One of Scotland’s iconic long-distance trails, the John Muir Way, has been the target of another speedy FKT. Scott Whitehill, of Govanhil, Glasgow, rode the route from Helensburgh to Dunbar in a blistering 12 hours and 6 minutes. He was 31 minutes faster than the previous FKT by Marcus Nicolson.
Scott, 31, rode the 213km and a total elevation of 2282m solo and unsupported on February 23, 2023.
After competing the FKT, the keen cyclist, who rides with the Glasgow Pedal Collective, said: “I’m really buzzing.”
It’s Scott’s first FKT although he is a fan of long-distance cycling and especially bike packing. In fact, Scott had not heard about the dedicated FKTs website until the weekend before his John Muir Way ride.
Scott, who rides a Ribble CGR, described the weather as “ideal”. He said: ”It was cold to start with on the John Muir Way and as I left Helensburgh but there was very little wind and no rain and the sun was out for most of there route.”
Why the John Muir Way FKT?
Scott reveals he has been increasing his long-distance mileage on his bike and he was keen to complete a 200km route. He had attempted to cycle this distance before but gave up early on. This time he had the motivation of completing a set route – and also trying for a FKT.
He said: “The John Muir Way is just over 200km and easily accessible from Glasgow, so it made sense to ride this route – and I am pleased to say I found the ride really enjoyable pretty much start to finish.”
The final part of the FKT was the toughest for Scott. As well as tired legs, he got lost a few times. He says: “I’d loaded the route on to my bike computer, except the section from North Berwick to Dunbar. By this point it was dark, too.
“I had to rely on signposts to get to the finish and I ended up turning around a few times. I also had a few crashes in the woods in the dark. At one point, I went over the handlebars after cycling into a chain tied between two fence posts.
“But by that stage I knew there wasn’t far to go and my time was still looking good so that was encouraging.”
Scott had not cycled the entire route before and he enjoyed the mix of terrain and landscapes. He said: “The start, from Helensburgh to Balloch, was stunning and it had some technical sections, which I thought were fun.
“There’s quite a lot of canal riding, too, which although repetitive was very welcome because it made a dent in the miles. Then came the coastal roads to finish. I liked those as well but I’ll need to go back to see the views in the daylight.
Highs and lows of the John Muir FKT
Scott says the ride has given him a confidence boost. He added: “The FKT has put me in a good position to do more rides like this.
“The night riding was new to me as well and it’s not something I would have done by choice on a normal ride so, knowing that I enjoyed it, is cool. I think I will be a bit more adventurous in the future because of it.
“My favourite section of the ride was the three lochs way around the Old Kilpatrick Hills, where the scenery there was excellent.”
However, there were some challenges, such as the final section of the John Muir Way. He added: “There were also a few parts where I had to commit to just riding and hoping I was on the path. The signs could be spread out quite far and by that point I was clock watching so I got a bit stressed a couple times”.
Who is cyclist Scott Whitehill?
A cyclist since childhood, Scott spends a lot of time on his bike. These days he most enjoys longer rides and bike packing. He said: “I love the fact I can just leave my front door and go wherever.
“I think the FKT website is going to be a good source of routes from now on, although I don’t see myself trying to ‘take the time’ all the time.”