CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Leisure

Aviemore to the Forth

(22 posts)
  • Started 11 years ago by Instography
  • Latest reply from HankChief

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  1. Instography
    Member

    Sitting on a train to Inverness last week, gazing out the window when I should have been working, I spied the cycle track running alongside the rail lines and mused on how nice it might be one Friday to catch the 0650 train from Inverkeithing, get to Aviemore around 0900, have some breakfast and then start cycling home, maybe with an overnight camping stop (as I plan to pause often to admire the scenery, take a photo or two and generally one of the things I don't much like about group rides is the tendency for it to be heads down and hammer on, apart from Anth's ride which was quite the opposite). And breathe.

    Anyone done it? Is it pleasant (assuming the weather's fair).

    Posted 11 years ago #

  2. crowriver
    Member

    I've ridden on sections of it before and during an audax last summer, mainly the ones near Newtonmore and Kingussie. Some bits were pretty good. Alas it has the failings of most Sustrans routes (indirect/roundabout detours on occasion, bad surfaces at points), though on that section at least no stupid chicanes. Some of the rounds round there are very quiet though so you'd be better off on them for parts of the journey.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  3. kaputnik
    Moderator

    I think Smudge did it a year or so back? Isn't it a sort of energy-sapping gravel surface in sections?

    Posted 11 years ago #

  4. paolobr
    Member

    I did it in the opposite direction a couple of years ago (I was actually on the way to family in Lossiemouth). From what I recall it was mostly OK, though as crowriver says, there are some odd detours and rough bits, though fine in dry weather (which I had, September time). I don't know if there have been any route changes since then, I did deviate at times.

    I camped at Dunkeld and Loch an Eilan near Aviemore to make it in 3 days at easy pace to enjoy the scenery, so Aviemore to Inverkeithing with a camping stop would certainly be fine. I certainly enjoyed it.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  5. minus six
    Member

    An alternative being to take train up to Inverness then cycle south, taking in clava cairns on the way.

    Loads of overnight wild camp options en route, then rejoin the train south at Pitlochry or Blair Atholl.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  6. crowriver
    Member

    then rejoin the train south at Pitlochry or Blair Atholl.

    But then you might miss the fantastic cycling country around highland Perthshire and Strathearn. I don't know about the Sustrans routes, but there are some wonderful B roads and unclassified roads round those parts.

    I can highly recommend these Harveys cycling maps of Perthshire, produced in collaboration with Perthshire Cycling Campaign: http://www.harveymaps.co.uk/acatalog/Perthshire_cycling_maps.html

    Also Fife Council have produced a great series of cycling maps that you can use on the way home (assuming you don't already have these). I've found them surprisingly useful over the past few years. Order here:
    http://www.fifedirect.org.uk/minisites/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.display&pageid=60CF6F23-A891-6222-BF4921B9752AD538&

    Posted 11 years ago #

  7. kaputnik
    Moderator

    I'm going up to a family thing in Creiff at the start of May will take the bike to try get in some routes around Perthshire. Glen Lyon then over to Loch Tay and back via Kenmore or something.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  8. crowriver
    Member

    @kaputnik, you could do worse than try the Trossachs permanent audax ride. One of the controls is Crieff...

    http://www.aukweb.net/perms/detail/SP33/

    Posted 11 years ago #

  9. Nelly
    Member

    Kaputnik, done that route a couple of times from the other side - stunning and a wonderful descent through glen lyon (magic cycle friendly post office coffee shop in glen lyon).

    It really is magic cycling country up there.

    Weather was astonishing though, first time we had horizontal rain turning to sleet, then sun at the cake stop!

    Posted 11 years ago #

  10. crowriver
    Member

    Come to think of it, the Glen tae ben permanent is probably more like what you're after kaputnik:

    http://www.aukweb.net/perms/detail/WW06/

    Posted 11 years ago #

  11. Ed1
    Member

    Got a free scot rail ticket to Aviemore on Friday. I intend to cycle back over Friday Saturday or Saturday sunday. Any one done this route any tips? I am going (Aviemore Edinburgh not forth )

    Posted 6 years ago #

  12. Rosie
    Member

    I cycled from Edinburgh to Newtonmore on the Sustrans route. Really lovely - by the Tay & then a route running parallel to the A9 and using bits of the old A9.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  13. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    @Ed1

    Maybe get your bike overhauled? Tell them what you plan and let them make a judgement on what's required?

