Cycling around Ben Nevis & Applecross peninsula

ugo.santalucia
ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,313
edited June 2016 in Sportives/audaxes/training rides
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?
left the forum March 2023

Comments

  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    viewtopic.php?f=20007&t=12906584
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,313
    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 it
    left the forum March 2023
  • 47p2
    47p2 Posts: 329
    Not sure about the Kinlochmore route and there are plenty hills in the all over the Fort William area, (it's the mountainous region of Scotland) :wink:

    Here's a nice route for a day's cycling from Fort William which I would recommend
    Click

    elevation_profile
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,313
    The climb looks saucy... 2 miles at 8% should be a good one!
    left the forum March 2023
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    47p2 wrote:
    there are plenty hills in the all over the Fort William area, (it's the mountainous region of Scotland) :wink:
    Except that most of the main roads follow the glens, so they're quite flat.
    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.
  • ajkerr73
    ajkerr73 Posts: 318
    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.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,313
    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 2023
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,819
    Yep, lot of lorries and buses too.
  • ronnierocket
    ronnierocket Posts: 172
    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/
  • Garry H
    Garry H Posts: 6,639
    Take hiking boots and head for Torridon :D

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