The Fridays Tour

[StuAff]

This talk of A roads is worrisome . . . Will the route mainly be quite quiet?

There are A roads and A roads. What gets called one in many parts of Scotland ranks as a B down here in the south east. Worry not. Or worry less, anyway....

 

[dellzeqq]

This talk of A roads is worrisome . . . Will the route mainly be quite quiet?

yes. Mostly.

First of all - traffic levels outside the southeast of England are generally lower, and, in Scotland, much lower. That doesn't necessarily make them safer, because people in Northern Scotland drive like loons, but, taken as a whole, we go down roads you'd think yourself lucky to be on if you're used to the southeast.

Having said that....there are some stretches that will be less pleasant.

If we go via Bingham and York
a) the A508 from Northampton to Market Harborough has lots of traffic, and is not very wide, but we will aim to get off it by breakfast time on Saturday morning, when most of the cars will be coming south. I'll be at the back, giving the cars the hard stare.
b) we'll clear the A6097/A614 early on Sunday morning and while the A60 and A19 in to York are busy* (*Reduced Northern Scale), but not overfast, and it will be a Sunday. If the traffic is heavy we can take a diversion north of Selby which will add a mile or two to the trip. To give you an idea - (moralists please look away now) I rode down ten miles of the A60 on the phone - there's no way I'd do that in the daytime in the southeast
c) the A19 north of York is busy, but we will be off it very early on Monday morning - again, going against the flow
d) the A167 is not very busy, and we will be on it for a short time
e) the A68 (aka The Hell of the North) is not very busy, and has few commercial vehicles south of the A697 junction, where it becomes a wideish smooth road. It's busy going in to Edinburgh, but we'll start early in the morning, go via Nether Blainslie (I'll be looking for the pothole I hit in 1980 and 2003) and get over the hills before a late breakfast. We do take a diversion at Pathhead, and go in to the city on the A7, which is a bit like the Romford Road, but not as busy.
f) I'll take local advice on the A90 toward the Forth Road bridge, because we'll be on it late morning/early afternoon
g) There are stretches of the A9 between Perth and the Kessock Bridge near Inverness that are difficult to avoid (we'll mostly be travelling on the 'old A9'). There are heavy trucks on this road, and if it rains, or there's a crosswind, it's no fun, particularly over Drumochter - having said that, the last time I went up it the southwesterly was so strong that I barely had to pedal.
f) Snorri is going to disagree with me here, but I reckon the A9 north of Tain is kids' stuff. Put it this way - There's No Way It's Essex

My plan is to publish the route with projected times, and people can judge for themselves - but I do know the entire route, and there are many, many times when you wonder if you're in the same country.

 

[snorri]

.
f) Snorri is going to disagree with me here, but I reckon the A9 north of Tain is kids' stuff. Put it this way - There's No Way It's Essex.

It's actually the Inverness to Tain section I prefer to avoid, it's OK north of Tain.
A lot depends on the time of day, but I just consider the 70mph dual carriageways to be thoroughly unpleasant around Inverness. There are alternatives, but on a longer trip people seem prepared to put up with the crap in exchange for the overall time saved by using the A9.

 

[dellzeqq]

there is a lovely B-road diversion just south of Inverness I've taken every time I've gone that way, and may even have made it in to the TRAT route. It's the B9154 - a road that seems to have no earthly purpose except to give cyclists a wonderful excursion. We'll definitely be taking that one. And I love the diversions through Bankfoot and Dalmarnock and the one that goes from Pitlochry all the way past Blair Atholl. From Newtonmore on you can stay on the old road almost as far as Slochd.

I'm intending to come in to Tain the back way, via Alness

 

[snorri]

B9154,Ah yes, it's a pleasant bit via Moy then down the Craggie Braes (anyone feeling the strain can sign in to the old folks home at Meall More) . Then on to the A9 for the climb up to Bogbain where you can bear left off the A9, and via the underpass taking the "old A9" again into Inverness.
Re Dalmarnock, another attractive road, the copper beeches were looking well last summer.

On from there a few miles before taking a right, then across the old railway bridge to Logierait, then the unclassified road which takes you past the entrance to Fonab camp site (recommended) on the outskirts of Pitlochry.
From Newtonmore you can remain on the "old A9" right to the Slochd using the unclassified but well surfaced road from the A9 junction north of Carr Bridge which takes you under the A9 and carries on to the Slochd summit from where you can take a more pleasant route north via Tomatin.
Tain the back way via Alness is good!
I realise the time/mileage constraints, but you might like to consider taking the minor road along the north shore of the Beauly Firth and on via Muir of Ord, Conon Bridge, Dingwall to rejoin the A9 on the north shore of the Cromarty Firth. That would save a climb over the Black Isle and is more scenic too, especally leaving Inverness with the morning sun shining on the snow covered hills to the west.
Must get back to compiling these tourist brochures now.

