Cairngorms Loop
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- čas přidán 19. 07. 2024
- In this fourth episode I tackle the Cairngorms Loop. A tough 300km route which was originally designed as an ITT (Individual Time Trial) for mountains bikes my goal was to see if it is possible to bikepack this route on a Gravel Bike.
Strava Link: / strava
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:57 Day 1 (Friday) - Bridge of Tilt to Fords of Avon
00:09:28 Day 2 (Saturday) - Fords of Avon to Tomintoul
00:13:47 Day 3 (Sunday) - Tomintoul to Bridge of Tilt
Please note: On occasions my route deviated from the official ITT Cairngorms Loop so if you are thinking doing this as an ITT and getting your route ratified then make sure you check out the website at www.cairngormsloop.net/ to get the most accurate GPX file - Sport
The Fords of the Avon is a lovely place to camp. Very remote in the heart of the Cairngorms. We stayed there for 2 nights in 1989 on a 6 day backpacking trip. I have walked most of the paths on the Inner loop and I expect here will be much much more hike a bike than on the outer loop. Great video - thanks for sharing.
Hi Graham, thanks for watching my video and taking the time to comment. Yes the Fords of Avon is a stunning location. You really get a great feeling of isolation and of course it will untouched in time and be exactly how it was when you visited in 1989. The inner loop was tough. Lots of people have said that a mountain bike would have made it easier. Maybe so but I still would have still been pushing lots 😀
The very best of British Keep the good work up 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Great video, thanks very much for that 👍
I’ve done the outer loop on a gravel bike, pretty much rode every yard - but I reckon the inner is MTB territory.
Totally agree. The inner loop is a no go for a gravel bike. Well certainly with my level of proficiency 🙂
Cheers, that's good to know 🚴♂️👍
Thoroughly enjoyed your short film, route looked ace and highlighted the difference between in and outter loop. Looking at doing this in October - weather depending!
Cheers Andy. It is an epic but would have been more enjoyable on a mountain bike, I think. One thing to note; there are lots of river crossings and I did the route on the back of sustained dry weather. Some of them crossings could be quite tricky if the river was in spate. Enjoy :)
@@go_explore thanks for your reply. We're thinking mtb due to inner loop and very conscious of impact of weather will have on a successful trip👍
@@andywestwell7543 Great! Enjoy your trip 🙂
Good effort on a gravel bike.
As others have said a nice honest straight forward account of the route.
Cheers Phil. Thanks for watching the video and commenting. I'm sure better cyclists than me could manage the terrain better but defo a mountain bike for me next time 👍
@@go_explore Maybe, but not many would fare much better. It is an mtb route after all.
Drop bars are fun.
Love the video so well shot and edited….. plus you find some great tracks to go with the video
Cheers for the feedback. 😊 It's a great route with amazing views. I use Epidemic Sound for my music
Thank you for the Vid . im thinking about doing in in a few months (2024) but just the outer loop where I can head down in b+bs
The outer loop flows better as you can pretty much rude it all but there is a bit of hike-a-bike on the inner loop. Well for me there was 😊 Enjoy your trip! 👍
Loved seeing the trail. Dreaming of trying it from colorado. I'll go in June with wife... alas she would kill me if we did that. I think if you packed very light, you could've gone much better on a gravel bike. We'll bring mt bikes.
Yes agreed. I could have definitely travelled lighter. But I do enjoy my comfort 🙂 Its an epic route and the video does not do this location justice.
Looks very challenging this one!! 💪🏁
It was challenging. No doubt would have been easier on a mountain bike but amazing none the less
Nice, I've done that section from Bynac more to Derry lodge at night in 60mph winds and horizontal rain 🤣
That sounds really tough going. Fair Play 👍 I've ran through there a couple of times when the weather has been rough but nothing like that. Were you OK crossing the river at the Ford's of Avon Refuge? It soon rises when it rains...
@@go_explore yeah it wasn't fun that's for sure 🤣 managed to cross it ok but not dry
Brilliant film big lad thoroughly enjoyed it. You did really well on your gravel bike looked really technical . Great route
Cheers Big Lad.. Bike come out of it a bit worse for wear.. It has been in repair shop for the last week :)
Fantastic video, I completed it myself this year too. I'm not in a rush to return to the inner, loved the outer ring, even the sting in the tale at the end. What is the track as you are approaching the fords on the first day, it's beautiful?
