[Closed] Pennine Bridleway CX or MTB?

I can only speak for the top bit (from Settle) but you would certainly be fine for CX on that. There are no technical descents whatsoever. Don't bother with the final climb over Wild Boar Fell. It adds nothing!

Don't bother with the final climb over Wild Boar Fell. It adds nothing!

So you would finish at Sedbergh?

I finish at Kirkby Stephen (for the train). Lady Ann's Highway hits the road just around Outhgill and it's an easy spin north from there. The Wild Boar fell crossing just takes you over to the A685 just south of KS, so you have the bonus of a nasty, fast bit of A-road after a nasty, steep, grassy slog!

If you turn left after Pendragon Castle there's a BW on the west side of the Eden you can follow. It's possible to cut back across to rejoin the B-road at Nateby then it's either road to KS or a short BW a bit to the east. It is uphill to the station though!

I can only comment for the Mary Townley loop and the Peak District sections having not done much of the northern end (or if I have I've not realised it!).

Huge sections of the Peak District PBW are probably best suited to a CX bike or at least a XC bike just so you can cover ground more easily. However in my experience there are sections of the Mary Townley loop that will be more comfortable on a full susser. It's not that anywhere is especially technical, it's just that 205 miles is a big ride off-road and being able to sit and spin for long distances is important. That's sometimes easier on a full susser as my hardtail-riding friends will attest to from when we did the MT loop, especially on the big cobbled sections.

There will be sections where you'll wish you had your CX bike and sections where you will probably wish you had a (short-travel) full susser. You need to decide which is the best compromise for the way you like to ride.

Thank you - I'm leaning towards the CX at the moment.

I don't know why, but I'd missed the fact that it's 205 miles long - almost exactly double the distance as the crow flies. Another reason to favour the CX I think. I'll have 2.3 days probably and might miss out everything south of Rushup Edge.

You're possibly - definitely - a lot fitter than me if you're attempting it all in 2.3 days, but just bear in mind that for most "mortals" the Mary Townley loop alone is quite easily a 6 hour day out.

EDIT - or did you mean 2/3 days?

stilltortoise - Member

You're possibly - definitely - a lot fitter than me if you're attempting it all in 2.3 days, but just bear in mind that for most "mortals" the Mary Townley loop alone is quite easily a 6 hour day out.

EDIT - or did you mean 2/3 days?

similar situation here, wife and kids away in August so was thinking of doing pennine bridleway but I may have only 2 full days of riding. Got bail out options if over running once in Dales.

Seems doable enough just may not be pleasant at the end if two days, but retrospective enjoyment and all that...

Reckon you'll feel a bit bashed up on cx by end but probably a good bike for most of the ride. I'm going on rigid 29er

Hardtail would be my choice. I ride CX and full-suss as well but most sections the MTL and southern section would shake your eyeballs out on CX. Not done the new Northern sections though.

I've done everything between wycoller and Peak Forest and can't think of many descents I'd like to do on a cx bike. Sure they're all rideable, but you'll lose a lot of time on the descents and not gain that much on the flat bits and the climbs. A comfy steel hard tail 29er would be my weapon of choice.

My only bikes are a Boardman CX or Bird Aeris which is awkward to pack due to dropper and no space within main triangle.
I've kind of overcome the dropper problem with a second seatpost attached to the saddle rails, but it's not ideal. Doable though with a bit more on my back (was going to manage with just jersey pockets on the CX)

I rode the stretch from Widdop over to Wycoller last weekend, and have ridden the MTL and some of the route from the MTL south. No effing way would I want to do it on a CX bike, it'd be horrible - the surface is full of small rocks, cobbles etc etc. Total teeth rattler on a CX bike. HT with some reasonably fat rubber is perfect IMO.

I suppose ultimately it depends on your pain tolerance though 🙂

What's the fattest tyre the boardman will take?

What's the fattest tyre the boardman will take?