Great Glen Cycleway on Touring Bike



I'm interested in doing the Great Glen Cycleway from Inverness to Ft
William. Does anyone know if the traffic free sections will go on a
road bike?
 
in message <[email protected]>,
[email protected] (' [email protected]') wrote:

> I'm interested in doing the Great Glen Cycleway from Inverness to Ft
> William. Does anyone know if the traffic free sections will go on a
> road bike?


Yup. Some fire road, but nothing a strong road wheel won't do perfectly
happily. Also some gratuitous wiggling through housing estates...

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
;; If Python is executable pseudocode,
;; then Perl is executable line noise
-- seen on Slashdot.
 
On 17 Jun, 06:23, "Niall Wallace" <[email protected]> wrote:
> "iarocu" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>

I also skipped a short off road bit between Laggan Bridge
> > and Oich Bridge. It climbs a fair bit to avoid 5 miles or so on the
> > main A82.


>
> Do you mean the swing bridge at Laggan Locks near South Laggan?


I stand corrected. The proper name for the bridge I referred to is
Laggan Swing Bridge ...... at North Laggan.
Here ...http://tinyurl.com/2nrzhr

Iain
 
On 17 Jun, 20:19, iarocu <[email protected]> wrote:
> On 17 Jun, 06:23, "Niall Wallace" <[email protected]> wrote:> "iarocu" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> I also skipped a short off road bit between Laggan Bridge
>



sutrans routes I feel happier tackling on a very strong bike with fat
tyres.
This weekend was a classic.I cycled 20miles in an hour and a half
including 20mins sheltering from rain, then on the way back thought I
would try the pretty way through sherwood pines on NCNroute 6.I spent
an hour and a half just trying to find my way out of the woods.Signs
were hopelessly intermittent and hard to follow and once off route of
course there are no more of your signs until you happen to cross the
route where there is a sign. All the people I met were as lost as I
was.The tracks were in a right state, there having been a car rally
held on them.I wish I'd had my camera, but you can probably imagine
trying to ride a road bike with 23mm tyres on churned mud, rocks,
ruts, and where the track was intact it seemed to be made of railway
gravel. Not a practical transport solution.

TerryJ
 
TerryJ <[email protected]> wrote:

> On 17 Jun, 20:19, iarocu <[email protected]> wrote:
> > On 17 Jun, 06:23, "Niall Wallace" <[email protected]> wrote:>
> >"iarocu" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >
> > I also skipped a short off road bit between Laggan Bridge
> >

>
>
> sutrans routes I feel happier tackling on a very strong bike with fat
> tyres.
> This weekend was a classic.I cycled 20miles in an hour and a half
> including 20mins sheltering from rain, then on the way back thought I
> would try the pretty way through sherwood pines on NCNroute 6.I spent
> an hour and a half just trying to find my way out of the woods.Signs
> were hopelessly intermittent and hard to follow and once off route of
> course there are no more of your signs until you happen to cross the
> route where there is a sign. All the people I met were as lost as I
> was.The tracks were in a right state, there having been a car rally
> held on them.I wish I'd had my camera, but you can probably imagine
> trying to ride a road bike with 23mm tyres on churned mud, rocks,
> ruts, and where the track was intact it seemed to be made of railway
> gravel. Not a practical transport solution.
>
> TerryJ


the sustrans tracks i've seen would be fine on a road bike. the one nr
my folks is tarmak which has ment the old line now needs a padlocked
gate. there are a number of houses along it, thus need vehical access,
and suprise suprise it looks like a road so people start useing like it.
before the railway bed kept speeds down.

still getting a few people to ride there bikes up and down. though did
meet a lad who only just managed to stop. a few secs along and he would
of used my car as ski jump.

it's a nr blind tight steep courner. sensible thing is to take it slow.
not let the young lad streak away if he can't stop.

roger
 
[email protected] (Roger Merriman) writes:

>the sustrans tracks i've seen would be fine on a road bike. the one nr
>my folks is tarmak which has ment the old line now needs a padlocked
>gate. there are a number of houses along it, thus need vehical access,
>and suprise suprise it looks like a road so people start useing like it.
>before the railway bed kept speeds down.


