Cycling Scotland's North Coast 500 In Three Days | Epic or Rubbish?

[@pjwood249]

Great video Matt. I've done most of the NC500 albeit on a motorcycle! I felt for you on the A9 on day 3 - a horrible road, unless you are driving a 38-ton wagon!! Looking forward to the LEL2022 video.

[@1ytt742]

Agree. Your alternative route is much nicer. If you're starting on the West near Bealach na na, then the road from Lairg to Laxford Bridge is also very good too and you can retrace some of the nice route back to Bealach na ba But for anyone starting from Inverness (much easier by train) then Mark Beaumont has the best route that he did with GCN that misses out almost all of the A9 and visits Cromarty to make the distance up to 500. Cromarty is pleasant if you have time but not the main event. I found Inverness to Loch Carron a very nice nice night ride and Bealach na ba was very quiet at 5am, except for a cuckoo...

[@linesided]

A roads in the rain - ah, no thanks.Thanks for posting alternates - good video!

[@AVFTSCycling]

Hi Matt, good video. Would you recommend the full route for newbies to distance riding? Me and my girlfriend are planning on doing something in Scotland, and I was thinking the nc500, but busy A roads and aggressive horrible drivers is off putting. Especially to a pair of slow cyclists! Thanks

[@MattPage]

The western side of the route is stunning, and I think that would suit it well. Some parts there is more traffic, but that will depend on how you attempt it. In the middle of summer, as I did, it will no doubt be busy. And avoid the road on the East from JoG back to Inverness. I believe there is a much quieter option back.

[@AVFTSCycling]

@@MattPage Thank you :)

[@struanmills5710]

I'd hugely recommend cycling the Hebrides. Ferries from Oban and Ullapoll would make a good loop by going either up or down the west coast.

[@MattPage]

Thank you. I did go to Oban and across to Mull earlier this year as part of a longer trip. Starting from Aberfoyle, to Oban, and over to Mull then South to Edinburgh.

[@Shewie01]

Awesome, that would probably take me three weeks to get round

[@jackpinchin1476]

Great video Matt, I was thinking about doing this but tbh might do something else, A9 looks utter dog shite and the amount of cars looks like it ruins it a bit. Most impressive thing is you only stopped for 1 hour in total in the 3 rides! Nice ride!

[@MattPage]

Maybe do it and use the alternative routes, or just stick on the West coast and especially the upper north section as that was superb.

[@dalj4362]

Did you end up doing the ride in the end?

[@r.davies2702]

You're a machine, fair play 👍 And I agree, forget that A9 in future.

[@grahamricketts-bq1ft]

Too many cars ?, have you ridden Sa Calobra !!, I'll be doing this in September but over 7 days and with mudguards, can't wait..........won't be using the A9, will take the route down from Melvich

[@MattPage]

Sa Ca isn't something I have a desire to ride, and your idea to skip the A9 is wise. The western side is fantastic though, and makes up for it.

[@stevezodiac491]

i have the same bike. I fitted the vision metron 4d mas bolt through tri bar extentions to the handlebars on mine, made it very nearly as fast as my TT bike. It would have been valuable for extra hand positions going around the 500 probably. Disk brakes are a pain when you puncture though and the tubeless ready tyres are difficult to remove from the tubeless ready rims, compared with tubed tyres and rims.

[@struanmills5710]

Great video and effort Matt. Enjoying watching your posts as inspiring stuff. In terms of the NC500 I personally wouldn't bother cycling the complete route and avoid the A roads, far too busy. As you show the A9 are awful and ruin the route. Better sticking to the scenic roads of the West & North Coast. Years ago friends and I cycled this and avoided the worst roads by taking a train to Lairg and back from Kyle of Lochalsh.

[@joules531]

My sympathies about the traffic. I did the NC500 40 years ago, before it was a "thing", and, certainly up the west coast, we rarely saw any car at all, and certainly no camper vans.

[@chroobs]

I did most of it a few years back. Traffic was a worry, rental camper vans driven by people who don't seem to understand the concept of single track roads and passing places and the odd rented supercar driven by someone who thinks it's everyone else's job to get out of their way because they're trying to live out their Top Gear fantasy for a few days. I didn't do the A9 bit, actually got the train to Brora and went inland to Lairg then over the Struie to Dingwall. If you are doing it, a Scottish Youth Hostelling membership is good value for accommodation though. The Torridon hostel is modern and in a beautiful setting.

[@stevencarey222]

Good video Matt very informative 👍

[@MattPage]

Thanks Steven

[@tonystrange7224]

Very informative video Matt and cracking effort over the 3 days. I think the less said about the Land Rover and van drivers the better. Absolute morons the pair of them, but it's always the cyclists fault🤔 Anyway great video and thanks for sharing your trip. Stay safe ATB.

[@MattPage]

Thanks Tony

[@jeffreykaufmann2867]

You should have done the Trek on nice summer days.

[@XX-is7ps]

Its simultaneously both refreshing and depressing to see such an honest depiction of the ride/route and learn that eg impatient drivers are a problem even on what is often romanticised as idyllic in many videos. Cars need to die.

[@dermotrobinson3104]

Fantastic effort but so much negativity - did you not know the route in advance or the fact that the weather in Scotland can be shite?

[@MattPage]

I only knew sections of the Western area, some of which I had ridden previously. The north from Ullapool and eastern side was new.

[@Tarmaccyclocross]

Looks pretty bleak to me

[@cdwilson12]

Not a route anymore for cyclists. Its just a mecca for car drivers and campervans. Some of them roads are too narrow you're always going to get some idiot impatient drivers.

[@martinkent333]

Do you obey traffic laws? Most cyclists don't. Do you have time to chat?

[@MattPage]

I do, but you are incorrect, most other cyclists do as well. Drivers are far more likely to break a traffic law (speeding for example) than cyclists.

[@martinkent333]

@@MattPage I am in Canada and do not know how traffic is in Scotland. How are the urban cyclists? Do they stop at stop signs? Do they ride on sidewalks? If you put a French bread sideways on the back of your bike, cars will give you more space. Or something sticking out on both sides. Do you know about Velocitized car drivers - who come off of a hiway and decelerate - hallucinating? They cut off cyclists - due to a slow motion effect from the inner ear. It's called Velocitization. Also, adjust your helmet with your right hand and the elbow will look three feet wide, so cars will give you a wide berth. Use your judgement. It looks pretty sketchy there - at 7 and 8 minutes, friend. Don't listen to my hogwash when the road has zero shoulders, eh? Oh my!

[@stevezodiac491]

​@@martinkent333obviously an anti cycling bigot.

[@martinkent333]

Not in the least. I am currently being offered a $ 20,000 grant for my ''3% Bike Stop Sign'' campaign idea. The only problem with cyclists is their love of looking slim (by wearing black) - making them ninja invisible and having no interest in stop signs, etc. Other than that, cycling is a wonderful way to keep off by excess belly fat and save money on gas! How you jump to such a conclusion, Steve? @@stevezodiac491