A few years ago I'd only heard of this route via Audaxers.
Last night on STV2 the Cairngorm Park Authority were on promoting this. Also manager of Glenshee saying how welcome cyclists and other visitors were.
Footage taken from go-pro on a car.
As a cycle route it would encourage slow travel although many would fear the hills. Even audaxers notice these!
http://cairngorms.co.uk/discover-explore/landscapes-scenery/scenic-routes/
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Leisure
Snow Roads - another NC500?
(37 posts)-
Posted 6 years ago #
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You need strong legs by all accounts! Not for the faint hearted (such as myself). :-)
Posted 6 years ago # -
Oof. The road from Blairgowrie to Glen Shee is almost entirely uphill. Then the route takes in two climbs nicknamed b*****d hills 1 and 2 by Audaxers. Strong legs indeed.
Posted 6 years ago # -
The Snow Roads route sounds like a good one to take the motorbicycle along.
I think fimm did it a year or two ago?
Posted 6 years ago # -
I did the Audax a few years ago. It remains the hardest thing I've ever done (in terms of length/endurance effort, anyway).
HankChief did the 3 Pistes Sportive (which is more like the route in the link) and then did it again in reverse this year. That's properly mental.
Posted 6 years ago # -
We did the Lecht from the Braemar side a few years ago on camping loaded, off road set up mtb's. It was the longest steepest road walk I've ever done.
Posted 6 years ago # -
A few weeks ago I had a shot at the road up to the Cairngorm ski centre knowing I would have to give up at some point, but I wanted to see how far I would get. Made it about 1.5 miles so around halfway: will be having another shot in a few weeks.
That Snow Roads route looks completely beyond most people: chapeau to all that have done it.
Posted 6 years ago # -
That Snow Roads route looks completely beyond most people
I've cycled over Glenshee but I'd need a nice lie down before and after tackling the Lecht and I'd need exceptional drugs to then get up to the Cairngorm funicular.
As far as I could make out @HankChief barely broke sweat doing it, but he is a very strong boy.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Would be good for 50mph descents
Posted 6 years ago # -
We did that route as part of a larger tour a few years back over the course of 3 days (with camping gear) stopping just outside Tomintoul and in Braemar.
Bridge of Brown should be renamed Bridge of Brown Trouser. *scary* hairpins on a loaded tourer.
I also remember trying not to be sick in the carpark of the Lecht ski centre after grinding up there in the granny in the teeth of a strong headwind. Once I'd recovered (and retrieved my other half) we went into the cafe for restorative hot chocolate (and whimpering).
The next day the crosswinds when descending the Cairnwell at Ludicrous Speed were...disturbing.
Immediately after that tour I replaced my chainset (at the time 52x42x32) with something even less manly.
Never done anything like it before or since. Even inadvertently riding a chunk of the Kitzbuhler Horn (due to a satnav error) wasn't so challenging though I suspect we stopped before that climb got properly steep.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Bridge of Brown should be renamed Bridge of Brown Trouser.
I once had a Mini roll backwards down that hill towards me due to a failing handbrake as I was sat on a motorbike in a traffic jam caused by a bus that couldn't get up the hill. Not good.
It's actually a Caulfield era military road from the 1760s linking Forres to Braemar and was never intended for commercial traffic, let alone buses.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@Mediumdave
Funny you mentioned the Kitzbuhelerhorn I did that on Sunday and it was without doubt the hardest thing I've done. 10.4km, 1215m of ascent. Gradient never below 10% and as high as 22.3%. The only positive thing to say about my ride is that no walkers overtook me. It was 27 degrees and I was so wobbly when I got to the restaurant 3/4 of the way up, the cafeteria staff carried my tray to the table for me. Some top dumplings later and I was able to do the last 2 km and 325 vertical metres to the summit. Going down was terrifying at times and when got to the bottom, I ditched the remainder of the planned ride and bailed to the nearest railway station. Took train to nearest point to my base and only had 10km and 600m vertical to get back home.
The 360 degree view from the summit was worth all the pain...
