Highland Trail Race

[ScotRoutes]

I think tough tyres are going be important since as far as I know there are only two bike shops on the entire route and these are both in Fort William which comes at over 500 miles. There is another 2.5 miles off route from Contin in Strathpeffer but this is relatively early on (day 2 for most folks). Does anyone know of other bike shops on or close to the route?

Square Wheels in Strathpeffer is closed on Mondays but Steve is a very helpful guy and he usually has a phone number posted on the front door for "emergencies". I know he popped down to supply and fit a rear mech for someone last Monday.

[hikernks]

Thanks for the info on the bike shops.  As far as tires, I'm going with Maxxis Ikon EXO tubeless in 29x2.2.  I've heard these are popular for the CTR, and I plan on riding a chunk of that this summer as well, so I hope they hold up.  The sidewalls at least feel like they're really sturdy, but I haven't mounted them yet either.  I'll bring a repair kit anyways.   

[GregMay]

There will be mud...Ikons and mud tend not to love each other. FWIW I rode Geax Saguaros and had only one small puncture from glass. Stans sorted it straight out. Never had any issues with the rock and sidewalls and only a small amount of slippage during the tussok section on day one.

[ScotRoutes]

There will be mud...Ikons and mud tend not to love each other. FWIW I rode Geax Saguaros and had only one small puncture from glass. Stans sorted it straight out. Never had any issues with the rock and sidewalls and only a small amount of slippage during the tussok section on day one.

Lots or stories about Saguaros not being an easy fit on Stans rims.

[wunnspeed]

I'm a huge fan of Geax and have used them practically since they first came into production many, many years ago. So it's possible that perspective is somewhat skewed. Also, I'm not a fan of Mr. S products so that's also something to consider. I do, however, use FRM and WTB rims with my Geax tires. Having said all that, I've had team mates that had issues in the past with Geax tires and Stans rims but from what I remember it was mostly UST models and I believe that whole issue has gotten better the last 3-4 years as tubeless technology has gotten better. The reason I mention FRM is that they have a very similar profile to Stans and there are various reports of Geax tires and FRM rims having 'issues'. I have never had a problem though. My experience has been that Contis are way more difficult to mount than Geax.

[flatfishy]

Saguaro and Stans Crest went on fine for me.

[drjon]

i was out riding on part of the course on sunday - from fort augustus over to cannich then instead of following the out route further, i rejoined the back part from tomich back up the 'power line' climb then up the drove road back to fort augustus.

of note there are currently 2 detours in the great glen due to zip line forest works, but these should be long gone by the end of may. which is good, as the reroutes are a bit of a pain.

the other thing that is occurring is the scottish 6 day motor bike trial race is passing through the forest that the drove road passes through on the 6th of may. I'm hoping they dont use any softer trails we will use as they tend to make a heck of a mess of any trail they use….

http://www.ssdt.org/downloads/2010/SSDT%20Information%20%28Compressed%29.pdf

[htrider]

The SSDT uses most of the trails the route follows from tyndrum to Fort Augustus including the path between Lubielt bothy and Loch treig - there are sections up the burns on the north side of this path all the way along it so watch out for false trails heading away from the main river. to be honest even 150 trials bikes don't do too much damage and without them the lubielt loch trieg path would be a pathless slog!

There is an outdoor shop at Ardelve just up from Eilean donan castle which has some bike stuff (and gas)

Another thing worth bearing in mind is the bike bus which runs between Inverness and Durness via Ullapool every day - useful if you have a serious mechanical http://www.inverness-durness-highland-bike-bus.co.uk/

[McNik]

I was gonna mention the bus, but wasn't sure that was good karma given I had to take it last year :-(

Monday to Saturday:

Laxforbridge - 1615
Scourie - 1625
Kylesku - 1641
Skiag Bridge - 1653
Lochinver (Bayview Car Park) - 1711
Inchnadamph - 1729
Ledmore Junction - 1741
Ullapool Pier arr - 1808
Ullapool Pier dep - 1813
Braemore Junction - 1829
Aultguish Inn - 1845
Garve Hotel - 1855
Contin (Post Office) - 1905
Strathpeffer (Square) - 1910
Inverness (Bus Station) Stance 1 - 1944

Don't be taken by the pictures, it is a cramped minibus with hard suspension and a big bike trailer, rattling over the small twisty roads at a considerable speed. On the other hand, I have never seen it more that 1/3rd full, with lots of spaces for bikes, and its cheap, and it will get you to the railway station / civilization.

