Riding around Borrowdale/Keswick

You could browse some of these routes - https://lakesmtb.co.uk/lake-district-routes/

Borrowdale bash is great, I'd want some sort of navigation help though. There didn't use to be any phone signal but that may have changed since I was there last.

The bash route is easy to follow without gps if download directions and use a map, just make sure you don’t miss the (tiny) finger post sign to bear left as descend from honister towards castle crag.

I quite enjoyed this one when we were up there in June

Lonscale Crags (Cumbrian Way) – River loop from Threlkeld Quarry

B'Bash day 1. Easy to follow on an OS map.
4 passes if you like HaB and gnadge.
HaB up to Esk Hause and then do the full descent past Styhead if you fancy a one hit wonder ( but what a hit 🙂 )
Or ruin the above route by doing the descent from Stake into Langdale followed by Rosset Ghyll.( as per STW classic route) really, don't.
Rigg Beck
Causey Pike
GRIZEdalE pike.
Whiteless pike
ULLOCK
Glenderaterra Beck
Blencathra

Etc

Dozens of amazing routes.. pretty sure theyre all on my strava somewhere.
https://strava.app.link/PO2ct8UFvBb

Happy to talk you through them if you have an OS map handy.

HaB up to Esk Hause and then do the full descent past Styhead if you fancy a one hit wonder ( but what a hit 🙂 )
Or ruin the above route by doing the descent from Stake into Langdale followed by Rosset Ghyll.( as per STW classic route) really, don’t.

We came up Langdale and over Rosset to Sty Head and the descent into Seathwaite the other week. The climb up was brutal. The descent almost as brutal. Great mix of fast with some slower tech descending from Angle Tarn to Sty Head followed by some faster bits and then the tech slab/cobbled bit into the valley (was a Saturday so dodging loads of walkers).

Can't imagine how soul destroying it'd be to do a big climb up to Stake Pass to descend and immediately be confronted with a 90 minute HaB up Rosset!

OP, the bits of the Bash we did from Honister back towards Grange were good. Nothing techy, some nice swoopy singletrack through the ferns and some wide open rocky bits. Would like to try the full Borrowdale Bash on that snippet I had...

Can’t imagine how soul destroying it’d be to do a big climb up to Stake Pass to descend and immediately be confronted with a 90 minute HaB up Rosset!

Word.

You can avoid that particular pain by taking the shortcut from Stake summit to angle tarn, like in this route

https://strava.app.link/tDRQ7yAHvBb

But TBH the bridlepath up Langstrath isnt that great any more and so next time I'll just HaB up Grains Gill and miss out all the pisch bits of that ride.

Daveyboywonder - thats exactly what me and Si did, I wouldn't bother doing it again but it was good to have a look at Rossett, its a no from me as a descent.
Grains Gill got recommended as a descent.

I plan to get dropped off at Whinlatter at some point. I’ll do some laps of whatever is there and pedal home again. Any cheeky stuff worth looking at that’s more interesting than the trail centre?

Last time I was there most of the off piste stuff was blocked off, some by storm damage and some on purpose with trail closed signs and fences at the entrance.
Personally I didn't like Borrowdale Bash at all, with the exception of the descent into Rosthwaite (which is good)it was one of the dullest rides I'd done in years and you'd have to pay me a lot of money to do it again, especially on a hardtail

Personally I didn’t like Borrowdale Bash

Ah, but did you do the mtbguides.uk start?

( ie Castlerigg Walla Crag)

Hope you get the weather we had last month. It was ace! Never seen the Lakes so dry. This was on Lonscar Cragg

its a no from me as a descent.

Agreed. I was crying for loamy woodland trails after that weekend 😀

Ah, but did you do the mtbguides.uk start?

Yes, the lad who showed me around loves riding in the lakes and explained the alternative is riding along the road out of Keswick and its definitely a better option but I found the descent wasn't in the slightest bit challenging or enjoyable, just my opinion tho

Fair enough. 🙂
I thought the Walla bit elevated the route as a whole to "classic" status. Without it it defo lacks ... a lot.

It's not gnarrly I guess, but as legal lakes loops go I rate it.

Vive la difference!

just make sure you don’t miss the (tiny) finger post sign to bear left as descend from honister towards castle crag.

This ^^

If the Borrowdale Bash is rubbish what is a good Lakes Loop?

To the OP if you can drive or ride Keswick there are a few variations on riding round Skiddaw. But they aren’t better than the Bash.

Tour of skiddaw?

Follow the bridle way around past skiddaw house.

Skiddaw and Ullock pike?

Push up skiddaw, come off the ridge towards west and ride down towards ullock pike.

Bit of Whinlatter?

Cycle up to Whinlatter on the bridleway out of Thornthwaite, follow the trail to the base Grizledale pike, bob through the woods onto the ridge and head down sleet how into Braithwaite.

Big ride?

Ride down the west side of Derwent, road, footpath or bridleway then over honister and down warnscales to Buttermere. Have a beer and then return home via sail beck/newlands.

Basic map reading skills will be required *AND* you could alway use an offline map and GPS in your phone such as the OS app which is a bargain at £20 per year.

Definitely do Walla Crag on the bash.

Causey Pike has been mentioned, loads of carry down on there, I really wouldn't bother. Shame as the lower part is nice but even with two folk the carry down is tricky.

From the top of the Whin South you can make your way up Grizedale Pike, loads of quality riding up there.

Helvellyn, Sticks Pass, Seldom Seen if you can get to Glenridding.

Oh, and Set Murphy for some woodsy enduro style riding near Cockermouth too.

If the Borrowdale Bash is rubbish what is a good Lakes Loop?

It's not rubbish.

OP, get an OS map and mark the route on it.

And look for the alternate descent through Frith Wood, near where you are staying.

The Borrowdale Bash really isn’t rubbish and suggesting its easy to a Lake District inexperienced rider is likely to cause them bother. Depending on experience and ability they may well find bits of it rather full on.

I would suggest anyone riding in the Lake District should know how to nav with a map and not rely on navigation devices.

My main problem with the Bash like so many rides up here is the complaining tourist walkers. No matter how much you slow down or how polite you are there is often someone spoiling for a row. Borrowdale in summer is packed and can be quite bad.

North Lakes riding requires a different mindset, its not a trail centre (away from Whinlatter) and descents are often seriously tech and have to be earned.

Does anyone know anywhere to lock a bike up in Keswick? We're on the way there now and we can't check into our accommodation until 4pm.

Looks like we'll be spending most of the day floating around and I'd rather not be baby sitting my bike if possible. I've got my own lock.

I'll be checking some of your route suggestions in more detail later on so thanks for the tips.

Personally I'd babysit the bike TBH.

Couldnt you do a Reacher and stick a pin in the tyre and take it to the bike shop to get it repaired. 🙂

"Thanks mate, I'll pick it up at 4pm"

On a related note, I finally did the Boredale Hause to Patterdale descent last week and it provides the second last bit of what I reckon is one of the best legal rides in the lakes:

Park at Pooley Bridge
Up to the Cockpit
Long, easy lovely descent to Howtown.
Bridleway into Boredale
Excellent, mostly rideable climb to Boredale Hause
Keep right and descend the BW to Patterdale. Some lovely switchbacks and then some twisty ****TheFells. Not desperate, but really good.
Then Ullswater BW back to Howtown.
Then unfortunateky road back to Pooley.

Would be the perfect route exceot for two things:
1) the final road section
2) Huge disparity in difficulty. Cockpit descent is brilliant, but very easy. Ullswater BW is brilliant, but very gnadgery and tech.