps there and back

I walked it 20 years ago, memory fading but I didn't think it was cyclable. Is it?

I walked it a couple of years ago, from what I remember it's probably easy(ish) to cycle most of the way, although around Loch Lomond you'll need to divert on to the fire road instead of the more scenic lochside path. There are also lots of stepped sections such as the Conic Hill on the approach to Balmaha, the devils staircase after Glencoe and the departure from Kinlochleven. It's an absolutely fantastic route, already planning the return once this whole covid thing is over.

Incidentally Scotrail are making the trains on the West Highland Line much more cycle friendly and have leased some extra carriages which are being turned into Cycle and Rucksack/luggage trailers with a few seats as well. I don't think they're in service yet but when they are it'll mean more space and less faffing around booking in advance

Yes, very much so.  It does suffer slightly from being at the two extremes of rideability, but still an excellent day out.  Up to Drymen is all rideable and quite fast.  Short carry up Conic Hill, then unfortunately a carry back down the steep steps.  Loch Lomond starts excellent, but gradually gets more tricky until inversnaid? (can't recall which Inver it is) . From there onwards it is hellish carrying up and down loads of ladders to the north end of the loch.  If you've got support then you send your bike across to Tarbet and run/ walk this section.

The section to crianlarich, and indeed Tyndrum is all farm tracks or kitty litter. Tyndrum to BoO is wide fast fire road.  After BoO there is a lovely section of semi natural feeling single-track.  Then old military road to White Corries and to foot of Devils staircase.  Up DS is a defo carry, then great riding down to Kinloch, another carry back up the other side then fire road/ kitty litter all the way to Glen Nevis.

There's been loads if resurfacing over the years and a huge proportion of the route is fast kitty litter trails. Must be boring as hell to walk. The contrast with the northern Loch Lomond section is marked.

Did it over 4 days with my son when he was eleven.  I recall a lot of pushing two bikes up hills, but it was brilliant ( link above)

Ah, great news on the bike carry capacity!

It's all cycleable if you are good enough! But seriously there are some sections which may present some technical challenges - but nowt wrong with a bit of hike a bike anyway on a trip like that!

Yes, quite cyclable. About 9 hours if you pull your finger out and make an effort...

youtube.com/watch?v=9ZVAbtKgPYk&

Indeed so.

I biked it about 10 years ago, thinking that i'd be doing well to complete it in a day and a half, with an overnight in the middle,  then a few beers and a leisurely train journey home. It was certainly all cyclable then, apart from a few boulders alongside loch lomond and up that pesky staircase.

Having said that, I thought I did put some effort in. Apparently not. I take my hat off to Rab Wardell, 9hours!, that was shifting.

Be careful with this advice. Although there is indeed one section with a FR alternative, there is still the worst section with no alternative. Well at least no FR alternative. We jumped in a canoe 😁

Ah I flipping love that video.  Makes me want to go and have another crack.  Love the WHW too.

So many memories:

Raft race on the loch, 

Sausages and BBQs with the scouts.

Conic Hill with my parents.

ben Lomond by bike 25 years ago.

Rannoch moor.

Glencoe ski centre

Amazing kayaking.

Yada yada yada.

Just what I needed to cheer me up in this pischy lockdown.

Awesome.

You’ve all got me thinking(probably dreaming) that maybe cycling it would better than planning to run it. 
What are folks thoughts on using a gravel/CX bike, do-able or would you just spend more time on foot than bike?

Thank you for that link. That is an absolutely brilliant film. I hardly do any MTB, but now I may save for a rear suspension bike, and see if I can find time to train (current bike is a Whyte hardtail). 2022 maybe?

How long is reasonable for a more mortal older rider to take to do the route? 2-3 days? I presume that May or September are best to avoid the worst of the midges, as you're not going to be going fast enough to avoid them for much of the way. (I don't want to lose my focus to the midges in Glen Falloch).

As amazing iconic hundred mile mountain bike routes go, this one would probably be a reasonable candidate for CX bike. But I'm hard pushed to understand why you would.... My Giant Anthem is good for 17mph average on the road, which is pretty close to my road bike maximum, and is infinitely nicer off road IMHO.  My back would be in pieces after 30 miles on a CX.

The first section to the foot of Conic hill would definitely be faster on a CX than MTB.  There's nothing technical. Up Conic would also be faster ( it's a carry)

As noted in my previous post, much of the trail is perfect kitty litter surface so a CX would indeed work well. The track after Falls of Falloch and after BoO are very knobbly and would be exhausting without suspension or fat tyres. devils staircase would suck.

But yes, a CX would be fine for the vast majority of it.

If you're primary concern is speed then I reckon the key bit to optimise is Conic Hill and northern Loch Lomond.  Fastest bike for that section would be the smallest lightest balance bike you can find, dismantled and packed in a ruksack 😉.

I went one further and didn't take any bike at all on the LL section.

Have a look at the pictures on the link below, they show a lot of the trail surface and give a good idea on suitability.

You could do it in a day if you're reasonably fit and committed.  As well as my four day trip with my 11 year old son, chronicled here ,https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/wet-highland-way-duathlon-with-the...  I also did a solo (supported) effort in [15 hours moving ] 17.5 hours total time.  Lots of leisurely stops and cream tea etc.  Glen Coe onwards was all in the dark so I needed a lot of lights.  It had been my ambition to do it for years but never got my shit together until that glorious run of September weather around 6 years ago where it was so stable everything was dry as a bone.

Best day cycling I've ever had.

Thank you for the considered reply. I only own a CX bike hence the question. From the sounds of it the negatives of the rougher sections outweigh the benefits of the faster track sections. Might stick the original Plan to run it as I know my abilities with that. 
 

Have a look at that thread on single-track abovem there's photos of almost every inch of the route gives a fairly accurate idea of the overall surface 

You doing it supported or unsupported?

It would be unsupported(and “alpine style”). Probably me and a mate or if they’re not up for it then just me. The planning is still just in my head as I need to get fitter etc first. 

I’ll check out that thread you mention as it’s been about 30 years since I last was on it so things are bound to have changed a fair bit.