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So go on then, opinions please on the best mountain bike route in the lakes.
I'm going so looking for new ideas, ideally something nice and long with some tricky and technical stuff
Loads 🙂
Nan Bield always gets a few votes
Ullswater lake shore loops (in the dark when it's quiet)
Helvellyn down Dollywagon/Grisdale Tarn
My initial idea was to go North up High Street and loop round Haweswater, so I could take Nan Bield in on the way round. I don't get up there as much as I'd like so I want to make sure that when I do go that I make it a good one, or kick myself as I end up missing a classic route.....
Seriously don't bother with High Street. Especially at the moment - it will be an absolute unrideable swamp across half the top, and the descent will be slow and boggy too.
Best route for me in pure biking terms is something around Grizedale. I know it quite well so can mix and match man made stuff with the awesome BWs (and even some cheeky FPs 😉 ).
One of the most fun, long, reasonably techie descents is Esk Hause, Sty Head, and down to Seathwaite. There are various options to get you to the start which will also dictate where you go afterwards, allowing you to make it as long or short a route as you fancy. All bridleway as well, which is unusual for a good lakes descent 😉
4 passes for me.
1. all legit
2. tech descents
3. some good man size hike a bikes
4. proper journey
5. good pub stop at wasdale head
best single descent is Ullock Pike.
best single descent is Ullock Pike.
there is better 🙂
I will avoid High Street then!!!
Certainly Seathwaite is an option if its mostly bridleway I presume its okay in the wet? Its weird, although I know the place really well to walk round, when it comes to remembering whether places would be good for mountain biking my mind goes blank...................
Another option of course would be to try the other side and get into the North Yorkshire Dales but I'm not familiar with it at all. On the map some routes seem promising but they don't always deliver in reality do they.
mikewsmith 😛
really??? hint?
the first rule of cheeky trail is - don't talk about it on the internet!!
Generally speaking, there's no real difference in the quality of paths and bridleways here, or how they well drain ! Saying that, it's a descent that stands up to the rain (might be a bit wet just after Styhead Tarn when you're right by the beck). Getting there though - there's some options I'd avoid right now (Langstrath for example).Certainly Seathwaite is an option if its mostly bridleway I presume its okay in the wet?
OP - If it's this Monday you're coming up, you need somewhere rocky...the rain we've just had and more that's forecast will have turned a lot of the fells to quagmire.
All ways liked doing garbun pass into Kentmere, sagill then gatesgarth pass. Push, carry up nan bield descend into Kentmere then back over garbun pass
It was either going to be Sunday or Tuesday that I was going to travel up, however looking at the weather I am wavering and may stay local instead, I really don't want to get my car full of s#$t. But please keep the ideas rolling, I plan to spend a good few days up there when I can so the more the better
Gosh,You chapds must be riding gods. Some of those routes are virtually unrideable for mere mortals. There are lots of less extreme but still exciting routes in the Lakes, IMHO.
failed engineer - welcome to STW..!
When people ask for "best", post ideas for gnarliest, longest, hike-a-bike-iest.
I know what the OP is getting at though, if it's a long ride you dont want to miss out. Define "best"?
Glad no one has said Whinlatter though, must be locals who are posting replies.
I'll up there next week hopefully, would love to ride Eskdale Hause if the weather is OK. Then back for New Year week which is often pretty limited as far as riding goes.
In the wet,
Garburn and Nan bield area
Grizedale BW's using NF and fire roads to link - make your own route up as you go
Southern end of helvellyn range - routes off the old coach road will be bogalicious
4 passes - or elterwater
If it dries upa bit Broughton moor - seathwaite (the other one) walna scar, tranearth then a grind up the road
Or a mix up of the stuff in the duddon valley
Black Coombe - however you do it descend southwards
Mitredale (awesome descent) and Eskdale bits
Stay clear of -
high street
the bit between walna scar and the top of River Lickle decent (if you wnat to do the river lickle descent climb up the fire road in broughton moor forest)
The bit from kentmere to mislet/high borrans - use the bws to the easrt and use the road back
Loads to go at
@ failed engineer - you'd be amazed at how far you can get in a full day even when pushing half the time!
I'm hardly new to STW and that was tongue-in-cheek (ish). The Lakes is my 'local' area and I wouldn't fancy some of those routes ....