Cycling around Ben Nevis & Applecross peninsula
ugo.santalucia
Posts: 28,312
One for you Highlanders,
Lucky enough to spend 3 days in Fort William in August. I have seen a lot of roads around the lochs, which look good but they are fairly flat. I was wondering if it's worth fitting my CX tyres and take the old military road that runs west of Ben Nevis from Fort William to Kinlochmore or it's rocky MTBike stuff.
I will then spend a further 7 days in Applecross... any loop worth doing beside the obvious Bealach na ba? Worth having cross tyres there?
Lucky enough to spend 3 days in Fort William in August. I have seen a lot of roads around the lochs, which look good but they are fairly flat. I was wondering if it's worth fitting my CX tyres and take the old military road that runs west of Ben Nevis from Fort William to Kinlochmore or it's rocky MTBike stuff.
I will then spend a further 7 days in Applecross... any loop worth doing beside the obvious Bealach na ba? Worth having cross tyres there?
left the forum March 2023
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I did see that, but they talk about MTBikes... I can only assume it will be mostly fine, but might have to carry the bike along a few stretches and the weather will determine how much of itleft the forum March 20230
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The climb looks saucy... 2 miles at 8% should be a good one!left the forum March 20230
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47p2 wrote:there are plenty hills in the all over the Fort William area, (it's the mountainous region of Scotland)
And there really aren't many back roads.
If you follow the west highland way to Kinlochmore then you may as well try and follow it all the way to Glencoe. Tricky on a cross bike: easier beyond Glencoe on the Rannoch moor stretch.
There are quite a lot of estate track / minor road / path combinations in the area S of the Ben, accessed from the head of Glen Nevis - it's ages since I've been that way so I can't remember much what the going's like, it's certainly not all plain sailing.0 -
Head out West from Fort William on the Mallaig road then down onto the Ardnamurchan peninsula.
The road from Fort William to Ballachuillish should be avoided at all costs.
You can however, ride out of Fort Bill, towards Mallaig and take the road down the far side of the loch to the Corran ferry.
Corran Ferry to Ballachuillish is only 7 miles and they are just about finished a cycle path for most of that now.
Have a look at day 3 of this:
https://tourhighlands.wordpress.com/
Some nice roads out at Spean Bridge etc.0 -
Ajkerr73 wrote:Head out West from Fort William on the Mallaig road then down onto the Ardnamurchan peninsula.
The road from Fort William to Ballachuillish should be avoided at all costs.
Avoid the A82, got it... shame though as it means a long way round or doing the offroad military road. Is it just very busy with traffic?left the forum March 20230 -
Yep, lot of lorries and buses too.0
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This is the route of the old Ullapool sportive. It's not that far from Applecross although I think you might have to double back towards Inverness but not too far.
https://www.strava.com/activities/44795231
The sportive route is now shorter but still a great ride I believe
http://www.handsonevents.co.uk/ullapool-sportives/0 -
Take hiking boots and head for Torridon0