Glenshee - and other underrated routes

bompington

As my last big ride before the Etape Caledonia, I had a great run up Glenshee yesterday. Sunshine, beautiful scenery, quiet roads, a warm and sunny climb up the UK's highest public road and an adrenaline filled 50+ descent - it just had me happier to be on a bike than I've been for ages. And all from my doorstep and back home to join the kids for breakfast at 11.

So where are your favourite rides on underrated roads?
And as the highest road in the country yet you almost never hear anyone discussing it (never mind see anyone riding it) is there a more neglected route than Glenshee? If so where?

nwallace

Did you just turn at the Ski Centre or go down to Braemar?

Am considering a big loop involving Glenshee and the Cairn O' Mounth although it does involve a stop over at a mates just above Banchory.

Did you taker the road all the way between Rattray and Bridge of Cally or did you take the old road? If the later what's it like, if the former what's the climb on the new bit like? It seems horrendous going down it in a car.

Despite there being published routes on the North East Fife "Hills" I never see anyone else tackling them except for around Peat Inn.
Maybe it's just Cupar avoidance.

bompington

Went up to the top (i.e. snow gate just before ski centre) & came straight back down. Failed to get above 45mph on the long smooth descent from the top, only to have the wind change on the bend at the bottom - suddenly found myself well north of 50, on the bend, on a pretty ropey surface.
Can't tell you about the new road up from Blair, it does inbred look quite a drag, but I went by Alyth & the hill road that comes down to Blackwater, it's a good rat run for ski days when the snow snake down the A93 is slow, it's actually the shortest route to Dundee & a nice quiet hilly road to cycle. On the way down I went over the hill to Glen Isla for another variation.

I've looked at the map & thought exactly the same as you about a big circuit back over the Cairn o'Mount, one day perhaps...

nwallace

Ah, had been considering that route out but thought it would be longer, I've been out to Alyth before, going up the brae from the cash to Birkhill wasn't fun though, think I was 2 hours out and 1 and a half back. Descending through Campy in the dark with a bus up my arse :?

bompington wrote:

Can't tell you about the new road up from Blair, it does inbred look quite a drag,

And is that a deliberate typo?

Jonninho

Have the Glenshee climb in sight for near future.
Had the same great feeling up at Kenmore last week round Ben Lawers, then finished by going up Glen Quaich climb.
Fantastic ride on a beautiful morning, with 360m and 430m climbs..

nwallace wrote:

Despite there being published routes on the North East Fife "Hills" I never see anyone else tackling them except for around Peat Inn.
Maybe it's just Cupar avoidance.

I used to spend all my time on these hills when I started riding again last year, living right in the middle of them.
They are not long, but can be strung together to make some decent rides.
Out near Kilmany & Balmerino probably the toughest.
Not too far to the Lomonds either.

bompington

nwallace wrote:

Ah, had been considering that route out but thought it would be longer, I've been out to Alyth before, going up the brae from the cash to Birkhill wasn't fun though, think I was 2 hours out and 1 and a half back. Descending through Campy in the dark with a bus up my ars* :?

bompington wrote:

Can't tell you about the new road up from Blair, it does inbred look quite a drag,

And is that a deliberate typo?

Well, I'm sure you're aware that once you get to Coupar Angus you're in bandit country, but on this occasion it was my fat fingers on the mobile.
As for the Gourdie Brae, I feel I have to point out to you that Mrs Bomp commutes home up it every day...

nwallace

bompington wrote:

As for the Gourdie Brae, I feel I have to point out to you that Mrs Bomp commutes home up it every day...

I'm not much of a climber, but working at Ninewells and cycling up the brae to A&E is helping my climbing.

Jonninho wrote:

I used to spend all my time on these hills when I started riding again last year, living right in the middle of them.
They are not long, but can be strung together to make some decent rides.
Out near Kilmany & Balmerino probably the toughest.
Not too far to the Lomonds either.

Climb up between the Lomonds is certainly decent, but I think you're missing one that's right on your doorstep. Only done it once in each direction as a whole, Elie - Peat Inn - Dairsie Bridge. Around 10km climbing and descent, bombing down the hill from Ninewells after work is helping my cornering massively...

Did it on Saturday
My GPS is reading around 50m over, as the OS shows the summit at 207, and the start and end is in single figures. And of course once you're down at Dairsie Bridge there's only one way the roads go, straight back up.

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/233558

cycladelic

It's not quite the same, as I now live in Tawain, but Highway 7 is a real gem once you get away from the main towns and into the mountainous countryside. I did some of it last weekend on my way back home. It meant taking a day off work to do the three-day ride to where I wanted to get to - a remote village called Smangus - but it was well worth it.

Jonninho

nwallace wrote:

Climb up between the Lomonds is certainly decent, but I think you're missing one that's right on your doorstep. Only done it once in each direction as a whole, Elie - Peat Inn - Dairsie Bridge. Around 10km climbing and descent, bombing down the hill from Ninewells after work is helping my cornering massively...

