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what is the highest rideable road in the UK?

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2019 5:05 pm
by ton
anyone know?


and also the highest rideable track?

Re: what is the highest rideable road in the UK?

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2019 5:20 pm
by TheBrownDog
Interesting question, that is. I have no idea. You can't ride up Ben Nevis, but maybe Snowdon?

Re: what is the highest rideable road in the UK?

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2019 5:29 pm
by whitestone
Here you go Tony - https://roadcyclinguk.com/sportive/13-h ... de-uk.html - I was going to suggest Great Dun Fell but thought there'd be something north of the border to beat it. GDF is closed to public cars but you can bike up it and it's a very nice surface :grin:

There are a few Munros with vehicle tracks to the top (or very nearly the top) but I'm not sure which one is the highest.

Re: what is the highest rideable road in the UK?

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2019 5:46 pm
by fatbikephil
Always amazes me how many of the 600m plus climbs are in my native Durham and all between Weardale and Teesdale. Dun fell is a monster, especially if you do it from the east :mrgreen:

Highest track? Hmmm, Cairn of Cleise from Glen Callater 1064m? Its theoretically rideable from bottom to top with the right gear and leg...
Edit:- Sgoar Gaoth above Glen Einich - 1118. Climb starts at 350 by Ruigh Etchacan bothy rideable all the way :mrgreen:
I cant recall how rideable the path from the ptarmigan restaurant to the summit of Cairngorm is but if it goes then I guess this will be the winner (1245m)

Re: what is the highest rideable road in the UK?

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2019 6:26 pm
by ScotRoutes
Ptarmigan to the summit is a lot easier than getting to the Ptarmigan!

There's this boulder field to negotiate but it's possible.

Image2008-07-28 16-37-40 by Colin Cadden, on Flickr

Re: what is the highest rideable road in the UK?

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2019 8:17 pm
by restlessshawn
I saw a Ptarmigan on Ptarmigan which I was a little overly pleased with

Re: what is the highest rideable road in the UK?

Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2019 11:13 am
by touch
If you manage to ride to the top of Cairngorm then you'd probably manage to continue on to Ben Macdui which is a bit higher.

Re: what is the highest rideable road in the UK?

Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2019 12:35 pm
by benp1
I thought the highest bridleways in England and Wales were Helvellyn and Snowdon

I also thought you could ride anywhere in Scotland?

Re: what is the highest rideable road in the UK?

Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2019 1:01 pm
by ScotRoutes
benp1 wrote:
I also thought you could ride anywhere in Scotland?
Legally, yes. But that wasn't my interpretation of the question.

Re: what is the highest rideable road in the UK?

Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2019 9:53 pm
by Lazarus
I thought the highest bridleways in England and Wales were Helvellyn and Snowdon
they asked about roads and said rideable
having been to the top of those two they are not actually rideable all the way up - I am sure someone has done it or will make the claim- but realistically they are the highest points in those countries you can legally be with your bike rather than rideable.

Both very much worth the effort.

Re: what is the highest rideable road in the UK?

Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2019 10:43 pm
by padonbike
In terms of tracks actually going somewhere, rather than to a dead end Munro summit (no disrespect to riding up to Munro summits! ), I would offer the shoulder of Bynack Mhor on the Lairig Loaig, which is around 830m if I remember correctly and very rideable from Ryvoan direction. Also Bealach Dearg approx 720m between Invercauld and Tomintoul, which is totally rideable from both directions.

Re: what is the highest rideable road in the UK?

Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2019 7:28 pm
by fatbikephil
If we are talking through routes then another beauty (and rideable) is the Mount Keen mounth road = 939m

Re: what is the highest rideable road in the UK?

Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2019 10:04 pm
by redefined_cycles
benp1 wrote:I thought the highest bridleways in England and Wales were Helvellyn and Snowdon

I also thought you could ride anywhere in Scotland?
Regards Hellvelyn. Me and the siblings attmepted it a few years ago and although I cant confirm whether its rideable all the way to the peak, we did get pretty close and were literally a stoens throw away but I chickened out (fear of heights) :???: activity can be seen here but am pretty sure it was all rideable (as far as I remember) and there is a steeper walking path running in a slightly different direction. I think my strava said it was my highest climb ever and quoted around 2000ft that day in one segment! Activity profile here https://strava.app.link/eoOK7aWoPT

Regards highest road climb, my 100 climbs app and discussions with a couple of lads who have done all 100 highest (from the book from Simon Warren which is also an app now) road climbs, would suggest that one of the highest and scariest roads is Bealach Ne Ba in Tornapress/Scotland...

Great Dun Fell and the above are only around 30ft apart and I would personally say to give and give that (Great Dun) a shot as its alot safer and less turbulent weather than the Bealach Ne Baa... When me and a mate went to Gt Dun it was clooudy and total mist after around 1500ft and not much visibility. Its all easily climbable but a few moments you do have to dig deep or take a bit of a breather (we had 1 break before riding the rest to the gold ball at the top).

Hope that helps. I managed to get through 80 of the 200 climbs set in Simons (100 Greatest and Another 100 Greatest Climbs) book but then gave up as financially it was getting costly and some places are totally remote or dangerous to get to even by car!!