Nightmare drive

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
Bicycler
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Re: Nightmare drive

Post by Bicycler »

Yes the pass gets closed by snow in winter. The coast road is fairly modern and was constructed to provide an alternative in winter where previously the only way to get there was by water. Nevertheless it is not a high quality road, it is single track and its route is circuitous. Better than being isolated in the depths of winter I guess... Most mountain passes are frequently closed in the winter months, that doesn't mean it wouldn't be a great inconvenience to close them permanently all year round. In Applecross' case the volume of traffic is likely to be much greater in the summer months than in the winter
Mark1978
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Re: Nightmare drive

Post by Mark1978 »

I wonder if you're cycling it would be quicker to go around via the coast route? Not that you would want to mind as where's the fun in that!
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Nightmare drive

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Obviously when the pass is closed the coast road is used both ways, but when it's open why not use it "one way".

Obviously the big problem is that drivers will go at unsafe speed if it's one way...
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Mark1978
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Re: Nightmare drive

Post by Mark1978 »

[XAP]Bob wrote:Obviously when the pass is closed the coast road is used both ways, but when it's open why not use it "one way".

Obviously the big problem is that drivers will go at unsafe speed if it's one way...


Also there are settlements along the coast road route, would they then be forced to drive for 40 miles over a mountain pass to visit the next town which would otherwise be 2 miles away? ;)

But I do take your point, the Bealach Na Ba could indeed be one way, with the coast road open to two way traffic at all times. But I think for the most part apart from the OP breaking his clutch it isn't a particular problem, traffic levels are relatively low and the road copes.
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BlueMeldon
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Re: Nightmare drive

Post by BlueMeldon »

Apart from any permanent signage and/or temporary restrictions in place, common-sense and courtesy was seriously lacking.

I'm off to write a stern letter to a shop and demand recompense since my doctor told me i was overweight and it's obviously the food to blame ....

:shock:
thirdcrank
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Re: Nightmare drive

Post by thirdcrank »

A little birdie has whispered in my ear and pointed out I'm talking about a different road (only several hundred miles away in a different country. :oops: ) Forget the bit about closing the road to motor traffic but I think my points about attitudes are still valid.

And thanks to the little birdie for considering my feelings and not using the megaphone
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661-Pete
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Re: Nightmare drive

Post by 661-Pete »

thirdcrank wrote:A little birdie has whispered in my ear and pointed out I'm talking about a different road (only several hundred miles away in a different country.
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rfryer
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Re: Nightmare drive

Post by rfryer »

Mark1978 wrote:But I think for the most part apart from the OP breaking his clutch it isn't a particular problem, traffic levels are relatively low and the road copes.

+1 There really isn't a problem on this road, so long as road users are a little bit competent and considerate.

BTW, the coast road has had a bit of a bad press on this thread. In fact, it's a great road by most standards, with marvellous sea views, mainly two lanes, and plenty of short, steep climbs to test the unwary cyclist, complacent after having climbed the Bealach na Ba.
Quaker Mike
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Re: Nightmare drive

Post by Quaker Mike »

Cyril Haearn wrote:I heard the one about vehicles having to reverse up a steep hill (Arthog hill) because the reverse gear is the lowest. Is it true, does anyone from back then know?


I don't know about the lowest gear, but I do know that my uncle Billy's prewar (very!) car had the petrol tank mounted on the bulkhead above the engine, with a gravity feed from the front down to the carburetter. If the fuel level was low, and the hill was long and very steep, the carb would run dry and it was necessary to turn round and reverse up hill to refill it :oops:
thirdcrank
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Re: Nightmare drive

Post by thirdcrank »

On the subject of reversing uphill for a lower gear, my dear old dad told me that this used to be a regular tactic for getting up Sutton Bank (A class road with stretches of 25%.) There are relatively sharp bends on Sutton Bank so you might have thought that any benefit from a lower gear in reverse would be cancelled out by the difficulty of steering. Even with the modern vehicles of the 21C, there are plenty of problems. There are big signs on the approach road noting the total of HGV's which have got stuck during the last year. Caravans are banned up and down, but when I was driving up there a few weeks ago, there was a large caravan parked on a layby in the bit covered by the ban. The towing vehicle was a Renault Kangoo so you have to query what some drivers have in the space between their ears.
MichVanNic
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Re: Nightmare drive

Post by MichVanNic »

Mark1978 wrote:I wonder if you're cycling it would be quicker to go around via the coast route? Not that you would want to mind as where's the fun in that!


Actually the coast route is far more enjoyable than the the pass. The coast route is quieter had a quite a few climbs followed by some long sweeping descents. In fact it is far more fun than playing dodgems with vans and cars on the pass.

And if you are not time trialing the views around the coast are fabulous.
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ArMoRothair
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Re: Nightmare drive

Post by ArMoRothair »

[XAP]Bob wrote:
Why not have them both "one way" for motor vehicles?



Ha ha, a highlands gyratory!
Cyril Haearn
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Re: Nightmare drive

Post by Cyril Haearn »

MichVanNic wrote:
[XAP]Bob wrote:
Postboxer wrote:Looks a great ride, https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Bea ... 299b1c2543

I think if I was cycling up there, if there were one or two cars behind me, I'd pull slowly through the passing places, hoping they'd get past without me stopping, if there were more, I'd pull in and stop and let them all past. Setting off again might be a problem though.

I don't know much about clutches, would it only give up when going up a hill if you were using it?



If I was alone then I might - but as a group there might not be enough room to do so safely - the passing place visible in the above link isn't very large, although the three hairpins are significantly larger


It would have to be a very large group not to fit into one of these passing places, the road is narrow and if you are in a large group, please split up into small cohorts, and be considerate.

There was an incident a few years back with a sportif doing this route then going north via cuirag to sheildag. People were getting a bit carried away in the many decents and there was a nasty smash (no cars involved bikes on bikes) unfortunately this caused a road block both ways and the ambulance couldn't get through.

When traveling these roads in the car occasionally I get a cyclist closing behind me on descents, I pull over to let them through, but they almost never show the same courtesy to vehicles coming up towards them. These road are dangerous with rough ground and drops straight off the Tarmac and very little room for error if the you misjudge a gap at speed.


Cycling up the Bealach na Ba is obviously much more fun than cycling down
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Cyril Haearn
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Re: Nightmare drive

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Mark1978 wrote:
[XAP]Bob wrote:Obviously when the pass is closed the coast road is used both ways, but when it's open why not use it "one way".

Obviously the big problem is that drivers will go at unsafe speed if it's one way...


Also there are settlements along the coast road route, would they then be forced to drive for 40 miles over a mountain pass to visit the next town which would otherwise be 2 miles away? ;)

But I do take your point, the Bealach Na Ba could indeed be one way, with the coast road open to two way traffic at all times. But I think for the most part apart from the OP breaking his clutch it isn't a particular problem, traffic levels are relatively low and the road copes.


No need to drive 40 miles, one could walk two miles or ride the horse
Entertainer, juvenile, curmudgeon, PoB, 30120
Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
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thirdcrank
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Re: Nightmare drive

Post by thirdcrank »

R Trahearn wrote:I wrote the following to the CTC magazine editor but have not had a reply. ....


I wonder why he came on here to grumble about the CTC mag. :?
:lol:
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