An Sgarsoch/Carn an Fhidhlier - how far by bike

[McKendrigo]

Hi everyone,

My friend and I are considering tackling An Sgarsoch/Carn an Fhidhlier from Linn of Dee, using bikes to shorten the journey time. I was wondering if anyone here would be able to give a rough idea of how far we might be able to take the bikes? Google Street View (really!) shows a decent Land Rover track at least as far as White Bridge that we'd be able to traverse on our bikes...does this carry on much further south of the bridge?

If it's a reasonably flat track like that we could use it, but we'd not be able to go very far if it gets bouldery/boggy/etc.

If anyone has a rough idea of how much time the bikes would shave off too, that would also be helpful. I know how fast I am on my bike on a nice tarmac road, but not how fast I'd be on my bike on a Land Rover track

Thanks!

[Scraggygoat]

Rideable all the way to the Geldie Lodge Ford. The Geldie can be deep, so taking a pair of sandles/crocs for the crossing and stashing them for the return to save carrying on the hill is a good move.

I forgot to tell my mate, how smug was I while he was nads deep slowly feeling his way across with bare feet in the icy snow melt….

[boriselbrus]

I rode comfortably to Geldie lodge, decent track all the way from what I remember.

Bear in mind though the ford over the Geldie burn can be quite challenging. When I crossed it in the morning it was barely ankle deep, but after persistent, although not heavy rain during the day it was up to well over my knees on the return.

[McKendrigo]

Thanks both. Was hoping we could cycle more or less to the lodge so it's good to confirm that's doable.

Thanks for the reminders about the Geldie burn too. Going to keep an eye on the SEPA Mar Lodge water level (https://www2.sepa.org.uk/waterlevels/default.aspx?sd=t&lc=234274) to get an idea of what to expect upstream, but it's looking fairly low at the moment and I don't think there's enough rain coming over the next few days to significantly change that. Definitely bringing a change of footwear for the crossing!

[Alex W]

You can avoid any concerns about river crossing by doing these two from Glen Tilt. Start at Blair Atholl (Bridge of Tilt car park) and bike it up to Falls of Tarf and climb the ridge from there. Just follow the ridge round and return by the side of the Tarf. Glen Tilt is a beautiful part of the world.

[larry groo]

Just looked back at my Garmin files from that day....

8.25 miles, 1hr 35 in and 1hr 14 out.

Includes all the faff at the burn crossings.

Tip top track for cycling all the way to the ruin. Did it on the hardtail no probs at all. A fine day out too.

[gaffr]

Depends which way that you approach from. My own approach was from the Wildlife Park on my old road bike in April 1980. Left the bike near to Ruigh fionntaig and then via the Slochd Beag, across the infant Feshie and on to the two summits.
Return down the Feshie path with a river fording to regain my bike. Nice day out.
Just realised that at that time I was staying in Lynchat so I should add a few more Kls. to the day out.

[Sgurr]

It depends what sort of bike you have. I had to abandon my rather beat up touring bike at White Bridge as the tyres were far too narrow.

[McKendrigo]

It depends what sort of bike you have. I had to abandon my rather beat up touring bike at White Bridge as the tyres were far too narrow.

Did this walk over the weekend on foot, camping at Geldie Lodge ruins. We were wanting to camp overnight, so we decided the hassle of taking the bikes didn't make sense in that case.

Good point about the type of bike - I have a hybrid bike with fairly narrow tyres that would have been okay on the earlier stretch, at least to White Bridge and maybe about as far as the building at the crossing to Bynack Burn. Beyond that along the Geldie it gets a lot rougher and you'd want a proper mountain bike, in which case you'd get to the Geldie ruins no problem.

[Senja]

I have got past Geldie Lodge on a mountain bike. The big issue in the district is the burn crossings.

[Murray the Teuchter]

Its a matter of ability and fitness, I guess!

But i have taken my mountain bike to the summit of both An Sgarsoch/Carn an Fhidhlier, with only 20% push on the steepest parts. Its a mid range full suspension bike.

its was end of November 2020 and a wee bit frozen which helped on the soft bits, coming off was great!