 

[mmmmartin]

Two vehicles.
A big van, carries bags on the way up, and bikes on the way back.
A minibus, hired in Inverness, carries the riders back to London afterwards at a total cost of £700 plus fuel. Driven by a series of those at the finish.
Simples. Just an idea.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

g) There are stretches of the A9 between Perth and the Kessock Bridge near Inverness that are difficult to avoid (we'll mostly be travelling on the 'old A9'). There are heavy trucks on this road, and if it rains, or there's a crosswind, it's no fun, particularly over Drumochter - having said that, the last time I went up it the southwesterly was so strong that I barely had to pedal.

NCN7 no good then?

 

[snorri]

NCN7 no good then?

Good for most of us who are plodding along with laden panniers, but some short sections are not favoured by skinny-tyred people in a hurry.

 

[alanbrice]

Hi folks, am new to Cycle Chat, encouraged by my brother (he's the mad one of us two). ok the picture does show me on my Brompton going up Mont Ventoux to Cafe Reynaud so i'm not quite sane.

i live in Newcastle so have a little local knowledge of the Tow Law / Consett or Durham to Scottish Borders area. the A68 ride is quite a roller coaster and it is also quite busy - for the north. but avoiding it would be a nightmare of trying to negotiate smaller roads. going via Durham puts you into the Tyneside conurbation which isn't so much fun although i think the A697 north of Morpeth is nicer than the A68. the big problem with either route is places to stay for any group of more than a few. Tow Law is such a dump. as is Consett. on the A697 route there are places like Wooler with several B&Bs. i'm connected through work to a retreat centre off the A68 near Riding Mill & they might be able to do a reasonable sized group for a lowish price with food included, single rooms, good showers etc.. http://www.minsteracres.org/who-we-are.htm just a thought. perhaps i could join you for a day or two as you pass through the north east of England? cheers
alan

 

[dellzeqq]

B9154,Ah yes, it's a pleasant bit via Moy then down the Craggie Braes (anyone feeling the strain can sign in to the old folks home at Meall More) . Then on to the A9 for the climb up to Bogbain where you can bear left off the A9, and via the underpass taking the "old A9" again into Inverness.
Re Dalmarnock, another attractive road, the copper beeches were looking well last summer.
View attachment 5887
On from there a few miles before taking a right, then across the old railway bridge to Logierait, then the unclassified road which takes you past the entrance to Fonab camp site (recommended) on the outskirts of Pitlochry.
From Newtonmore you can remain on the "old A9" right to the Slochd using the unclassified but well surfaced road from the A9 junction north of Carr Bridge which takes you under the A9 and carries on to the Slochd summit from where you can take a more pleasant route north via Tomatin.
Tain the back way via Alness is good!
I realise the time/mileage constraints, but you might like to consider taking the minor road along the north shore of the Beauly Firth and on via Muir of Ord, Conon Bridge, Dingwall to rejoin the A9 on the north shore of the Cromarty Firth. That would save a climb over the Black Isle and is more scenic too, especally leaving Inverness with the morning sun shining on the snow covered hills to the west.
Must get back to compiling these tourist brochures now.

you say that in jest, but you're kind of making my point - it is the most fantastic part of the world.

 

[User482]

Sounds fantastic. A pity I'm on holiday in June!

Anyone worried about the daily distance or the climbs in northern Scotland shouldn't be. Think about it - you have all day to do 75 miles. If you are on the road by 9am, and take 2 hours worth of stops in total, averaging 12mph would see you finished by 5.30pm, which leaves plenty of time for a shower, change of clothes and pre-dinner G&T. Regarding the climbs, by the time you hit Helmsdale, you'll be super-fit, and you're avoiding those tiresome hills in Devon & Cornwall that are at the beginning of a Lejog.

 

[ceepeebee]

ok ok ok ok, so, I may be convinced that it would be possible....... Now can someone please persuade my GLW.........

 

[clivedb]

Sadly I have work commitments on Wednesday 20 and Saturday 23rd June that make this organisationally impossible - it would indeed also be physiologically too demanding unless I were to get on my bike a lot more frequently between now and June. However I plan to join the HPC to Northampton leg and see you on your way.

 

[dellzeqq]

Sadly I have work commitments on Wednesday 20 and Saturday 23rd June that make this organisationally impossible - it would indeed also be physiologically too demanding unless I were to get on my bike a lot more frequently between now and June. However I plan to join the HPC to Northampton leg and see you on your way.

great - all round yours for 'elevenses' then! (Actually there's a Tesco a few hundred yards off the route...)

 

[srw]

Always with the Tescos.

http://www.waitrose.com/content/waitrose/en/bf_home/bf/115.html?viewSeasonal=false&postCode=MK9+3NJ

My nearest and dearest is now expressing more than a theoretical interest, and I'm in discussion with His Zeqqness over the appropriateness of a bicycle built for two along the A68.