[Closed] Todmorden - 3 days, must-do rides?

Rides including tech, climbs, cafes, cake, local scenic spots are all welcome.

Thanks, maybe a shorter option than that for a day.

The MTL is defintely doable in a day and well worth it. Here's a shorter option with a bit of a mix, leaving from Hebden https://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/788175045. I'm sure you'll be inundated with route options though!

Don't. Whatever else you do, do the Mary Townley loop.

There's so much it's really hard to choose. I'd not normally suggest it, but Strava really is your friend here. Alternatively, there's a wee place I know on Dale Street that might know a few routes...

There's a "classic" XC ride that is worth doing with some additional techy bits thrown in. From Tod spin along the canal to Eastwood and then climb up to Lumbutts and then pick up the old pack horse trail up to Stoodley Pike. From there either come off the front of the Pike down to London Road or ride away and come down the (shh, footpath) towards Hebden (think its been sanitised now so off the front may be the better option). London Road towards Hebden and then down Birthday X/Tunnel of Love/whatever its called (see Strava) towards Hebden station.

From Hebden, take the BW up to the New Delight pub at Colden and the take a right up towards Slack and Heptonstall Moor. Theres a nice (shh) footpath across the moor towards Lower Gorple res. Over the damn and follow the BW towards the road to Widdop. Cross the damn on the BW and continue all the way up and then down towards Hurstwood res. Two options here: follow the BW around Hurstwood and then back towards Cant Clough or if its dry, theres a BW which comes off the drop towards Hurstwood at Rams Clough which is pretty good fun. Pops out at the back of Cant Clough res.

From there, BW up to Long Causeway, bit of a road schlep and then BW down Delf Lane all the way to Whirlaw Stones. Drop down Scrapers Lane to the first footpath shooting off to the left on the tight right hander. This takes you over towards the golf course and through their car park. Turn right at the road, then left and after a few hundred m, take the BW to the right which takes you to Baulk Head Lane. From here there are a few descent options back to the bottom of the valley, all decent.

For more winch and plummet stuff, spin down the valley to Hebden and look on Strava.

Thanks guys. The MTL did sound like a bit of a tick box sufferfest exercise.

Might have 4 days to fill now.

If you can get down to the other end of the valley around Sowerby Bridge etc then theres LOADS of decent riding there too but often gets overlooked in favour of further up the valley. Loads and loads of tech stuff, lovely woodland singletrack, moorland stuff etc.

Do not under any circumstances waste your time on the MTL!

Todmorden being a y-shaped valley you can divide it into 3 sectors. I'd advise a ride each day in each sector, then on the 4th go to Hebden (which is pretty much the same place anyway in biking terms).

Stuff you should do:

Stoodley Pike and Gaddings Dam - Head up from the Shepherds Rest Pub to Gaddings, and follow the ridgeline to Stoodley. From there you can carry on to Hebden or go off the front for a techy challenge. You can also combine with a circuit of the resevoirs on the tops following White Holme Drain. Note that Stoodley and Gaddings is on footpaths but no one seems to care that much up on the moors.

Orchan Rocks, Whirlaw Moor down to Rodwell end. This is a well-travelled and obvious bridleway which take you from the Bridestones all the way down to the valley. You can get to it via Jumps Lane from Lydgate or ride up the road from Cornholme. There's also some enduro trails higer up the valley at Portsmouth either side of the valley (Look for George Wood Downhill and Covid-19 on strava). PS do not be tempted by the now defunct Havok Bike park, all the trails have been destroyed.

There's some XC rough moorland stuff on Flower Scar/Todmorden moor following the turbines south to Freehold top, Hades Hill and down to Watergrove Reservoir but this is only worth it if very dry. It's been churned up by crossers too so whilst a decent adventure it's not as good as the other places. Return to Tod via the Pennine Bridleway to Walsden.

