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Can anyone advise if this a do able journey.
Planning to get train out of London early, ride all day. Kip for the nights and do the Mary townley loop the next day.
Rough calculations suggest this is about 50 miles which down South a can crack out in 5/6 hours but I'm unfamiliar with how tough going this will be up north.
Obviously the peaks are famed for rockiness but will this be enjoyable on a short travel ht or will I be battered by the end if day 1?
Bump for the evening crowd. If it's possible going to book tickets and try to sort out accommodation soon.
Might not be my favourite area. Maybe ride from there North and take in the Dales. I think it gets batter that way. Maybe train to Hebden Br and set off North
C
It's 71 miles mate and hilly. I personally would only consider doing it in a single day if I was starting at the crack of dawn.
Nothing ruins a bike adventure more than when it's getting dark, you're tired and hungry, and still miles from the B&B you've booked.
Starts off on old railway track but by Peak Forest it gets hilly. From that point on it's pretty much constant up and down with very little flat. One winter's day (when I wasn't bike fit) we went from MT as far as Mossley/Greenfield before it went dark which was probably 7 hours worth of riding. There was quite a bit of route finding as it had only just been set out and there weren't all the signs in place.
If you were looking for a two day trip then as ChrisE says get the train to Hebden Bridge and ride it northwards from there: Day one to Settle or maybe Horton then to Kirkby Stephen the next day. The route is a bit fiddly (for want of a better word) between Gisburn and Long Preston with lots of gates and little loops to avoid a short bit of road but once you are in the Dales it's straightforward routefinding as there aren't so many tracks.
Cheers guys, will look into the other options.
The online thing calculated it to be about 51/52 miles so real life experience is invaluable.
will see how long the train is to hebden bridge and back from Kirkby Stephenson
Back to the drawing board then!
I'm reasonably fit and regularly do 50 -70 mile loops in the Peak District. Most have been on a 120mm travel full sus.
I did the MTL last year and it's defiantly one of the toughest 50 mile loops you'll do. It's mostly off road and very rough / rocky. I remember thinking it would be particularly grim on a hardtail.
I did mary town lee loop last on hardtail and did find it very hard, up and down, minimal roads, 6700 feet of climbing and over 6 hrs, if I were to do again probably graphics my anthem!!!!
Yes, it's doable.
We did it in 10hrs including stops. Hard day.
It gets harder as it goes along but a pub or two along the way.
Pick your day with weather.
You do have a nice easy first 15-20 mikes though but that's very much tasty entree.
It would be the last weekend in May so even a late start would give me 12 hours daylight plus I have lights.
Probably solo but maybe a small group so faffing time will be low.
Hmmm, thought I had decided against it but now not so sure!
If I was you I would start somewhere like Skipton or Settle and aim for Kirkby Stephen then take the train back; we do this on the roadies and it's a great day out - you can vary the mileage by changing the route and start and finish stations and going north you'll have some assistance from the prevailing wind, with luck.