Following on from thegeneralist's thread entitled 'Phew, what a ‘week’ – 20,000ft', that looks like the very riding i want to do.
In the past when ive been to the Lakes to ride it has always been as part of a group who like the known quantity of trail centres.
I want to do so bigger and more natural rides, so where do i start? Can anyone recommend me some resources so i can get a toe hold on this riding.
I currently ride in N Wales and am quite fit and happy to spend big days out. Im retired so can ride midweek when its quieter.
Im guessing that thread was just the inspiration i needed to ask for a little help and get out.
Thanks
Ian
This wouldn't be a bad place to start... https://flattyres-mtb.co.uk/route-guides/lake-district-mtb-routes/
Ok that looks good, thank you
Wotcha doing 14,15,16 July?
I'm hoping to be in Wasdale that week and will be looking for riding buddies for a day or two. Would love to do Black Sail Pass again as it was bruwiant. Thinking of going up Nether Beck, past Haycock, down Tewit How to Ennerdale, then return to Wasdale over BSP.
Did a search on here, but couldn't find any info, so it may be a sack of shit 🙂
Agree with the poster above that fattyres is a great place to look.
Failing that, there are various posters on here who have ridiculous knowledge of the lakes. Can't recall all the names but @nobeerinthefridge is one of them. Stick a metaphorical pin in the lake District map an stick a post up asking for opinion (and ipossibly info)
Good options from my fairly limited experience of the lakes:
Borrowdale Bash with Walla/Falcon starter.
4 Passes ( don't go alone)
Stavely 3 passes( don't go alone)
Grizedale ( not the TC, the forest) parkamoor, fox, Breasty Haw etc
Walna Scar, Stephenson Ground
Ullswater Bridleway is amazing.
Up The Coach Road of Helvellyn, then up Dodds ridge, down Stick Pass east, up Keppel Cove, down Birkside is mind blowing.
High Street is a lovely ride if it's been dry ( no gnarr though)
Or take a look at the grandest list of Lakes Passes by Joe and mark on this thread. https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/lakes-passes-graded-list/
Pick one half was down the list and go and do it. If it was too easy then pick one further down. Too hard then look further up the list.
Or, in acknowledgement that there's also a magazine attached to this forum, I hear that STW did the Langdale, Rosset, Styhead,whatendlath, Stake, Langdale route in a recent edition. Do that.
Would highly recommend a guided trip, there's so much riding there - I've been a couple of times with wildbike. Last trip a few weeks back was 4.5 days riding, 90 miles and 14,000ft.
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And from the previous trip last year:
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They're on my strava if you want to have a nosey: https://www.strava.com/athletes/24953032
That is ace! I will DM you!
Thanks
Ian
Would definitely second the fact that some rides shouldn't be done alone and you'll spend the whole time thinking 'I'm going to die' and therefore equally you want to find someone you can ride it with who has got your back but who you don't need to worry about and means you can concentrate on yourself.
You could grab a 'lake district mountainbiking' book and start ticking some of those out which are considered epics or enduros.
Also once you've got some dates available post up and see who is available to keep you company but make sure you let them know what and where you'd like to ride. One persons gemstone is another persons marble.
Pedal north
Mtb lakes
Flat tyre mtb
All great resources. We've some walking encyclopedias of the lakes on here. Lowey being one of them.
in acknowledgement that there’s also a magazine attached to this forum, I hear that STW did the Langdale, Rosset, Styhead,whatendlath, Stake, Langdale route in a recent edition. Do that.
I did that from Keswick last spring, (the day before lockdown!). After the first switchback hike a bike you can avoid the drop down and another climb (purple) by going across the top to Angle Tarn (green):
It's a cracking day out though:
Oh and to add, both my trips to the lakes have had about 200m of trail centre, just to get to another cracking rocky, janky bridleway descent. Grizedale has some brilliant natural rocky bridleways that crap all over the trail centre.
This thread might be useful for some inspiration. https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/lakes-passes-graded-list/
There aren't many actual rides listed there, but you can easily pick something off the list and make a loop
That ulswater route looks nice. Which way round do you ride the two loops?
That ulswater route looks nice. Which way round do you ride the two loops?
We went bottom on the right loop, top of the left loop (along the water), with the 2nd and 3rd pic in my post being the final descent. That climb is a right ******* though, proper killed my (already dead) legs.