One of my gripes with Sustrans is that you can't predict what the surface
is going to be like looking at their maps. They colour code it to show if
it is shared with cars or not, but if it is not, it can be anything from
tarmac, well packed gravel, or a feet of mud with boulders in it.


Roos
 
Roos Eisma <[email protected]> wrote:

> [email protected] (Roger Merriman) writes:
>
> >the sustrans tracks i've seen would be fine on a road bike. the one nr
> >my folks is tarmak which has ment the old line now needs a padlocked
> >gate. there are a number of houses along it, thus need vehical access,
> >and suprise suprise it looks like a road so people start useing like it.
> >before the railway bed kept speeds down.

>
> One of my gripes with Sustrans is that you can't predict what the surface
> is going to be like looking at their maps. They colour code it to show if
> it is shared with cars or not, but if it is not, it can be anything from
> tarmac, well packed gravel, or a feet of mud with boulders in it.
>
>
> Roos


ahh from dealing with them as my parents live on a old railwayline they
are remarkably clueless at times.

they onces i've seen are all flat but then are old railways as my folks
live in south wales which has old railways coming out of the hills as
you where.

they have put a cheap and (oh isn't it cheap and nasty) tarmack layer
down. how long it will last will be intresting.

they did a really good job of putting peoples backs up, i suspect they
will not finish the path. they only got the last bit as the old boy
died. and the farmers further down the valley have told them where to
go.

roger
 
Roger Merriman wrote:
> Roos Eisma <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> [email protected] (Roger Merriman) writes:
>>
>>> the sustrans tracks i've seen would be fine on a road bike. the one nr
>>> my folks is tarmak which has ment the old line now needs a padlocked
>>> gate. there are a number of houses along it, thus need vehical access,
>>> and suprise suprise it looks like a road so people start useing like it.
>>> before the railway bed kept speeds down.

>> One of my gripes with Sustrans is that you can't predict what the surface
>> is going to be like looking at their maps. They colour code it to show if
>> it is shared with cars or not, but if it is not, it can be anything from
>> tarmac, well packed gravel, or a feet of mud with boulders in it.
>>
>>
>> Roos

>
> ahh from dealing with them as my parents live on a old railwayline they
> are remarkably clueless at times.
>
> they onces i've seen are all flat but then are old railways as my folks
> live in south wales which has old railways coming out of the hills as
> you where.
>
> they have put a cheap and (oh isn't it cheap and nasty) tarmack layer
> down. how long it will last will be intresting.
>
> they did a really good job of putting peoples backs up, i suspect they
> will not finish the path. they only got the last bit as the old boy
> died. and the farmers further down the valley have told them where to
> go.
>


Is this the Taff Trail?
 
Mike Jones <[email protected]> wrote:

> Roger Merriman wrote:
> > Roos Eisma <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >> [email protected] (Roger Merriman) writes:
> >>
> >>> the sustrans tracks i've seen would be fine on a road bike. the one nr
> >>> my folks is tarmak which has ment the old line now needs a padlocked
> >>> gate. there are a number of houses along it, thus need vehical access,
> >>> and suprise suprise it looks like a road so people start useing like it.
> >>> before the railway bed kept speeds down.
> >> One of my gripes with Sustrans is that you can't predict what the surface
> >> is going to be like looking at their maps. They colour code it to show if
> >> it is shared with cars or not, but if it is not, it can be anything from
> >> tarmac, well packed gravel, or a feet of mud with boulders in it.
> >>
> >>
> >> Roos

> >
> > ahh from dealing with them as my parents live on a old railwayline they
> > are remarkably clueless at times.
> >
> > they onces i've seen are all flat but then are old railways as my folks
> > live in south wales which has old railways coming out of the hills as
> > you where.
> >
> > they have put a cheap and (oh isn't it cheap and nasty) tarmack layer
> > down. how long it will last will be intresting.
> >
> > they did a really good job of putting peoples backs up, i suspect they
> > will not finish the path. they only got the last bit as the old boy
> > died. and the farmers further down the valley have told them where to
> > go.
> >

