Hi all
A friend and I are (were?) planning to ride this in early May.
We had a planning meeting last night. I thought it was 500km, not 500+ miles, so we're clearly off to a good start! 🙂
We have one week - Friday night to the following Sunday. 500+ miles might be too much (we're reasonably fit and resilient)?
We're not bothered about getting our brevet cards stamped - we just want an adventure.
Any thoughts or feedback would be welcome, especially if you've done it or have local knowledge.
Are there bits we can miss? Are there sections we shouldn't miss at any cost? Is there a better circular route we could consider?
Cheers
I looked at it at launch and decided it was too convoluted and had too much urban riding for me (sort of inevitable I guess). There is also a ford (might be Perthshire or Angus?) that looks uncrossable in normal water levels and some sections of fast/busy trunk road. It did make me wonder if the route had been made up at a planning meeting rather than actually ridden. Maybe it's since been altered to remove these though - I haven't gone back to have a look..
First time I've heard of it. A bit of Tiso fanboi too.
But......linking together Tiso shops as the premise for assembling the best ride possible is a bit.....naff. I can see why they'd design it, but not why I'd want to ride it! I'm sure it'll be fine - good even. It nearly goes past my house. But the Badger divide or HT 550 would be higher on my list tbh.
Thanks for the responses. It looks like the Tiso 500 hasn't caught on.
The Badger Divide looks promising and could be an option (we'll be on gravel bikes). We could cobble a return route together so we get the 'circular' element we're after.
Appreciate any more thoughts or ideas. 🙂
The route does have some good bits. A possible alternative would be start at Blair Atholl cut across to Loch Rannoch and do the route north over to Loch Laggan (via Loch Ossian) then up over the Corrieyairack to FA then west Loch Ness, GreatGlen way to Inverness.
Then follow the Tiso route to Tomintoul and on to Deeside. Cut out the Aberdeen bit and head south on the Tiso route to Kirriemuir. Then cut across back to Blair Atholl.
Thanks for the ideas aberdeenlune - will have a look at your suggestions on a map so I can visualise it, work out the miles etc
I like the idea of these, but also don't...it seems we are heading towards needing signposting for everything. No doubt this will be an adventure, but it sounds less so given it is following someone else's guidance.
Having a moan and yet it has been many years since I've headed out for an adventure so suspect I'm slightly envious. However, on club rides I chat with people (aye, bit of a shock that people find me sociable enough to chat to!) and many don't just head out and see where they end up as they don't know where to go...which I don't really get as that has always been part of the adventure for me.
I'm not against this kind of thing, just not quite understanding why so many are popping up and 'needed'?
I’m not against this kind of thing, just not quite understanding why so many are popping up and ‘needed’?
And I'll just add particularly so in Scotland to that.
Some of it is marketing. If you're a council/region and you want to attract a few more tourists then why not employ a social media influencer to set up a new route in your area, taking in some places that tourists can visit and spend their money? It doesn't matter how convoluted the route then becomes, as long as no opportunity is missed. 😀
TBH, I guess this has always been a thing, maybe exaggerated now by social media rather than guidebooks and magazines. It's really little different from the notion of climbing routes, long distance footpaths and so on.
I do think routes have their place. We don't know the area so a route is a low risk option that will hopefully provide a decent experience. We also have limited time off from our respective home duties - a defined route means we can plan an itinerary and hopefully get home when we said we would.
It won't be an adventure in the purest sense, but still an experience that we will cherish. 🙂
and many don’t just head out and see where they end up as they don’t know where to go…which I don’t really get as that has always been part of the adventure for me
It's a lovely sounding sentiment but how does it work in practice?
To me that just sounds like a recipe for lots of short or abortive trips, endless hike-a-bike when that promising looking track peters out in a mess of tussocks (as they so often do 🙄) or carrying enough supplies for a week when a bit of planning would have allowed you to stock up en route.
Am looking at this through the eyes of someone cash poor/time poor obviously, if I have a few days off to go for a ride I want to make the most of it!
and many don’t just head out and see where they end up as they don’t know where to go…which I don’t really get as that has always been part of the adventure for me
It's a lovely sounding sentiment but how does it work in practice?
To me that just sounds like a recipe for lots of short or abortive trips, endless hike-a-bike when that promising looking track peters out in a mess of tussocks (as they so often do 🙄) or carrying enough supplies for a week when a bit of planning would have allowed you to stock up en route.
Am looking at this through the eyes of someone cash poor/time poor obviously, if I have a few days off to go for a ride I want to make the most of it!