[clm]

Anyone do any?
Just acquired some ortlieb panniers off a mate so bought a tent with a big porch (incidentally, LD outdoor were doing a north face big fat frog with over 30% off).
I'm keen. Any suggestions on routes or pitfalls. I fancied summat like train to edinburgh or st davids and mooch back to the mcr. Also, how much will the weight compromise off road. Forest tracks, fine, but would I be able to handle say, high street?

[Johnny Brown]

Always fancied doing the length of the Outer Hebrides, met a few folk doing it every time I've been out there. I think bikes are free on the ferries which makes it pretty cheap.

[clm]

That mean I have to fashion a board rack?

[chappers]

Always fancied doing the length of the Outer Hebrides

now we are talking my language!!

photos of our trip here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/47853324@N08/sets/72157626628854706/
the ferries don't charge for the bikes, just the same as a foot passenger. amazing trip, well worth it.

LEJOG (alone): http://www.flickr.com/photos/47853324@N08/sets/72157624848518178/

if you are riding south to manchester get yourself down the Eden valley, and stop at that cafe at the mill: http://organicmill.co.uk/
 

[clm]

Thats what I'm talking about. The track through the cairngorms looks amazing. And the wild camps. When is it next not winter?

[Stubbs]

Totally inspired by those island ones Chappers, did you manage to pick a dry weekor only take photos when the sun was out?!

[SA Chris]

That mean I have to fashion a board rack?

I did actually see a guy heading up through N Uist with a board on a trailer on the back. Could probably strap a pad on top of it too! The Hebrides trip does look good. The only brutal bit looks to be Clisham Pass, although midges and/or weather could be pretty brutal too . The logistics of getting from end back to start is apparently a bit of a chore though. How did you get round it chappers.

[Johnny Brown]

Totally inspired by those island ones Chappers, did you manage to pick a dry weekor only take photos when the sun was out?!

The bad weather tends to blow through pretty quickly out there, much sunnier than the rest of Scotland. Plus he was there in April, which has been pretty dry the last couple of years. If you've not been - its amazing. I've been to Tahiti, Hawaii, Tonga etc and never seen a beach as beautiful as the ones on Vatersay and Berneray.

Clm, you have a point about the surf though, maybe bikes in a van would be a better plan? I wouldn't want to tow a board on a bike though, the winds are bad enough as it is!

[SA Chris]

You could have a support van! No carrying anything on the bike.

Everyone I know who has done the trip has remarked they were lucky with the weather and got  great weather / 1 bad weather day in the trip. The last few years April / May time has been the best weather and is almost guaranteed to be midge free, but when we were there in August for a week we had two big storms roll though and a couple of rainy days too. Had some exceptional surf though; I can give you some info on off the beaten track spots.

[Yossarian]

I've ridden Calais to Algiciras, then part of the way down Morocco to Marrakech. Then attempted to summit Toubkal with bike. Only one of us got to the top though...

Then Ladakh. Leh - Keylong then across west to the Sach Pass and then south to Chamba - that's all documented here - http://www.saltedmackerel.cc/fear-and-loathing-in-ladakh/  (quite a bit of hitch biking on that trip)

And then an attempted Hanoi - Saigon in super quick time. Got to Hue in 4 days, then buggered my knee riding over the Hai Van Pass - still made it to Danang and then Hoi An, but had to abandon there.

Want to do a Pakistan trip sometime - Skardu to Gilgit, and up the Karakoram Pass maybe.  And I had a route planned for next summer - Zurich to Venice on the road bike, via the Stelvio and Gavia, but that's looking unlikely now.

Best advice - you can always lose some weight! This guy is the lightweight touring guru - http://ultralightcycling.blogspot.com/

[chappers]

Totally inspired by those island ones Chappers, did you manage to pick a dry weekor only take photos when the sun was out?!

The bad weather tends to blow through pretty quickly out there, much sunnier than the rest of Scotland. Plus he was there in April, which has been pretty dry the last couple of years.

this.
We looked at a long time climate trend and decided on april. one day of rain. the wind was bad at times though.

the road over the pass from lewis to harris is unreal.

looking forward to some touring over here in Canada, i rode to Ottawa (from toronto) over two days in October, but its bloody freezing now! so May i think for a 1 week tour, maybe around Lake Ontario.
planning a big trip, maybe in the developing world sometime in the future.

[SA Chris]

[in the developing world

Norfolk?

[SA Chris]

The track through the cairngorms looks amazing.

Do you mean the Tour in VG's Wild Trails? A mate has done it if you want beta.