When I say track, I mean the music.
Hi Steven, yes agreed I would not rush back to the inner loop neither and the outer if far more fun as it is more rideable. Non the less, it is a super route and I really enjoyed it :) All my music is from Epidemic Sound and the track you are referring to is called "Pandemonium (Tribute Version)" by "Mondays feat. Hanna Stone" www.epidemicsound.com/track/TApfdD8xcx/
@@go_explore Thanks for the name of the track, bugger it's only on youtube. Extra kudos to you for completing on a Gravel Bike. Also impressive are the riders who only take 24 hours ish to complete the whole course.
Great video - I attemped it a few months ago on my gravel bike but lost my toolkit and my pump and had to abort. I'm going to start where I left off but this time I'm riding a plus bike - I don't think it's really suitable for a gravel bike. I'm intrigued to know how you got the shots where the camera is following you?
Cheers 🙂 Yes, it was certainly tougher than I expected and I should have took the advice online and used a mountain bike. Great trip though. The shots from behind were done with a insta360 camera on a selfie stick
100+km in a day on that terrain is very good. 👍👏👏
I won't be repeating it Kevin - well not on a Gravel Bike anyway :)
@@go_explore Yep, I live up here and use a MTB! 😉
@@kevinw1129 There were quite a few people out on mountain bikes when I was up there. Lots of options in the Cairngorms on a mountain bike
@@go_explore I know it’s in my back yard.😉
@@go_explore We’ve just done the northern section (Fort Augustus to Cape Wrath) of the Great North Trail. Met a guy on a gravel bike and he was struggling. You need to pick the bike to match the worst terrain.😉
Grand video, thanks for sharing. Q if I can, how did you get the footage from behind you and towards the end crossing a bridge the camera follows by sideways. Is it via Insta 360 stick?
Hi Martin, glad you enjoyed the video.. On this trip i used a GoPro Hero 10, a drone and a Insta 360. Both those shots you refer to were filmed with the 360 camera and the shot that tracks me crossing the bridge was created with the tracking feature in the insta software :)
Thanks. I've been googling today. The footage still needs editing and you've done a cracking job
Cheers.. A 360 camera is really useful for these kind of videos :)
Enjoyed that most honest appraisal... but what happened to the Fealar lodge bit at the end?
(see also my video from this year)
Cheers. I'll take a look at your video and compare. Great route but I think a mountain bike would have been a better option 🙂
Aye - quite a few "variations" from the official ITT route, which can be found here...www.cairngormsloop.net/cairngormsloop-map
Hi Colin, I think I got the majority of the route correct with the following exceptions; the very beginning I headed on the road, at Glen Feshie on the inner loop I got lost and ended up crossing the river early, Abernethy Forest I also got lost and came off route, Tomintoul I dropped down to the river to find a camping location and cut across to re-join the route rather than trace back and finally the section at the end which I did not realise I'd gone wrong. I don't think this takes anything away from what I was trying to achieve with respect to trying to cycle this route on a gravel bike. but I appreciate the feedback and I'll update the notes to highlight the differences to the ITT. Cheers
@@go_explore Absolutely worth exploring the area whichever way you choose to do it. If you're not sending the gpx track in to me so that I can record your time on the website then it matters little 😉 I'm so used to seeing the "official" route now that I can spot deviations quickly.
The most common question I'm asked as current "Keeper of the Route" is whether or not it can be done on a gravel bike. I always say "if you have to ask then the answer is no". With your permission I'd like to include a link to this video on the Cairngorms Loop website and our Facebook page.
I've updated the video description with some text stating my route deviates away from official route on occasions and also linked to the Cairngorms Loop website. No problem for sharing the video on your site/Facebook page :)
Love your videos, but it seems to me that you underbike: Why don’t you use something more mountain bike like? (I’d pick my rigid flat bar bike with 650b+ 2.6” or 2.8” tires for that route).
Hi Kenny, Well my mountain bike is old and not really up to it in all honesty.. Maybe it is time for an upgrade 😀 There is no doubt about it that a gravel bike was not the best of choice for that route but I am glad I tried it because it was a cracking route