Did it on Saturday
My GPS is reading around 50m over, as the OS shows the summit at 207, and the start and end is in single figures. And of course once you're down at Dairsie Bridge there's only one way the roads go, straight back up.

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/233558

certainly is on my doorstep. Just back from a ride over round Balmerino and sat out front in the sun looking at the road winding up to Peat inn. Dairsie Bridge is at 5m, and you top out past Peat Inn at 209, although if you head to New Gilston its 215m. Its too broken up for my liking - a series of smaller climbs, but thats just me. Its still a good long test.

The road to Strathkinnes from Dairsie Bridge is good. About 100m. Did it this morning still cold - nightmare

As for the Lomonds have you tried Purin hill? Great test. The last 700m straight is a killer, but great on the way down. Make sure brakes are in good order for the corner though

nwallace

Purin Hill:
That's the hill climb to the East Car Park?
No, me and a mate talked about it years ago, don't think he ever did it either.
He is a decent climber, and he was looking at driving over to Falkland to start that one.


Peat Inn:
That it's broken up is good for me!

The hill from Balmerino up through the woods (known as the Coach Road Locally because the bus uses it rather than the even steeper narrower one) years ago I was pootling around on a steel framed Raleigh and if I'm a poor climber now I was dire then, I set a couple of marks to aim for before having a rest, the grit bin and the corner entering the woods. Unfortunately I've never let go of those marks in my mind.

Barrydeek

bompington wrote:

Well, I'm sure you're aware that once you get to Coupar Angus you're in bandit country, but on this occasion it was my fat fingers on the mobile.
.

I would take that from anyone else but I'm not having that from a Dundee skenk!

Joking aside, replying to Vomits question about road from Rattray , It's not that bad, it's a lot better than what it used to be, I cycle that road quite regularly, (Braemar, Blacklunans loop,and just on Saturday coming back from Pitlochry via Kirkmichael loop.)Usually do a few runs round Drimmie after work too which can be bit of a killer.

bompington

Barrydeek wrote:

I would take that from anyone else but I'm not having that from a Dundee skenk!

Correct, you're taking it from a white settler in Dundee

nwallace

Did this today

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/261669

Knackered.

Deliberatly took the "Coach road" and got it in 1, wind was a killer though; first 2 hours either into it or climbing and not a clue how long I was going into it from Crail to the house.

An American tourist doing Edinburgh to Aberdeen stopped to speak to me at the Cadgers junction, passed him on the hill and then despite him taking the direct route to St Andrews from there caught up with me again at Kennoway as he had missed the turn (No surprise there)

Had to stitch together various different tracker applications (I run TTGPS, SportsTRacker and Endomondo) to get the full route as each one dropped off at different points, I've not accounted for Endomondo running to system time rather than GMT. Which is why I appear to have stopped for 7 hours at Alexander Selkirk.

daviesee

As you have been talking about hills in Fife, how about Path o' Condie?

Only driven it, but it seemed liked a challenge :twisted: Or is that too west?

PS:- I always thought the top of the road to Applecross was the highest road? I am often wrong though
The Glen Quaich - Ben Lawers circuit is always a good run :P

nwallace

Path of Condie is in P&K, but not really all that far over.

daviesee

nwallace wrote:

Path of Condie is in P&K, but not really all that far over.

Ah. It gets confusing as @ 10 miles in 3 directions will take me to 3 counties outside Fife. I often don't know which county I am in :oops:

nwallace

You're never in a county in Scotland...

nwallace

Hm.
Just mapped a route taking in Path of Condie,
Coast out to Bridge of Earn,
Up the Path via Ardargie
Down via Middle Rigg (Steeper going the other way)
Through Milnathort to Glenlomond
Along the side of the Lomonds to Strathmiglo
Dunshalt
Up to Lindores
Then A92 back to Wormit, or maybe back over the Gauldry hills, A92 nice and fast even if knackered, although maybe cut in at Luthrie if taking the A92 (it's fairly quiet at the right times)

hm, that's me for Saturday I think.

nwallace

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/444251

daviesee

nwallace wrote:

You're never in a county in Scotland...

You have got me on that one :? as I was raised in East Lothian County.

On the other hand, I do live in a Kingdom now

nwallace

daviesee wrote:

nwallace wrote:

You're never in a county in Scotland...

You have got me on that one :? as I was raised in East Lothian County.

On the other hand, I do live in a Kingdom now

There's not been any "counties" since the 1974 local government reorganisation which created the Regions and Districts to replace the Burghs, Counties etc. and were replaced by "Council Areas" in 1996 by the 1994 local government reorganisation.

:twisted:

pneumatic

After the Fife Flurry in 2009, we plotted a route called the Fife Fury that sought to take in as many climbs as possible within a 100ish km ride.

