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Obviously by "a" I mean lots of but...
I'm looking for a/some weekends away with the bike.
Ideally under 3.5 hours travel each way from Harrogate, not critical but for a weekend it's preferable. (Feel free to throw in things further afield).
Two good days riding, one of which at least needs to be an actual ride vs winch and plummet (fine to have some of that but not a day of up and down the same conifer covered hill. I'd rather a towpath with "big skies", decent miles a few hills etc), the other can be as purely playing-out-on-the-bike* as you like but I'm not averse to two days "out".
I've nothing against a trail center or two (esp. at this time of year) so long as it's a good ride.
Ideally I'd drive up Friday home Sunday and not really need to be back in the car between times.
Next weekend to start with...
So, suggest away, throw in any routes or offers of showing me round [up].
*It could do with being fairly easy to follow my nose for that mind.
The obvious first choice is Peebles if youve not done it. Lots of trail centre choices, some wilder more XC rides if you want them, plenty of winch and plummet thats so good its rude not to, and a decent town to base from with no need for the car for the duration.
Also worth a look - Machynlleth, Betws Y Coed and of course much closer is the lakes but they probably offer less bang for your buck and less easy ride from the doorstep than the others.
I think I'd be driving to Staveley and doing the Jennride route, or something a lot like it. If you didn't want to carry your stuff and bivi, you could ride the eastern loop/s one day, drive and ride the western loops the next.
The obvious answer is get an Airbnb in Keswick or Kendal and ride North or South lakes as appropriate.
Load up GPS, follow GPS, realise you aren't as good on a bike as you thought you were... (or is that just me?)
All good suggestions ta.
Peebles is a good shout but as you say, also the obvious one - I've been a fair few times and will certainly be back.
I'm due to be in machynlleth in a couple of months with the bike for a few days away and the welsh enduro round though I'd given consideration to heading down there next weekend as well and might still end up there
Betws Y might be a good one to add to the list though thank you.
Lakes also not a bad call and one I often overlook for a weekend as it's easy there and back distance.
Load up GPS, follow GPS, realise you aren’t as good on a bike as you thought you were… (or is that just me?)
Oh I'm exactly as good on a bike as I think I am and everytime my opinion threatens to change gravity reminds me why I hold the one I do.
I’d be looking at the Lakes. So much good riding to go at. Probably head for Keswick as a base, though I do like the riding near Ullswater so might be tempted to look for somewhere near Glenridding to stop.
Don't know how you've been overlooking the Lakes if it's such an easy journey! Get yourself up there, easily plenty of riding for not just one weekend but many weekends!
Lakes?
Dent
Sedbergh
There's loads
I would drive to Innerleithen Friday night, ride the Golfie or Inners uplift Saturday, then drive to somewhere near Penrith Saturday night and ride the Lakes Sunday, drive home Sunday night.
I’ll be doing it from Bournemouth as soon as the clocks change, but leave Friday morning and ride Warncliffe on the way up.
Don’t know how you’ve been overlooking the Lakes if it’s such an easy journey! Get yourself up there, easily plenty of riding for not just one weekend but many weekends!
This, and this. You're 2hrs away from the south Lakes man, there's enough riding there to last 10's of weekends.
Don’t know how you’ve been overlooking the Lakes if it’s such an easy journey!
Not so much in terms of riding, just not for a weekend trip really precisely because it is close feels a bit painful to my Yorkshire sensibilities paying £100 a night in a b&b to save an hour's drive.
Struggling to see why you'd go anywhere apart from the Lakes in the first instance TBH.
As for going to Betwys in preference, just no.
The reason to go for a weekend in the lakes is that you can do proper full day rides at this time of year, rather than lose hours of light to driving. Some of the big loops in the lakes can go dawn to dusk any time but summer. I would do it as a drive early sat morning, ride, 1 night bnb, ride sunday, drive back rather than spend two nights there.
Yeah it's the perfect location for a 2 day ride/overnighter, if it's 1hr drive then you're saving 2hrs, and so on. From the outskirts of Harrogate you're looking at 2hrs to get into the middle of the lakes, so for a 2 day trip you're saving 4hrs of driving time. Plus you get to stay in the lakes for a night and enjoy the scenery while eating your pub dinner.
Lakes.
Based either Coniston or Keswick
I wouldn't overlook Dumfries and Galloway area (including the Lowthers) if you might like a few 'big sky' rides.
You almost had me but those skies are blue, very blue. Thems not really photos from Scotland are they?
Any routes you'd suggest looking at?
@vmgscot thats not an area im familiar with. Can you give more details of where that is, it looks brilliant
Ian
Aye, Galloway has some cracking rides.
I have some dusty 1990's photos to prove it as well, they too feature blue skies in some places.
(But for OP, Lakes is almost endless supply of rides and weekends away, you also pass the Western Dales which have great riding including into the Howgills for a proper big feeling ride, including one of the longest singletrack descents in the UK iirc).
£100 a night! where are you staying?
try air bnb, there's a few places in kendal & windermere where you can stay in someone's house for less than £30 a night.
Lakes.
Based either Coniston or Keswick
This.
Also other great options not too far afield would be swaledale / Reeth - some great combinations of technical and xc riding to be had of you know where to look.
Also for more xc riding / long journey / not too technical NYM is grand
@breninbeener the first photo is out in our 'local' hills south of New Cumnock... stretching rom Carsphairn Forest over to Drumlanrig. We just go explore what new windfarm trails there are and link up what we can see on the maps/ground.
Second photo is exploring under the Rhinns of Kells, Garryhorn, Woodhead lead mines area.
And, strangely, @matt_outandabout all these pics are taken on recent rides since xmas on differing weekends, as have these... (I notice normal service has been resumed looking out the window though)...
I notice normal service has been resumed looking out the window though
Aye, I remember more than a few claggy days...
Those really are some spectacular photos for December vgmscott.
@matt_outandabout one of the best things about the Western dales is at just the right level of zoom it really looks like it reads "great abyss" rather than "great Asby scar" as the cragy bits obscure the letters somewhat. It's just enough to make your doubt the wisdom of your route choice when you misread it in the pouring rain and rapidly setting fog.