Rest and Be Thankful

[JamieRegan]

I'll be cycling over the Rest and Be Thankful (A83) from Tarbet to Inveraray in April.

Looking on the map, there seems to be a few 'side roads' or tracks that run parralel ish to the main A83. I'm hoping I can use these instead of staying on the main road all the way, but I can't see any info on the websites that I've been looking on. Am I right to think this?

 

[andrew_s]

The forest track on the south west side, from Ardgartan to the B828, is marked "cycle trail" on my memorymap. There isn't any real alternative for the rest of the way that I can see.
It didn't seem all that busy last time I went that way, about 8 or 10 years ago.

 

[toroddf]

A regular (mis)user of Rest And Be Thankful calling in.....

There is a small road at the valley floor, used as a hillclimb venue in the 1960s with two multi Formula 1 champs taking part, which is currently being restored to a cycle track. That was according to BBC News some weeks ago. I am not sure what the surface is. It was gravel and earth last summer. But in any case, I would choose the road which does not have that much traffic. The worst thing about this climb is the potential for rockfalls and avalanches from the far from safe hillside above. A disaster waiting to happen.

Surviving this climb, the descent down to Loch Fyne is actually far worse than the climb. It is very exposed to sudden sidewinds and head on collissions with oncoming traffic. Utmost care is required ! The road out to Inveraray along Loch Fyne is a bit too narrow for my liking. This vital transport artery is overdue a radical overhaul in my opinion.

 

[oldwheels]

Toroddf is about right.The road is generally not too busy unless you plan to go at Easter or any other holiday weekend. There is a forestry track on the far side but this may not connect at the top end. The old road could be used by a bike if the road is closed again by avalanche. The side winds are bad mainly around Loch Restil at the top on the Inveraray side.From here traffic is fast but generally not too bad unless a main holiday. Round the head of Loch Fyne towards Inveraray is narrow and as said some care is needed

 

[JamieRegan]

Oh, great. We'll be doing it on Easter Sunday.

 

[toroddf]

Do you have to do Rest And Be Thankful ? An alternative is the Gourock - Dunoon ferry, up Lock Eck to Strachur and up a small/medium big hill to the foot of the descent down from Rest. This is mostly a traffic free, flat ride until you reach the road down from Rest.

 

[JamieRegan]

We're going from Edinburgh to Oban. First stop is Callander, then across Loch Katrine, ferry to Tarbet and up to Dalmally.

We figured the A83 would be a better option than the A82 & A85.

 

[westcoaster]

I would not recommend the Rest and BT. You do have the old road parallel to the main one but that's only on the eastern side of the hill. You have then to go on the main road down to where the other road mentioned comes up from Loch Eck. Over the Rest there is too much traffic and there is not any margin. Possibly you'd be better off with the 82 and 85.
Otherwise you can go from Glasgow to Gourock on cyclepath for most of the way and over to Dunoon and up Loch Eck as our colleague suggested. Coming round the top of Loch Fyne and the road into Invereray is not very comfortable at busy times but after Invereray up past Loch Awe it gets better.

 

[JamieRegan]

thanks for that, westcoaster. The Glasgow/ Dunoon route is definitely not an option for us. So, we'd have to decide between the Rest & BT or the A82 & A85. It looks like they are our only two options.

 

[toroddf]

A82/A85 is the Loch Lomond up to Crianlarich and down to Loch Awe again....... That is a boring ride indeed. It also has a lot of heavy traffic. The road from Tarbet up to Ardlui is very narrow and should have been improved decades ago. But the railway is a major problem there. If this was in any another country, a 6 km long tunnel bypassing the bottleneck would had been built and that would had left the old road to us.

So, I would have gone over Rest And Be Thankful, given the choice. Beware of the wind and just tough it out. Rest And Be Thankful is like a place in the Swiss Alps. The A82/A85 is not scenic at all and you get the same traffic.

Callander to Tarbet over Loch Katerine is an excellent ride btw and you will fall in love with that road. I am planning to do it the opposite way sometimes this summer. But please feel free to come back here and sing it's praises when you have done it.

 

[John B]

A82/A85 is the Loch Lomond up to Crianlarich and down to Loch Awe again....... That is a boring ride indeed. It also has a lot of heavy traffic. The road from Tarbet up to Ardlui is very narrow and should have been improved decades ago. But the railway is a major problem there. If this was in any another country, a 6 km long tunnel bypassing the bottleneck would had been built and that would had left the old road to us.

So, I would have gone over Rest And Be Thankful, given the choice. Beware of the wind and just tough it out. Rest And Be Thankful is like a place in the Swiss Alps. The A82/A85 is not scenic at all and you get the same traffic.

Callander to Tarbet over Loch Katerine is an excellent ride btw and you will fall in love with that road. I am planning to do it the opposite way sometimes this summer. But please feel free to come back here and sing it's praises when you have done it.

A new bypass road has just been opened to give relief for road traffic when the main road is blocked from landslide etc. This is the old road mentioned above (the one used for car hill climbs). It will be available for cyclists at all times (motor vehicles can only use it during disruption).
Take it to the top of the climb, then take the B828 to the left, then right onto the B939 (before Lochgoilhead) which takes you back to main road, missing out the R&BT descent and long windy straight - it's also quieter and more scenic.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-21581326

 

[HovR]

A new bypass road has just been opened to give relief for road traffic when the main road is blocked from landslide etc. This is the old road mentioned above (the one used for car hill climbs). It will be available for cyclists at all times (motor vehicles can only use it during disruption).

Thanks for the information. I'm quite often up near Loch Fyne, but have never attempted Rest and Be Thankful due to traffic (and the fact the climb is massive)! Guess that's one excuse gone now.