Don't worry about booking your bike on the train from Inverness, just turn up and walk on, strap in your bike, and forget about it. The first time I tried to take that train, I attempted to book it when I was in Durness, and if I had believed the person on the other end of the phone, I'd have had to wait in Inverness for 3 days to get a train with a bike space. Worst comes to the worst, give the conductor a sob story - if you are on that train, you'll have one in any case.

[AlanG]

I thought I'd bring the "what shoes" discussion over here. I don't think you are ever going to keep the water out given that there are rivers to wade across, so I'd favour well ventilated shoes that drain well. I used the Specialized Rime which has a Vibram sole and was excellent for the hike-a-bike in HTR, CTR and Lakeland 200. Remember there may be a fair bit of walking but there's around 500 miles of pedalling too.

[wunnspeed]

I thought I'd bring the "what shoes" discussion over here. I don't think you are ever going to keep the water out given that there are rivers to wade across, so I'd favour well ventilated shoes that drain well. I used the Specialized Rime which has a Vibram sole and was excellent for the hike-a-bike in HTR, CTR and Lakeland 200. Remember there may be a fair bit of walking but there's around 500 miles of pedalling too.

I've been working on that very thing. I used the Rimes on both the TDR and Grenzstein but really think that the tread is too shallow and any time I had to walk for extended periods, mostly on snow, I had pretty badly bruised feet the next day. Mine are Gen. 1 and I seem to remember they were rated 8 or 9 for stiffness at that time. However, for singlespeeding I also thought they were a bit too soft (I know, it's a delicate balance). I tried on the high end Pearl Izumis today but they're 300 Swiss Francs which is pretty steep for a shoe I'll wear once or twice a year and I already have Spez. S-Works that I normally wear but they suck for walking. Lately, I've been looking for a place to try on the new Giro Terraduros but it's looking more and more like I'm just going to have to buy them off the web and send them back if they don't fit as I can't locate anyone that carries them around the Zurich area.

[drjon]

well as far as shoes, i'm on old pair of shimano m162 for the most part...they were a pain until my extra wide feet stretched them out, and the tongues tend to split, but i can walk all day in them. otherwise i use giro privateers...which have a more flexible sole than most xc type shoes...if the terraduro is similar to the wide/high volume giro last id be interested...but i reckon it got the standard last....

in terms of kit issues, my main one is whether to bring coffee making stuff or not!....without that, i can ditch stove, cup and a bag of grounds, but man, i *love* a good cup of coffee.... :-)~

[McNik]

I used a pair of Pearl Izumi 'X-Alp Seek IV' shoes last year. I had used them before for more bikepacking type things, and they worked ok for that. I did the laces up too tight however, and gave myself a ganglion cyst... not the end of the world, but it was very mildly uncomfortable for quite a long time afterwards (many months). I am not going to use lace up shoes anymore. Apart from that, they worked ok. Not really very stiff, but no hotspots, and they walk like trainers. They got wet and TBH didn't dry out... I find all shoes are like sponges in that regard. But they at least drained well. FWIW, I took off my shoes for the deeper wade on day 1. They kept my feet dry, but by end of day 3 they were sodden with all the boggy puddles on some of the higher landrover tracks.

I got a pair of Shimano MW81 last winter, and have been loving them for wet and cold rides. I am tempted to use them, but I am worried about getting them filled with water and then ending up as buckets of water on the end of my feet. They work well with windstopper trousers over the top of then, stopping water getting in the tops is vital. But that won't work for river crossings (unless I take them off again, not ideal for speed nor sure footing IMHO), nor is it bombproof for multi-day things. I am going to try them out with a cunning plan, but if that fails, I'll need to make a call on a new pair of shoes.

I tried on the high end Pearl Izumis today

Was that the X-PROJECT shoes? They look interesting, although the price is high, and the styling is a bit loud.

[AlanG]

Unless it's forecast to be an unseasonably cold week I'd advise against the winter boots. You WILL get wet shoes but I think it's better to have some airflow around your feet and give them a chance to dry out a bit before the next soaking. For the same reason I wouldn't use Seal Skinz socks either. A nice pair of Woolie Boolies is what I will wear.
If you do use the winter boots beware of having the neoprene cuff too tight on the walking sections, I irritated my Achilles tendon from doing this a couple of years back.

