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Hi,
I know there are loads of threads about lakes riding and I have read most of them over the last couple of years but I have this specific question.
I've been riding in the lakes for years, so hike a bike is not scary for me, and I enjoy it as part of the adventure, but in a few weeks I want to show my friend around. He's not so keen on pushing or carrying his very heavy Geometron.
So, what are your favourite non or minimal hike a bike routes? I'm thinking grisedale forest off piste and borrowdale bash for starters , what else you got and in particular anything that'll get us high up?
Cheers,
Adam
https://www.strava.com/activities/2341160988
Couple of brilliant descents on that, with the option to do a couple more in Coppermines.
You can never go wrong with a blast around Grizdale on the bridleways. Don't bother with the north face trail. Its shit.
Howgill Fells, the classic tour. Not much hike a bike and it goes high up.
Borrowdale Bash + Lonscale. On their own not particularly demanding rides but combined you get about 30 miles of low level Lake District biking.
Surely anyone who buys a geometron kinda has to like hike a bike? It's not exactly the bike choice of a pedalling purist.
satterthwaite, grizedale, parkamoor, the park, Lawson park, through tarn hows, irin keld/arneside, elterwater for lunch, little langdale, tilberthwaite, Coniston, back up Lawson park, the park, parkamoor, nibthwaite, ickenthwaite, satterthwaite.
a good day out, on the bike, not pushing, with a few good boozers for the afternoon.
+1 Craig5....
Some stuff in Claife too Colthouse downhill Laterbarrow downhill, Harrow Slack all easy uphills to them
lowey's route is a good one but unless your very fit and good uphill there may be a couple of short pushs on it. i always run out of legs near the top of the lingmoor climb and also on 3 kings after tilberthwaite although i ride with people that can ride up it all.
having said that its only the very last bit of the lingmoor climb and the 3 kings one isn't that long and the descents are definatly worth it.
Walna scar from Torver via seathwaite
Loughrigg fell
Borrodale?
Amazing, thanks for all the suggestions so far, I'll have to dig the map out later over a beer and browse the routes put forward
Certainly some good food for thought though. My friend definitely has no excuses not to come to the Lakes with me now!
Walna Scar from Broughton Forest via the fire road to Natty Bridge (rather than Seathwaite) is pretty much all rideable, depending on fitness and gearing. Likewise Garburn from Troutbeck side.
Both of these can be included in excellent loops.
Grizedale High Cross - Nibthwaite - Torver Common - WS as above - Church Beck to Coniston, back via Tilberthwaite/Oxen Fell is one of my favourite loops, and you can add stuff in depending on your legs.
Valid excuses to not go to the Lakes:
1. I am no longer alive.
That is all.
Valid excuses to not go to the Lakes:
1. I am no longer alive.
That is all.
Absolutely agree!!
Easiest high mountain experience is to go up kepple cove from glen ridding. It’s almost all rideable or at least not too bad a push, then a quick push up raise gives you the high mountain feel before a classic descent of sticks pass and if you like, seldom seen.
Also, garburn pass from Ings is rideable, nice fast descent to kentmere.
Thanks Tom B.
Did the first route you mentioned last year, but it would be such a shame to get all the way up there and not crack on to Helvellyn.
Maybe if he sees the summit of Helvellyn, then....
+1 for ton's route 👍
Also, garburn pass from Ings is rideable, nice fast descent to kentmere.
True dat. And you could extend it with loads of options nearby.
I'd have to nominate helvelyn and hugh street as the obvious almost zero hikeabikes high options (though not combined)
Both are at least 97% rideable if you come from the north. Must be dry or freezing though.
Is kepple cove the zigzags? Not convinced that's particularly rideable.
@thegeneralist
Helvellyn almost zero hike a bike from the north? Not the last bit right??
Keppel cove is indeed the zigzags, not a chance I could (i've tried) get up there without pushing. Maybe on an e-bike.
Also, Garburn pass from Ings, which way from Ings round to the west then east over the pass down to Kentmere?
Garburn pass from Ings, which way from Ings round to the west then east over the pass down to Kentmere?
Garburn is rideable from the west (troutbeck side), it's a fair bit of pushing from the Kentmere side.
Madegar
Not the last bit right??
Yep, agreed. That's the three percent bit. Not sure if it's three percent TBH, but thereabouts. Are we measuring by distance or height gain...
We did garburn from staveley and so approached it via a maze of bridleway, but you could indeed get there from Ings. Head north to Grassgarth, then bridleway north, then west along a new bridleway past High Borans. To the Dubh Road. Then follow it north then curve eastish as it gradually gets harder.
I stupidly dabbed on the first hard section, but then cleaned the rest of the up. I had far more offs on the descent to Kentmere than the up.
We did garburn from staveley and so approached it via a maze of bridleway, but you could indeed get there from Ings. Head north to Grassgarth, then bridleway north, then west along a new bridleway past High Borans. To the Dubh Road. Then follow it north then curve eastish as it gradually gets harder.
Just had a look at the map, that makes sense as the route round then dropping into kentmere. Cheers.
@ton any chance you have a gpx of that route? Had a look at the map and there are loads of options along the way.
Cheers
Been years since I was there but something that combines back of skiddaw and Borrowdale bash would be my thought. Either that or something from Staveley up to Green Quarter and over the other side on Garburn back down to Kentmere in a fig of 8 sort of thing.
Edited to add Tons route is a good one too.
Claife and Grizedale offers a lot of options.
Coniston allows you to ride Grizedale, Elterwater and over to the Duddon.
Blawith Common has some less common delights.
Cheeky odd stuff around Newby Bridge that everyone drives by to get to the hotspots.
Thanks Ton, good route that is.
@tomaso - any specifics around Newby Bridge, based in south lakes so not far from there.
Cheers
Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/dkw09tnoNW
My favourite trail though is Ullswater shore path with little flow and a lot of effort.
My favourite trail though is Ullswater shore path with little flow and a lot of effort.
Did that may bank holiday with the family and it was utterly absolutely awesome. Quick tow up the road from Pooley Bridge to the Cockpit followed by that mind blowingly lovely descent to Howtown, B'ways over the pass then gnadgery technical tricky amazingness down the side of Ullswater to Patterdale. Quick cafe stop in Glenridding, then shove the family onto the Ullswater steamer before doing the whole damn thing again in reverse. Best ride evah.
The only reason I didn't mention it to the OP is that he specified no pushing/carrying, which IMHO excludes Ullswater bridleway.
Or maybe my kids are just rubbish😂