>
> Is this the Taff Trail?


no clydach gorge taff is further west along the well Taff, and the bits
i've seen have been chippings and such. the gorge i don't if it's just
becuase it's i know more about it but has been **** up upon **** up.

from them storing the gravel on the rare lichen to finding one of there
spokes men riding though with his girlfriend during the time when the
area was closed down due to foot and mouth. i could go on but i think
you get the jist.

roger
 
Roger Merriman wrote:
> Mike Jones <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Roger Merriman wrote:
>>> Roos Eisma <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>>> [email protected] (Roger Merriman) writes:
>>>>
>>>>> the sustrans tracks i've seen would be fine on a road bike. the one nr
>>>>> my folks is tarmak which has ment the old line now needs a padlocked
>>>>> gate. there are a number of houses along it, thus need vehical access,
>>>>> and suprise suprise it looks like a road so people start useing like it.
>>>>> before the railway bed kept speeds down.
>>>> One of my gripes with Sustrans is that you can't predict what the surface
>>>> is going to be like looking at their maps. They colour code it to show if
>>>> it is shared with cars or not, but if it is not, it can be anything from
>>>> tarmac, well packed gravel, or a feet of mud with boulders in it.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Roos
>>> ahh from dealing with them as my parents live on a old railwayline they
>>> are remarkably clueless at times.
>>>
>>> they onces i've seen are all flat but then are old railways as my folks
>>> live in south wales which has old railways coming out of the hills as
>>> you where.
>>>
>>> they have put a cheap and (oh isn't it cheap and nasty) tarmack layer
>>> down. how long it will last will be intresting.
>>>
>>> they did a really good job of putting peoples backs up, i suspect they
>>> will not finish the path. they only got the last bit as the old boy
>>> died. and the farmers further down the valley have told them where to
>>> go.
>>>

>> Is this the Taff Trail?

>
> no clydach gorge taff is further west along the well Taff, and the bits
> i've seen have been chippings and such. the gorge i don't if it's just
> becuase it's i know more about it but has been **** up upon **** up.
>
> from them storing the gravel on the rare lichen to finding one of there
> spokes men riding though with his girlfriend during the time when the
> area was closed down due to foot and mouth. i could go on but i think
> you get the jist.


Yup.
I'll take a look next time I'm in the area; I take it this is sustrans's
doing, not (directly) related to the dualling of the Heads of the
Valleys Road? There was a tunnel on the old rail line I thought.
 
Mike Jones <[email protected]> wrote:

> Roger Merriman wrote:
> > Mike Jones <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >> Roger Merriman wrote:
> >>> Roos Eisma <[email protected]> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> [email protected] (Roger Merriman) writes:
> >>>>
> >>>>> the sustrans tracks i've seen would be fine on a road bike. the one nr
> >>>>> my folks is tarmak which has ment the old line now needs a padlocked
> >>>>> gate. there are a number of houses along it, thus need vehical access,
> >>>>> and suprise suprise it looks like a road so people start useing like it.
> >>>>> before the railway bed kept speeds down.
> >>>> One of my gripes with Sustrans is that you can't predict what the surface
> >>>> is going to be like looking at their maps. They colour code it to show if
> >>>> it is shared with cars or not, but if it is not, it can be anything from
> >>>> tarmac, well packed gravel, or a feet of mud with boulders in it.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Roos
> >>> ahh from dealing with them as my parents live on a old railwayline they
> >>> are remarkably clueless at times.
> >>>
> >>> they onces i've seen are all flat but then are old railways as my folks
> >>> live in south wales which has old railways coming out of the hills as
> >>> you where.
> >>>
> >>> they have put a cheap and (oh isn't it cheap and nasty) tarmack layer
> >>> down. how long it will last will be intresting.
> >>>
> >>> they did a really good job of putting peoples backs up, i suspect they
> >>> will not finish the path. they only got the last bit as the old boy
> >>> died. and the farmers further down the valley have told them where to
> >>> go.
> >>>
> >> Is this the Taff Trail?