[wunnspeed]

well as far as shoes, i'm on old pair of shimano m162 for the most part...they were a pain until my extra wide feet stretched them out, and the tongues tend to split, but i can walk all day in them. otherwise i use giro privateers...which have a more flexible sole than most xc type shoes...if the terraduro is similar to the wide/high volume giro last id be interested...but i reckon it got the standard last....

in terms of kit issues, my main one is whether to bring coffee making stuff or not!....without that, i can ditch stove, cup and a bag of grounds, but man, i *love* a good cup of coffee.... :-)~

I'm soooo with you on the coffee thing... there's a reason I have a coffee cup tattoo. If nothing else, I'll probably bring the espresso 'tubes' as they're better than nothing and easy enough to pack in and pack out and they still have 'Go Juice!'.

It was the X-Project shoes. They fit me really well considering I have a narrow foot and most bike shoes seem to be made for people with flippers (in comparison) for feet. Color-wise, I liked them in the Orange. Considering my new bike will be Orange, Pink and possibly purple, so colorful is not a negative for me. The Privateers look pretty nice too and I'd probably take those if I could find them but alas, the Giro shoe selection seems to be pretty scarce.

[drjon]

i think bike24 does giro shoes if that helps?

[chainagent]

Mavic Scree, is my choice for a shoe with a stiff sole and excellent walking performance. Gore-Tex Membran make it breathable and waterproof for small showers of rain. For more rain I wear it together with seal skinz socks. What I really hate are wet feet and I really haven't got a clue what to do with the river crossings at the route. In that case I am a pussy  . Now I am thinking about to take some extra lightweight bathing shoes. Ok, it will be a time penalty every time I am going to cross a stream putting off an on the shoes again. But for me that's worth it.  

      Michael

[htrider]

Really not sure about well ventilated shoes - fine for hot dry climates but a recipe for freezing feet in Scotland at any time of year. Bear in mind there are only two major river crossings on the route - either go bear foot or remove socks and insoles from your boots for rocky river beds. The insides of your boots will be wet but if you drain them well you'll have warm feet when you put your socks back on and a pair of sealskins will mean dry feet. Plus a decent pair of boots will give you good ankle support and grip for the hike a bike bits, particularly up from Loch broom

Northwave canion goretex for me

[AlanG]

Much has been written about the river crossing in Fisherfield but I have crossed at mouth of the loch on two occasions with no problems at all. In 2012 it was ankle deep and you could have easily ridden across. Last year I was there at about midday on the Monday (day three) after a night of heavy rain and it was around knee deep. Other people crossed there that day and the highest level I heard about  was mid thigh. There were reports of waist deep or more from people who crossed at other locations upstream. The river bed at the designated crossing is just small stones and the current relatively gentle so even though the width of the river may make it look intimidating I think people should definitely try there first before exploring upstream.

[McNik]

Really not sure about well ventilated shoes - fine for hot dry climates but a recipe for freezing feet in Scotland at any time of year. Bear in mind there are only two major river crossings on the route - either go bear foot or remove socks and insoles from your boots for rocky river beds.

It is important to remember that the river crossings are not the only place to get wet feet! For example, you have the reservoir crossing prior to Loch ma Stac - seen in the last picture at http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=4330 . After Loch ma Stac, I seem to remember quite boggy uplands before dropping down. And the pass between Cannish and Contin was very wet, big deep puddles punctuating the landrover track at the top. And rain as well. I very much doubt even the best system will keep out the wet for consecutive 15 hour days riding in such places.

Also, I don't agree about freezing feet in Scotland. I rode on light ventilated shoes last year and was fine, no cold feet. Wet feet, yes.

Much has been written about the river crossing in Fisherfield but I have crossed at mouth of the loch on two occasions with no problems at all. In 2012 it was ankle deep and you could have easily ridden across. Last year I was there at about midday on the Monday (day three) after a night of heavy rain and it was around knee deep. Other people crossed there that day and the highest level I heard about  was mid thigh. There were reports of waist deep or more from people who crossed at other locations upstream. The river bed at the designated crossing is just small stones and the current relatively gentle so even though the width of the river may make it look intimidating I think people should definitely try there first before exploring upstream.

I didn't get to do it last year, but from the satellite photo https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@57.7787403,-5.2736457,1280m/data=!3m1!1e3 it looks like the most shallow path is actually an inverted U shape out into the loch and back again at the mouth of the river.