Hebden Bridge - Take your pick from the hebden classics such as Blue Pig, Peckett Well and a huge amount of cheeky tech in places like Colden Clough, Crow Nest Woods and Hardcastle Crags (not advisable on a sunny weeekend!). Be polite to the walkers around Hebden on a weekend as there's quite a bit of conflict between walkers and bikers.

If you want longer routes then you can do the northern loop of the MTL (in either direction) via Hurstwood (look for the off piste trail through the quarries), Blackstone Edge above Littleborough/Hollingworth lake, or High Brown Knoll/Midgeley Moor the other side of Hebden.

Here's a couple of strava rides which cover most of the above.. (send me a follow request). You'll need to be subscribed to download the GPX files or just use them to plot your own routes on a map..

https://www.strava.com/activities/348821589

https://www.strava.com/activities/7018448302

Enjoy! I'd offer to show you around but I'm laid up at the moment with a gammy leg.

PS. If based in Tod and you're after a night out, try out the Golden Lion, they do the best Thai food in the northwest and have DJs/gigs on every weekend.

(Look for George Wood Downhill and Covid-19 on strava)

Depending on whether this matters to you just be aware that the farmer is less than impressed about covid-19 (George Wood Downhill different land owner I think). I had a run in with him a few weeks back, reasonable guy but not terribly happy about the digging. I've not ridden those trails since but that was the first time I encountered him and I rode them a fair amount.

+1 on don't bother with MTL.

Have you seen the route featured in the Singletrack Magazine? (their offices also based in Todmorden)

https://flattyres-mtb.co.uk/route-guides/yorkshire-mtb-routes/hebden-bridge-singletrack-route/

I've lived in Todmorden for 7 years and this is still my go to route when showing people some of "the best of". since then though I have added some extras on to it including the nice downhill bit by the golf course

Sadly i can only manage shorter/tamer rides at the moment until i get my shin sorted 🙁

enjoy! Feel free to contact me if there is anything you want to know before or during your visit! happy to help

Depending on whether this matters to you just be aware that the farmer is less than impressed about covid-19

Interesting. The story I heard was that the trail builders had permission. That's an awful lot of digging in a very open and exposed area to happen without permission.

I've had the same experience as @chvck. Farmer was pretty OK, just asked me not to ride it.

Interesting. The story I heard was that the trail builders had permission. That’s an awful lot of digging in a very open and exposed area to happen without permission.

From he said definitely not, he said he's actually asked them several times to not dig. He said that if it was just the one trail (tod alps I think) which doesn't have features then he could've turned a blind eye but the building isn't on.

Farmer was pretty OK, just asked me not to ride it.

+1. He laid out how he felt about it all and then said he'll leave it with me to make my choices.

I live at that end of the valley - the suggestions from Daz and whyte are spot on.

There is also a great bit of trail up Inchfield Road and then off the back of the windmills that the MNPR have come up and done.

Head up from the Shepherds Rest Pub to Gaddings, and follow the ridgeline to Stoodley.

Small correction, you can follow the ridgeline from Gaddings Dam to Stoodley but it's a bit of a technical slog. The easier way is to keep climbing from Gaddings up to the Pennine Way and then ride on the stone slabs to regain the ridge to Stoodley Pike.

Whatever the STW folks say. I won a ticket to one of the early STW awards and got an afternoon of riding with Mark and others. Up up up and over. It was great. But in those days I could almost keep up.

Mark was a star and one day I look forward to being a good enough rider to keep up and see him on the trails.

Thanks Daz etc, that'll fill 3 or 4 days. I'll check if Todmorden is the best place to stay when my OS map arrives today

FYI (DazH) - I'm a free Strava user, dont follow you , but could still download the GPX files from those routes!

DavyBoy, do you mind elaborating on the Sowerby riding? I live in Hebden and generally ride from the door but I might get adventurous one day and go further afield!
Also what happened to Havok? Was planning on checking that out at some point..

I’m a free Strava user, dont follow you , but could still download the GPX files from those routes!

Hmmm. I’m sure that’s not supposed to be allowed. I can’t even download the fox files myself!