Rest and be thankful A82

[IanCh]

Riding Glasgow to Inverary next month. After Arrochar we go up Rest and be Thankful. Is the old military road, which runs parallel, suitable for bikes? If it is a forestry road, is it open to cyclists? Also, the gradient on the A82 looks more even and therefore kinder on the knees. Many thanks.

[LollyKat]

It has been properly surfaced for use as a relief road whenever the A83 is closed by one of the landslides that occur regularly. However it's not normally open to the public and is closed by a series of gates when it is not operational.

However judging from this page http://cyclinguphill.com/100-climbs/res ... -thankful/ you can dodge round the gates! The A83 is a grind and carries a lot of heavy traffic - personally I would use the military road if possible. I haven't been there for years so can't give up-to-date info.

[irc]

Lollycat covers it. The old road is well surfaced. It is also easier to cycle IMO. A flatter gradient all the way up the Glen followed by a short sharp push at the top. I might just push up the short steep top section with a loaded tourer.

Incidentally for your Glasgow - Balloch section the cycle path along the west bank of the Leven has a fine smooth tarmac surface these days. I cycled it last week. Other than two or three gates it is a pleasant riverside ride and pretty direct. Much better than the A82 Balloch bypass with 70mph traffic or the alternate roads through Renton. The Renton Road is wide and 30mph so an easy cycle but urban rather than riverside.

[IanCh]

Many thanks for your prompt replies.

[Mick F]

I've ridden up to the Rest many times when we lived up that way .................. but it was 1982-1985.
The old road was rutted and crumbled back then, and we went up to the Rest once to watch the RAC Rally coming up the old road. Spectacular!

When I was working up there, we had close dealings with BT, and there was a double phone box at the top. It was two phone boxes fitted together to make a double - this was to allow people to get in there with rucksacks etc and shelter from the weather and phone for help. I was used a few times for that.

THE BT engineers were sometimes called out to fix the phone due to vandalisation.
Why anyone would go all the way up there to destroy a phone is a complete mystery.

The phone box was here.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@56.22639 ... 312!8i6656

[matt2matt2002]

I've been that way a few times.
6 years ago I had my chain break 4 mile's north of the Rest.
I pushed it over the hill and a bike mechanic at the Arrochar campsite fixed it for free.
And it was heavy rain all the way up and down.
Oh, such happy memories.

[merrymac]

Hi Ian. 30 of us rode over it in May on a charity ride from Edinburgh to Iona for an Edinburgh hospice. No problem, but you will need to lift your bike over 2 locked gates.