D
Well-Known Member
Yup, I've thought about that as well. I'm really on the fence. I wish I had another month for my trip.
help me plan a bike trip
- Thread starter D
- Start date
Yup, I've thought about that as well. I'm really on the fence. I wish I had another month for my trip.
pogofish
Testicle Hairstyle
Most of the East Coast routes are not nearly so hilly or only have moderate hilly sections (eg over the Grampians) & the ones like Speyside/via Lochindorob are essentially downhill all the way as the places like Aviemore & Kingussie are effectively at the highest point. Would agree that wind can be a problem on some routes - Esp off the sea on the A1 round the shoulder into the Lothians - Very exposed & I've found it very hard going, even on a motorbike!
As for the A82 & from the West - Some of those, although truly lovely, can be hellish at this time of year - Very busy with holiday & general heavy traffic. Thankfully there are reasonable back/off-road routes in some places (eg Glencoe itself, Trossachs & Perthshire) The Great Glen Cycleway, although great in places, does suffer from being buried in boring & view-obscuring industrial forestry along much of its route.
pogofish
Testicle Hairstyle
If you can get hold of them, the "Scottish Glens" guides are good for planning off-road routes in parts of Scotland, with suggestions for through-routes where possible. The style is a bit affected but the info is first class.
http://www.cicerone.co.uk/author/detail.cfm/author/1251/name/peter-koch-osborne
Mostly they are track or back-road based & will not entail any serious muddy stuff, or will warn you if there is.
http://www.cicerone.co.uk/author/detail.cfm/author/1251/name/peter-koch-osborne
Mostly they are track or back-road based & will not entail any serious muddy stuff, or will warn you if there is.
teuchter
je suis teuchter
As for the A82 & from the West - Some of those, although truly lovely, can be hellish at this time of year - Very busy with holiday & general heavy traffic. Thankfully there are reasonable back/off-road routes in some places (eg Glencoe itself, Trossachs & Perthshire) The Great Glen Cycleway, although great in places, does suffer from being buried in boring & view-obscuring industrial forestry along much of its route.
I have to say I wouldn't really choose to cycle on certain parts of the A82 in the tourist season. The OP sounded fairly fearless about heavy traffic though.
geminisnake
a complex mass of conflicting ideas
I'd guess if you cycle in New York heavy british traffic isn't going to scare you.
geminisnake
a complex mass of conflicting ideas
I don't cycle, so apart from passing on Deny's suggestion, and maybe also pointing out I would avoid the west coast like the plague I shouldn't really comment
It's all about personal choices innit?
teuchter
je suis teuchter
I don't cycle, so apart from passing on Deny's suggestion, and maybe also pointing out I would avoid the west coast like the plague I shouldn't really comment
It's all about personal choices innit?
What's wrong with the west coast?
pogofish
Testicle Hairstyle
Hills apparently!
Plus single track roads, caravans & general tourist drivers in summer - Although recent years have seen that one wane a bit as the roads improved.
quimcunx
imprimeo, lamino, distribuo
East coast is where it's at, fo' shizzle.
teuchter
je suis teuchter
D
Well-Known Member
I am comfortable with heavy traffic, though, obviously, it's way nicer to ride without it. And I know heavy traffic in the US, not heavy traffic in the UK. I have no idea if there are qualitative differences. Well, actually, I do - people drive manuals, which means more lurching around when in stop-and-go traffic.
teuchter
je suis teuchter
I am comfortable with heavy traffic, though, obviously, it's way nicer to ride without it. And I know heavy traffic in the US, not heavy traffic in the UK. I have no idea if there are qualitative differences. Well, actually, I do - people drive manuals, which means more lurching around when in stop-and-go traffic.
I don't know heavy traffic in the US. But it may be true to say that the roads are generally wider there?
What can be rather scary on roads like the A82 mentioned, is being passed at relatively high speed by large vehicles like tour buses (of which there are a lot in the summer) and forestry trucks. They have a tendency not to give you a very wide berth especially if there is also something coming in the other direction. Add in a few foreign drivers who occasionally forget that we drive on the left here, tourists concentrating more on the scenery than the road, and locals (frustrated by the tourists being more interested in looking at the scenery than getting anywhere quickly) performing dodgy high-speed overtaking maneuvers and things can be hairy enough in a car, let alone a bicycle.
geminisnake
a complex mass of conflicting ideas
But they're not hills, they're hoofing big jaggy, nasty mountains,
See other thread for more(Oh shit I sound like WoW
)
pogofish
Testicle Hairstyle
Yes, roads tend to be much narrower & full of impatient, incompetent & innatentive fuckwits, who seem hell-bent on causing you as much harm as they can. Keep your wits about you D.
Equally, although some stretches are unavoidable, you can often make an alternative route avoiding the worst of it, so you can pay more attention to the scenery/find out of the way places to camp etc.
Equally, although some stretches are unavoidable, you can often make an alternative route avoiding the worst of it, so you can pay more attention to the scenery/find out of the way places to camp etc.
England is considerably less hilly. Cycle through the Cotswolds instead. It's beautiful and very twee, just as Britain should be for any visiting yank.
You so obviously haven't been to Northumberland or Cumberland.
About a five minute walk from where I am sitting now.
