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Im playing taxi for the wife and daughter tomorrow -they're practicing for the 3 Peaks by climbing Ingleborough yada yada. Anyway im planning to take the gravel bike and have a pootle. I've hardly ever been over down the part of the Dales - Im a Swaledale kinda guy as its local to me. So a route I've come up with is to head up Kingsdale, dive onto the Green lane then down into Dent before the climb up onto Craven Wold via the Dales Highway, under the viaduct then over Twistleton (still following the Dales Highway) back to Ingleton. I have no idea at all about these tracks so if anyone has local knowledge - are they all rideable, especially on a gravel bike? Are they surfaced? Are they prone to becoming bog? Are they easily navigated?
All help appreciated
The old coal road that joins Kingsdale and Barbon Dale is often axle deep in peat bog at the Kingsdale end. The descents into Dent, including Flintergill are very difficult. When I was there in January they were almost too slippery to walk on! My advice would be to take a suitable bike, i.e. a mountain bike..
The main lanes are enough of a test for a gravel bike and lots of fun to be had, hope this helps.
There will be others along to give a better response but most of the trails around there are gravel bike friendly from my experience although I tend to stick to Settle/Malham if out that way.
Agree that Settle-Malham etc (inc Clapham-Austwick area) is mostly gravel bike friendly but have also heard those tracks close to Dent are another matter. To the extent that I’ve never tried to ride them despite living in Settle 🙂
As above, I have ridden them in wet conditions, after a bone dry summer they’re ok, after the wet spring we’ve had they will be “interesting” - I’ve got pictures of my bike stuck axle deep whilst I’ve long since departed the saddle - nice soft landing though!
On a gravelbike, Cam High Road from Ribblehead to the dead end road near Kidhow is excellent, as is the BW into Langstrothdale that zigzags down through Cam Woodlands and then heads east towards Bekermonds or West towards High Birkwith (not marked as a BW on the map, but there are signposts there), and the Pennine BW from Cam High Road down past Ling Gill.
You could potentially link that with some of the BW's under the SE of Ingleborough, which I've not done but have read are good
Just to echo that the byway at the head of Kingsdale should be avoided, especially on a gravel bike.
Personally I would go on minor roads to Clapham to warm up, then take Long Lane over to Borrins, head up towards Cam Fell, left down to Ribble head, then the BW that heads up and over to Ingleton. Bit of everything, gravel friendly.
You might find a little bit of bog on the way back to Ingleton, but it's only a short stretch
Some sound advice on this thread.
The trails to the east and south of dent are better for Gravel bikes.
I love riding round there, proper middle of nowhere.
I'd be interested in what route the OP eventually took. I think some of you might have outdated experience of the Barbondale-Kingsdale track. I avoided it for 20 years after a traumatic traverse in the early 90s [edit: THIRTY years! It was that bad...] but, having seen how well Foxup and Mastiles had recovered, went along it on the monstercross bike about two years ago. Not too bad. Bit damp in places, one bouldery bit you'd definitely be walking on a gravel bike, but overall perfectly do-able. The Kingsdale end had seen major resurfacing work/sanitisation (depending on your inclination). I almost did it again two weeks ago while riding Kirkby Stephen to Clitheroe, so it wasn't too scarring an experience. In fact, might trundle along it tomorrow.
That track (Occupation Lane) is still 'challenging' in places. The nicely surfaced Kingsdale end lulls you into a false sense of security ..... Great if you love mud, though.
Yeah defo 100% ridable. I have done it a few times over the last few years. Last time was Jan 2022 finishing in the dark.
Always end up doing it at the end of an epic ride and finishing in Dent to knacked.
Thanks for all the advice folks. In the end had to change tack slightly as the missus wanted to start from the Viaduct... so headed North on to the Cam Rd, then headed south to Borrins, up and over to Clapham, round to Ingleton then up the Thornton Lane for a short while before the BW that leads under Twistleton Scar, before very nice lane upto Chapel le Dale, then back to the Viaduct. 25 miles, 3000ft climbing, lots of sunshine and very little mud. Spot on.
I'll save that BW up Kingsdale for another day.
I’ve done a loop round most of that on my trail bike. For *most* of it I wished I was on a gravel bike, however there are one or two bits that are quite gnarly, and I was glad of full suspension.