@blackflag - Ride the top loop clockwise - the return leg is on road. The bottom loop works either way, but most likely ridden clockwise again.
Edit - I stand corrected. Ullswater Singletrack works equally well in either direction though. One of the few routes in the Lakes that is reversible.
yeah clockwise on the top loop, anti-clockwise on the bottom loop, we did it figure of 8.
Brilliant. Thanks guys x
Can I ask for some Lakes info as well…
I’ve had to drop out of the Jenn ride as my wrist is still pretty weak, but we are still going to be in Staveley next week end.
I recon I could do a few hours gravel or non technical, is there a route of amazing views we could do, xc? We literally have all day Saturday and Sunday sand need something to justify the beer.
Jkomo probs Grizedale is your best bet from BIKETREKS ride up to parkamoor great views from there. Fire road all the way.
Parkamoor is on my wish list for this coming weekend. Sounds great.
.
The push up Skiddaw is totally worth it for the descent of Ullock Pike.
Threads like these (And the beautiful photos) make me incredibly jealous. As dpesite being a proficent MTB rider for the last 25 years or so, I've never ridden in the Lakes, or really anywhere properly mountainous. Peak Distric on occasion is about as 'high up' as I get. I simply dont have anyone to go with, and its not really the kind of thing you can/should do on your own, at least not for the first time.
I'd love to join up with a ride one day! Can do big long days out, However at 35 I'm very much not retired and able to ride at the drop of a hat whenever the sun has come out, my riding days have to be planned months in advance!
I ride mostly solo in the lakes. Just adjust your attitude to risk accordingly and let people know your route and intended time to complete.
You cant just let the opportunity to ride in such natural beauty pass you by because your on your own. Life's way to short.
You cant just let the opportunity to ride in such natural beauty pass you by because your on your own. Life’s way to short.
Amen to that.
Just research the route well, start off on the less technical end of things, don't go in bad/iffy weather and have a strong word with yourself at the top of the descents.
@snotrag i appreciate our lives sound a little different, and it was these threads that made me decide to make the effort to get to cool places to ride.
Despite living in Snowdonia the pictures that i gravitate to regarding riding and days out seem to involve the lakes.
I shall hopefully get there next month
Ian
I’ve never ridden in the Lakes, or really anywhere properly mountainous. Peak Distric on occasion is about as ‘high up’ as I get. I simply dont have anyone to go with
You can join me some time if you like. There's nothing essentially different to riding in the Peak, you just go up longer and down longer - and it's rockier and much, much better.
🙂
. I simply dont have anyone to go with,
I’d love to join up with a ride one day! Can do big long days out,
Easily solved.
Reply to that thread or send me a PM 😃
Done about ten rides this spring with total strangers. It's been awesome.
And indeed as a side effect there's a WhatsApp group which has formed and done a ride in the Peak most weeks since early May.
Just to add, a lot of my Lakes ridin (when I get to do it) is solo, and I bloody love it. As above, I research and pick my routes, and let people know where I'll be etc, but I really enjoy the solitude of being out in the fells on my own (Back o'Skiddaw is good for that).
That said if anyone fancies meeting up I'll be around for a week at the end of September...
I’d love to join up with a ride one day! Can do big long days out, However at 35 I’m very much not retired and able to ride at the drop of a hat whenever the sun has come out, my riding days have to be planned months in advance!
Doesn't matter how old you are, there are always demands on your time. I'm 53 and still have to plan around family and work.
You do what you have to do.
Have done. we chatted about Cut Gate a few weeks back.
Yes, I'm well aware that its up to me, and me only to get 'out there' !
@chakaping I am constantly in awe of your instagram feed as you never seem to stop! 😀
Thread regurgitation.....
Thinking of going up Nether Beck, past Haycock, down Tewit How to Ennerdale,
Did you do this? I walked the Wasdale side for the first time on Friday, having looked at it on the map and wondered for years. I'm guessing that if you did it was very hard work, or mostly pushing?
Did Nether beck a few weeks ago, it's a four mile push/carry bit of a slog as it's near the end of a loop from Ennerdale, lovely valley though it feels quite remote, went over Haycock and down the ridge from Craw fell, this is fun singletrack, a real bonus considering very low expectations for the descent. If you fancy a bit of adventure off the beaten track this is a great loop.