Basically, you leave Cupar by South Road, take on Cults Hill, descend to Freuchie, conquer the Lomonds from Falkland, ease your way to Milnathort, assault the Path of Condie, drop into Bridge of Earn (by Dunning), return to the bottom of Glenfarg, grind up Glen Tarkie (a real horror from the North), swoop past the Loch of LIndores, irritate up the hill from Newburgh to the Gauldry, exhilarate the descent to Vomit; vomit, and then tease yourself around Tentsmuir, expectorate up the hill from Guardbridge to Strathkiness, slump down to Dairse Bridge and thrill up Dura Den to Pitscottie. Your easeful descent into Cupar will take you to Coal Road where you can deposit the bike in the Recycling Centre's Metal Skip (as long as it is not made of carbon fibre). Nearby is Fisher and Donaldson's where you can eat cake until your are restored to full strength.

nwallace

What was the Fife Flurry: Always looknig for new routes round here; I'm just glad that one doesn't go up to Strathkinness from Dura Den; although I dont' think that's as bad as the Cadgers (Hill from the Freuchie road up Cults) but the Cadgers are shorter.

Missed the bit about getting to Milnathort via the Leslie road from Falkland

Bit more than 100 though!

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/451497

For that sort of distance can also get
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/451503 (I messed up, after gauldry, it goes down the steep hill to Balmerino and then up the slightly less steep one, I suppose you could do that bit the other way...)

nwallace

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/269078

Well that was a piece of piss... Thankfully I took the bike with a 22-32 granny gear :oops:

RonL

Fife and Angus both have some superb routes on quiet roads. Nice to see some local info. Returned last week from the Uists, Barra to Berneray worst wind I have experienced in many years of cycling, physically stopped solid, foot down on three occasions on Monday 23rd. with the wind behind it was heavenly........... Hebredian ale dulled the pain !!
Superb location and great to see several young cyclists touring.

nwallace

RonL wrote:

foot down on three occasions on Monday 23rd. with the wind behind it was heavenly...........

In other late news, the Entire commuting population of Fife were trying to find routes home from Dundee and Edinburgh in the 23rd due to a lack of esturial crossings.

:P

Wouldn't like to have been out in that wind at all, believe there was gusts over 162kmh

bompington

nwallace wrote:

Wouldn't like to have been out in that wind at all, believe there was gusts over 162kmh

105mph, so 168kmh, at Glen Ogle was the highest gust posted anywhere that day. Radio Tay said 90mph gusts recorded on the Tay bridge.

nwallace

Did Vomit to Glen Clova at the weekend.

But it got me thinking, just how difficult really would a loop of the 2 public Mounth roads (the Fungle isn't a public road) so starting at Kirrie...

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/486410

Wonder how long until I dare try it.

hm oh dear not too hilly but almost a full loop of fife

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/487401

pneumatic

Glen Clova, now that's a nice ride from Fife. Mind you, I died a death at the end of a day ride on the way up to the bothy by the hotel a few years ago; the height difference between the bottom of the Glen and the top, although you don't really notice it as you go along, is actually quite impressive. No wonder Captain Robert Falcon Scott had chosen to live up there! You'd get seriously fit just going for a pint of milk!

BTW, Fife Flurry was a one off (and good fun) a couple of years ago. There was a website but it got overwhelmed by spamming scum and had to be thrown into the flaming pit. It was a figure of eight from Cupar to Lundin Links, around the Coast to St Andrews, through Tentsmuir, Tayport, Vomit, back to St Mikes, Leuchars, Guardbridge and straight up through Strathkinness and Denhead to Peat Inn before descending back through Pitscottie to Cupar.

bompington

nwallace wrote:

Did Vomit to Glen Clova at the weekend.

But it got me thinking, just how difficult really would a loop of the 2 public Mounth roads (the Fungle isn't a public road) so starting at Kirrie...

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/486410

Wonder how long until I dare try it.

I've thought about that one a lot too. One day...

And The Fungle should be done just for the name. I've never been on it but I'm assuming it's an off road road?

nwallace

bompington wrote:

nwallace wrote:

Did Vomit to Glen Clova at the weekend.

But it got me thinking, just how difficult really would a loop of the 2 public Mounth roads (the Fungle isn't a public road) so starting at Kirrie...

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/486410

Wonder how long until I dare try it.

I've thought about that one a lot too. One day...

And The Fungle should be done just for the name. I've never been on it but I'm assuming it's an off road road?

Yeah the Fungle Road was never as popular as the other 2 so it's still just a walking track, don't think it was even a Drove road. It's in some of the MTB books as part of a loop from Aboyne or Angus that takes you over it and the summit of Mount Keen.

Looks like I'll be doing that mounth loop sooner rather than later though, a mate is up for it, in July!

Always looking for new routes round here which is why I was asking about that route, hopefully do Bridg to Brig round the coast on Saturday if the forecast is right and I can get a train ticket back.