> >
> > no clydach gorge taff is further west along the well Taff, and the bits
> > i've seen have been chippings and such. the gorge i don't if it's just
> > becuase it's i know more about it but has been **** up upon **** up.
> >
> > from them storing the gravel on the rare lichen to finding one of there
> > spokes men riding though with his girlfriend during the time when the
> > area was closed down due to foot and mouth. i could go on but i think
> > you get the jist.

>
> Yup.
> I'll take a look next time I'm in the area; I take it this is sustrans's
> doing, not (directly) related to the dualling of the Heads of the
> Valleys Road? There was a tunnel on the old rail line I thought.


nothing to do with the dualing which is yet another issue. there are a
number of tunnels, some took the trains some water. unfortnatly you
couldn't possibly be trusted to attaully go near them so have gated the
lower set.

the upper set under llanelly hill is dual set like the lower clydach set
but exit on to a massive embackment which has two water tunnels one of
which carries a tributary of the Clydach, it's in a fairly bad repair,
has a waterfull inside it as well. the other i think was for running
machines.

can also get down to the river near there, (on foot) take a path down to
devils bridge.

yes all sustrans who have not impressed.

roger
 
On Fri, 22 Jun 2007 11:49:39 GMT someone who may be Mike Jones
<[email protected]> wrote this:-

>Roger Merriman wrote:


>> from them storing the gravel on the rare lichen to finding one of there
>> spokes men riding though with his girlfriend during the time when the
>> area was closed down due to foot and mouth. i could go on but i think
>> you get the jist.


Was the nearby road closed down during the foot and mouth panic? If
the answer was no then why was the cycle path closed?

This sort of nonsense from the farming lobby is why they have been
sidelined by society.

>I'll take a look next time I'm in the area; I take it this is sustrans's
>doing, not (directly) related to the dualling of the Heads of the
>Valleys Road? There was a tunnel on the old rail line I thought.


No comment on this bit, other than what has already been said by
someone else.


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54
 
David Hansen <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Fri, 22 Jun 2007 11:49:39 GMT someone who may be Mike Jones
> <[email protected]> wrote this:-
>
> >Roger Merriman wrote:

>
> >> from them storing the gravel on the rare lichen to finding one of there
> >> spokes men riding though with his girlfriend during the time when the
> >> area was closed down due to foot and mouth. i could go on but i think
> >> you get the jist.

>
> Was the nearby road closed down during the foot and mouth panic? If
> the answer was no then why was the cycle path closed?
>

at that point it wasn't open,ie still private land. sustrans had bought
the land but not opened it. at that point we where asked to drive only
essental journeys as the proximity of some of the cases farms close
where having there sheep slaughtered. it was not really the most
sensitive thing to do.

> This sort of nonsense from the farming lobby is why they have been
> sidelined by society.
>

foot and mouth is easly cureable so yup.

> >I'll take a look next time I'm in the area; I take it this is sustrans's
> >doing, not (directly) related to the dualling of the Heads of the
> >Valleys Road? There was a tunnel on the old rail line I thought.

>
> No comment on this bit, other than what has already been said by
> someone else.


roger
 
On Fri, 22 Jun 2007 16:34:22 +0100 someone who may be
[email protected] (Roger Merriman) wrote this:-

>at that point we where asked to drive only
>essental journeys as the proximity of some of the cases farms close
>where having there sheep slaughtered. it was not really the most
>sensitive thing to do.


Were people asked to only cycle on essential journeys?


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54
 
David Hansen <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Fri, 22 Jun 2007 16:34:22 +0100 someone who may be
> [email protected] (Roger Merriman) wrote this:-
>
> >at that point we where asked to drive only
> >essental journeys as the proximity of some of the cases farms close
> >where having there sheep slaughtered. it was not really the most
> >sensitive thing to do.

>
> Were people asked to only cycle on essential journeys?


asked to only travel as they where pleasure riding, i rather suspect he
was showing off to his GF...

this was a sustrans member not some random cylist.

roger
 

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