    Posted 6 years ago #

  14. Greenroofer
    Member

    @Ed1 - perfectly do-able, provided the bike holds up, and quite pleasant. Most of the route is very nice, like Rosie says, and you can follow various bits of the NCN the whole way.

    Here's a route you could steal if you're on Strava:
    https://www.strava.com/activities/953035956, which uses the NCN routes. I tend to avoid traffic, even when I'm on a mission like this one and even if it's longer than going on the road.

    Points of note are
    1) It's a bit grim around Drumochter because it goes on an annoying wiggly track beside the road, and some bits have a lot of gravel on them and others are quite rough.
    2) Around Dunkeld the track is distinctly off-road, albeit passable on a road bike with slick tyres
    3) There are some slightly wiggly cycle paths north of Perth that aren't great for making purposeful progress (but aren't unpleasant) and seem to be full of flood prevention work on my last visit a couple of months ago
    4) There's a nightmare dual carriageway motorway junction at Friarton south of Perth, which actually has a shared-use pavement beside it that's not completely obvious (you can see on my trace how I crossed the road to reach it)
    5) There are some steep hills south of Perth that feel all the steeper if you've come from Blair in the same day (or Inverness!)

    Posted 6 years ago #

  15. Rosie
    Member

    @Greenroofer - I loved that bit through Drumochter with the hills and railway on one side and the A90 on the other. I got to the Drumochter Pass without a sense of climbing much at all. I did love the sense of being betwixt railway and road.

    I was on my wide-wheeled hybrid which coped fine with the rough surface.

    I had great weather & I have very fond memories of the trip.

    (Blogged about it here - Yikes - nearly 10 years ago!)

    http://rosiebell.typepad.com/rosiebell/2008/08/cycling-among-the-ruins.html

    Posted 6 years ago #

  16. Nelly
    Member

    "Got a free scot rail ticket to Aviemore on Friday"

    Nice one - I got one for a week today, and had intended a couple of nights MTB up there.

    Have to be back friday now, so I think I will jump on the train and get off at Ladybank and ride home.

    Chance to come over the FRB with no traffic !

    Posted 6 years ago #

  17. Greenroofer
    Member

    @Rosie - agree about the ascent of Drumochter as being surprisingly easy really. There a just some bits of the path round there I didn't enjoy: sandwiched between a fence and Armco, with a dual carriageway a few feet away, and the whole path covered in gravel. The bits on the abandoned A9 away from the new road are nice (if a bit rough sometimes)

    Posted 6 years ago #

  18. DrAfternoon
    Member

    Recently rode most of this route up the way from Edinburgh to Newtonmore. I quite enjoyed the post-apocalyptic quality of the partially nature reclaimed old A9. No bother on 35mm tyres.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  19. Rosie
    Member

    @DrAfternoon - I enjoyed that too, though wondered when the tree roots would finally require machetes to make your way through.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  20. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    I rode the Dalnaspidal to Dalnacardoch section last year and it came as blessed relief to my 40mm tyres.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  21. Ed1
    Member

    I got the train from Edinburgh to Stirling fine but was lucky to get on the train from stirling to aviemore one of the bike areas was full with luggage the other had 2 bikes in it but I managed to get mine on.

    I stayed in Aviemore for a couple of hours then took the cycle path back to Blair Athol about 60 miles south. The cycle paths from Aviemore seemed good. Initially was quiet roads then the path by the railway, A9 and the old closed road. Was a nice but windy in places with many segregated cycle paths I only passed 1 cyclist in 35 miles. The next day I took the cycle path route from Blair Athol to callander this was on quiet roads until got to Killin and joined the cycle path to callander. Callander to dunblane does not have a cycle route yet ( its currently being planned) so was the worst part of the journey. I got the train back from Dunblane as was raining heavily.

    The only slight issue I had was my Aldi lightweight sleeping bag was not up to the job good in June and August but should have taken a winter one.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  22. HankChief
    Member

    Good effort Ed1. Sounds like an excellent adventure.

    Posted 6 years ago #

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