Trail Intel? Within 90 mins from Leeds

Just giving this request a wee bump ...

Ta.

You will be only 40minutes or so drive from Hebden Bridge, where there is plenty of steep riding.  I’ve not been out since the snow but I suspect most routes will be mostly gopping so maybe built might be better?

Leeds Urban Bike Park might be an option? It’s very compact though, so more for sessioning, but I’d expect it be unaffected by the weather.

Dalby off piste last weekend was absolutely prime. Don't think any of its been too bad this winter so far as long as you pick the bits that tend to hold up to weather/drain better. There weren't many of them suffering with the snow so once in the trees there'll be little snow melt to turn them to mush so it'll probably be (in the main) be riding pretty good.

Think Kilburn/Yearsley/White Horse is best left alone.

Dalby off piste ...

Cheers, that confirms my thinking.

Any other advice/trail reports? I'd probably sooner a slightly shorter drive if possible.

How have Greno/Wharny held up?

What's the thinking about Pately Bridge (Ramsgill/Scar House)?

Gisburn?

I struggle to understand why anyone would willingly ride at Gisburn. Maybe I’m just a grump. For the sake of the extra 10 min I would rather ride Rivington Pike if I was going to travel that far. But from Leeds…take the train, do the Calder Valley, visit the pubs, get the train home?

Yeah, you're a grump, Gisburn is decent! It'll be wet but usually holds up well. I'd imagine Nidderdale will be soggy, hard work.

I struggle to understand why anyone would willingly ride at Gisburn

Ordinarily, it'd not be my first choice, but as it's just a week following a big freeze and then a thaw, somewhere with built trails doesn't seem like a bad idea.

I'm guessing Calder Valley (I only know some of the Hebden Bridge trails) will be pretty muddy and greasy?

Most of Kilburn/White Horse bank was about a foot deep in snow last weekend, probably not great conditions for another couple of weeks.

Lots of downed trees in Yearsley, several of the  decent runs have diversions.

Dalby a good shout from your list

stwhannah  has the best option for sure.

no cars involved. relaxing travel to ride location. steep techy shredding. ace beers to finish. winner.

Gisburn's alright!

Wildcard: stalybridge

When I went out for my walk this morning,  conditions where pretty good in Halifax area, so would imagine same in hebden.

Hebden good today and forecast is dry so should be fine for this wkend, train and beers sounds like a good plan

Couple of votes for Calderdale/Hebden then ... ?

Lots of downed trees in Yearsley, several of the  decent runs have diversions.

Yearsley was mint a couple of weeks ago after the storms. The odd tree (literally one from what I can remember) but all the stuff at the Pirate Radio end of the forest we rode was spot on as well as the stuff we rode over toward Yearsley Moor Bank car park down toward the bottom of the woods... Didn't ride any of the stuff off the view point side.

90mins? Swaledale, just. Plenty of firm stuff. And cake.

Oh man! Get the Carlisle train to Settle, great natural dales riding from there, gpx's online.

Or, carry on towards Carlisle thro some spectacular dales scenery, get off at one of the dales stops and ride from there, either a loop (tour of Ingleborough , tour of pen-y-ghent for example) or linear to another station. I can't suggest a linear route but I'm sure you can find one.

train to hebden is a good call, northern dont care about number of bikes in my experience and i've come back in some right states..

sodden and muddy, with a few pints down

Oh bugger, I read trail info as train info doh!

Ah well, do what I suggested but drive there instead haha.

Train gives the option of point to point at various places along the Settle-to-Carlisle. Get off at Dent or Kirkby Stephen and ride to Settle via various routes, though it may not be to your taste if you're looking more at Gisburn (which should also be good, but I haven't been for a while and I think the cafe has shut).

Ilkley is just up the road eh?

I haven't been yet but heard good things.

Ilkley is great, but won't be at it's best after the snow. Plus, can be a lot of people out over the weekend.

We've decided to head to Dalby.

struggle to understand why anyone would willingly ride at Gisburn.

Sacrilege... The final pull from past the boardwalk, up the hill over the rocky maze bit and then through the wall is absolutely brilliant ( for a TC). I don't think the black variations are signed any more but they are ace.  That bit at the top of the climb where you jink right to climb over the huge boulder is sublime.

We’ve decided to head to Dalby.

Business Class, Monster Munch, Sh*t & Shovel and some of the other bits over that way were riding ace last weekend. Even Bummer Wolf was running ace over Christmas. The bits over toward the lake and up near the V were great as well...

EDIT: something like this would work and should be pretty clear: blue trail up from the main car park and continue until it meets the red. Follow the red section (pretty good - fast and flowy) to the next fire-road crossing. Left down the fire-road and after 100m or so, veer left into the trees and follow that down. Loads of choices from here - she's a squirter, business class etc. Bottom of the valley floor, turn right and follow around the fire-road around to the left and climb up to the top of the white cliffe rigg and then down one of the options off the right - marked on Strava as self-isolation was running sweet at the weekend. Then left at the bottom and up the opposite side of the valley twice to do monster munch and shit and shovel. right at the bottom and up hawdale rigg and then down the first option on the left. In the trees, keep left as much as possible - no idea whats its called... its great. Then right and onto the red in the trees. As you reach the top, turn right on the not-red track to the fire-road, then a left and a right and into the track there which heads down to the valley floor. Up the fire-road, left onto the red climb, up the blue bit the wrong way, up the fire-road and left into the trees after about 150m for a short, steep drop. Then pickup the red directly opposite for the long quarry run. From there, either blue/red back and a sausage butty...

^ for added Bummer Wolf, you could easily whip across the fire-road at the top of the blue climb (take a left instead of a right) and pick it up from badger corner near the skills park and then pick up bits of red back toward hawdale rigg or fire-road straight back to the top of the blue

Hmm what is this Bummer Wolf of which you speak... I need to do some snooping.

Last time I was at Dalby over Xmas got chatting to a local from Scarborough who said there was a load of steep tech off piste in (what sounded like) the north of the forest. I've never been anywhere near it. Do you know any of that stuff @Daveyboywonder ?

Oh yeah and don't go to Ilkley it's rubbish. Nothing to see.

Hamsterley still has snow fwiw (albeit just over 90 mins from Leeds)

Hamsterly is less than  90mins from Leeds, well the part I live in anyway.

Swaledale is too.

Do you know any of that stuff @Daveyboywonder?

I know of some which I've not explored yet right out on the northern edge of the red route. Its on Strava and I randomly saw a video of someone riding it on YT last night. Theres also a fair bit slightly south of there along the valley up from the lake that the red route drops into on the old world cup track, crosses the hump back bridge and then climbs the opposite side of the valley. Some of that I've ridden and I'd say its far more techy than the stuff on the southern edge of the forest near the Ellerburn end...

Interesting.... Need to go snooping on the heatmap and do some exploring. Southern end stuff is hard to ride past though - loadsafun innit 🙂