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Back in this thread I asked and was kindly given a number of rides to try with my wife around Ballater.
We ended up doing this trail and it was probably on the upper limit for what she was comfortable with; I thought it was an easy and lovely little ride but some of the bits through the forest were a bit challenging for her - there was even hike-a-bike up some steps that we weren't expecting.
With that in mind: in September we're heading to the Lakes for my birthday and she wants to have another crack at it. I've ridden the lakes before and know from experience (!) that it can be brutal.
So, once again looking for an easy (dare I say family friendly) route of between 10 and 15 miles in the Lakes. GPX files welcome as I'm getting a Wahoo ROAM for my birthday! 😀
Thanks in advance!
There's a network of tracks and trails on Blawith Common to the south of Torver that would be ideal. Any techy sections are really short, as in a bike length or so, and all rollable. Lovely views up towards the Coniston Fells as well.
Blawith/Torver Common is a good call, although the crossing from Blawith can be a bit slow-draining after rain.
My thought would be a circuit around Oxen Fell and Tilberthwaite, perhaps starting at Tilberthwaite. At High Tilberthwaite you can take the newly flattened byway over towards Bridge End. If she's going well, head up and over to Elterwater (rubbly descent, not hard but rough in places), back via the road to pick up the cycle track in Tongue Intake Plantation and then via the Oxen Fell byway past Hodge Close back to Tilberthwaite. The Elterwater extras can be missed out simply by picking up the byway back past Stang End.
The other option is Claife Heights. Up from High Wray on the fireroad, across to Near Sawrey is a fun, easy descent. Then back via Far Sawrey and the lakeshore track. Again, if she's going really well, and it's dry, the BW climb up cuckoo brow lane from Far Sawrey and descent to the lakeshore track is a step up in difficulty, but brilliant fun.
Appreciate this detail but I don’t know the area massively well. Any GPX/Strava routes I can ponder over?
Have a look on Pedal North there's quite a few Lakes routes on there along with GPX files, they are graded easy-medium-hard. Pick one or two and ask. It's worth taking a map to these areas as, unusually for the Lakes, there are a lot of tracks around and it can be easy to take the wrong one.
I've done Tilberthwaite and Claife with inexperienced riders and can confirm both are good options.
The North Face Train in Grizedale was tame the last time I tried it (but not for a few years)
Blue run at Whinlatter trail centre is good for a beginner
There are BWs around Loughrigg Fell and into Langdale with a nice BW back to Elterwater -opportunities for lunch etc.
Thats a cracking resource, not come across it before. These look enticing:
http://pedalnorth.com/kentmere-loop/
http://pedalnorth.com/green-quarter/
http://pedalnorth.com/gamblesmire-2/
Thoughts?
The first two take a bit of boggy BW past the tarn going over Green Quarter towards Sadgill. Somewhat better: from Staveley head almost due north on road, track and BW to this point http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=347265&Y=503390&A=Y&Z=120 turn sharp L and follow the BW round to the hamlet of Green Quarter http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=346100&Y=503980&A=Y&Z=120 across to Kentmere Hall http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=345125&Y=504130&A=Y&Z=120 then south to climb past Hall Wood to this point http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=344285&Y=502730&A=Y&Z=120 where you have a choice - left down the Three Rivers Descent or straight on towards High House before turning left and back down (road) to the Kentmere valley and into Staveley.
The ride to the west of Kendal is mostly road.
The Back of Skiddaw is pretty straight forward. There's one technical bit, but you can walk it with ease. There's a bit of climbing no matter which way you attack it, but there are nice views and the majority of the track is wide enough to ride side by side.
Avoid the Green Quarter would be my advice unless it is exceptionally dry between now and your trip.
The descent into Sadgill mentioned is OK, but would require care for a beginner. I think there have been a couple of accidents there caused by people speeding into a sharp turn and landing in the beck, but I don't think that's an issue for someone moderating their speed!
I don't have a GPX or strava for what I've mentioned - best bet is to look at the OS Map layer on Bing Maps and see if you can pick it up from what I've described. If it's still confusing, ask on here.
Whereabouts in the Lakes will you be staying? Or is it a surprise?
We're staying at Kentmere Farm Pods - ideally located for bike hire for my wife from Stavely. Thats why the Kentmere loop above looks appealing - dont need to chuck anything in a car and drive anywhere!
Thoughts?
Count up the total ascent(roughly), in the ballater route, there's about 200m. in that kentmere route, there's about 450m. If 200m was her upper limit, 450m will put her off for life.
Additional thought, get her an ebike!
It was less the climbing and more the type of climbing really. The Ballater ride had a bit of tech towards the end which was pretty singletrack off camber rooty things, plus a solid hiker-bike up a set of stairs which seemed so wrong I wasn't sure we were on the right route (it wasnt mentioned in the route guide on the site).
Additionally the Ballater ride was 16 miles and she was given one of those terrible 'female specific' seats which are really just a giant oversized cushion - you know, the ones that are so big they numb your legs! So it was a combination of those things plus the pretty mad heat on the day which was challenging.
Fitness isnt an issue - its more a mental game i think! I doubt she will even take it on as a hobby; she just wants to join in for my sake.
Do a lap of Claife Heights. On a clear day you get good views, the climbs can all be on fireroads and there are numerous ways down. The lakeside path is a great way to link it all together.
You could park on the Windermere side and get the ferry over which extends the day and saves some money and driving too.
I honestly think that’s your best bet between a ‘proper’ mtb ride and something your missus can join you on without too much difficulty.
@colourofsound - that loop I described should be fine for her, the climbs are mainly on vehicle track with just a few short sections getting on to Green Quarter that might need to be walked - mostly because there's loose rocks and you need to get the right line and it steepens up at those points. The rest of that climb you can choose your line as close or as far away from the actual track as you wish. There's no exposed sections on the route where a fall would see you rolling down a hillside. Here's some shots:
One of the steeper bits mentioned above.
The top bit of the climb on to Green Quarter - the riders are avoiding the actual track which is in the rut to their right.
Heading towards Kentmere on Green Quarter
This is the section on the tops after Kentmere Hall but being ridden in the opposite direction.
Here's a Strava route for you https://www.strava.com/routes/21401074 At about 11.5km you go through a gate and there's a ford ahead. There's a track to the left, this is the Three Rivers Descent which is an alternative finish though the bottom part has been sanitised.