Posted 6 years ago # -
Would be good for 50mph descents
I hit over 45 mph* coming off the other side and didn't pedal till I hit Tomintoul. Did I mention the knobbly tyres I was running? I said a few silent prayers to Shimano san for my disk brakes on one corner though.
*No gps trail but I was tearing away from my mate who recorded 46 mph on his speedometer.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@paddyirish you do know that there's a ski-lift? ;)
Posted 6 years ago # -
@Paddyirish That sounds like a truly epic climb. It makes the one alpine climb I have done Alpe D'huez sound like a couple of laps of Arthurs seat in comparison.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Its a shame the Snow Roads is off the calendar at the moment. I would like another shot at it. Maybe ECE it into a 400, as I need that for this years SR.
Posted 6 years ago # -
http://www.aviemorebikes.co.uk/events-adventures/ski-road-challenge/
New for 2017 – Challenge yourself to ride to our two local ski centres!
A challenge intended for road bikers looking for the Scottish version of Mont Ventoux. Ride from Mikes Bikes Aviemore to Cairngorm Mountain, then up to the Lecht Ski Centre via Aviemore. The total route equals approximately 136 KM’s / 85 Miles with 1686m /5531 ft of climbing. You can split the route over a couple of days or try and smash it in one day. As long as you get your card filled in you can claim a medal.
Collect route cards from Mikes Bikes Aviemore and have them stamped along the way (Cairngorm Mountain, Mikes Bikes, The Lecht, Mikes Bikes) on completion of your card collect a medal from Mikes Bikes Aviemore. GPX Files are available from Mikes Bikes – email sally@Aviemorebikes.co.uk
Posted 6 years ago # -
Did a road race over the road north of Ballater. Twas a sore one and for the wiry lightweights alright. The descent down to Ballater was epic, however.
Posted 6 years ago # -
If one were wanting to ride HankChief's ski road challenge, would one just ride along the road to Cairngorm, or is the 'logging trail' that runs beside it for a lot of the way a sensible alternative for someone on a road bike?
...asking for a friend, obviously.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Logging road best avoided if you're going quick. It's just gravel.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Thanks IWRATS - I'll tell my friend...
Posted 6 years ago # -
Some top dumplings later
Flashback to knodel on our honeymoon in Austria. I watched cyclists out of Bavaria riding through Austria to Italy from the hotel balcony. Very inspiring.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@Greenroofer. I assume said friend already knows the best route to cycle from Edinburgh to Aviemore!
Posted 6 years ago # -
@acsimpson
Alpe d'Huez is no easy climb either - one to add to my list - this was probably just hard for me because of the excess lard I'm carrying...
@cyclingmollie
These guys had a stall at our work about a month ago - very good dumplings and strudel...
Posted 6 years ago # -
@acsimpson - yes, my friend knows the best route from Edinburgh to Aviemore, although
Ihe was thinking of taking the train most of the way.Posted 6 years ago # -
@paddyirish We tried the Alplings dumplings at the Musselburgh Farmers' Market. Very nice.
Posted 6 years ago # -
From memory Alpe d'Huez has an average gradient of just 8% and a maximum of around 12-15%. The bends are also flat to help the tourist buses climb up. So it is long but really a series of 20 much shorter climbs as you can go slowly round the bends to recover.
Posted 6 years ago # -
So it is long but really a series of 20 much shorter climbs as you can go slowly round the bends to recover.
Going slowly round the bends isn't optional for everyone ;)
More slowly, perhaps...
Posted 6 years ago # -
So the friend* who was previously interested in the Ski Road Challenge (see above) has now booked a return train ticket to Aviemore at the end of the month, taking the first train up in the morning and the last direct one back at night. He's got 9.5 hours between trains.
He is thinking of doing the Ski Road Challenge in that time, but was wondering how hard it would be. It involves riding from Aviemore to Cairgorm, back to Aviemore, to The Lecht and then back to Aviemore, total of ~85 miles. How do the hills compare in steepness and length to known quantities like Devil's Beef Tub, ascent of Ben Lawers from Glen Lyon (or, heaven forbid, the Wall of Tala)
Expert advice greatly appreciated.
*I believe that convention dictates that we talk about 'friends' in this context.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Hilly
Posted 6 years ago #
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