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any suggestions greatly appreciated.
Leeds liverpool canal to Gargrave, then lanes/off road would be quite nice? You could prob throw in more 'not canal path' (i.e. Baildon/Ilkley moor) to get you to the dales, but found the canal the best way to get out of town quickly. Sounds fun!
Canal to Skipton. Lanes via Carleton, Broughton (a bit of the A59), Gargrave, Bank Newton, Nappa, Halton West, Wigglesworth, Rathmel, A tiny bit of the A65 past Settle, Eldroth, Keasden, Bentham, Wennington, Kirkby Lonsdale (another tiny bit of A65) then B6254 across the tops to Kendal.
I had the canal penned it to start, but the bit after there looks good.
cheers Bob.
[url= https://ridewithgps.com/routes/25707433 ]Skipton - Kendal (On Lanes)[/url]
Leeds liverpool canal to Gargrave
Mudfest right now, I expect.
You are right to avoid the A65, obviously. Not only is it dangerous, it is a lot hillier than you'd think looking at it on a map.
Depends how much extra mileage and climbing you're willing to put up with. I'd personally take the canal path as far as keighley, then take the old Skipton road as far as Farnhill, then towpath again to Skipton.
At that point I'd head north a bit and take lanes over through Hetton, Winterburn, Airton and on to Settle, then north again to Little Stainforth, Austwick, Clapham (dedicated cycle lane next to A65 for short stretch) then Ingleton.
It's at this point you probably have to to climb north up Kingsdale, then down Dentdale towards Sedbergh and Kendal if you want to avoid the 65.
All that's a great ride though, some lovely lanes with big views.
A few years ago a small group of us rode from Skipton to Bowness sort of following the A65 via small lanes on the way out but used the A65 for the return. We clocked up over 3000m of climbing!
There's a muddy (and very bumpy) bit on the canal between the end of the national cycle route between Keighley and Silsden as far as Cononley lane end/Kildwick. Skipton to Gargrave will be horrible at the moment.
Yep, that's why my route leaves the canal at Keighley! That bit between there and Farnhill is grim.
I know! I sometimes do it as part of my commute if I want an almost completely off-road option. OK in summer on the Croix de Fer but it will be off-camber roots and puddles now 😳 The NCR leaves the canal tow pat about a mile before Silsden and takes a lane to there.
Second the bit suggested above about dentdale and sedbergh- beautiful lanes, I rode to Malham from Keswick and went that way (in reverse) from Kendal down to Malham .
tow pat
About right. 🙂
Ah yes, forgot about the mud after skipton. Also, there's a nice bit from Addingham to Skipton, so Canal > Saltaire > Baildon moor > Ilkley Moor > Addingham > Skipton could be a good start. Hilly though!
[u] http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=404015&Y=451054&A=Y&Z=120&ax=404615&ay=451029 [/u]
I like the fact that Martin's suggesting the hilliest road in the universe! (Between Hetton and Airton) 😆
I don't think I'd head to Kendal from Sedbergh on a bike - there's a couple of really big hills on that road. Generally the lanes south of the A65 are rolling, short climbs but quite a lot of them, whereas north of the A65 you've got quite a lot of big climbs as well some of which are pretty steep either in ascent or descent.
thanks for all this. I will patch something together to avoid the a65. and the muddy bits of the canal.
I like the fact that Martin's suggesting the hilliest road in the universe!
Only a few minor inclines...could be worse, Cove Road is pretty at this time of year. 🙂
I take your point about hitting the road from Sedbergh after having to winch up Kingsdale. Could be the final straw.
Smoky jo's link looks a good bet to me. As a general rule, keep west of the A65 unless you're looking for a seriously hilly ride.
Just mapped the section from Skipton to Kendal out of interest and my version is six miles shorter but has approx 1400ft extra ascent...
EDIT: Interestingly, going all the way up Wharfedale, over to Hawes via Langstrothdale and west from there is the same distance but only a few hundred feet more than SmokeyJo's route!
it is not easy whichever way you go is it?
might split it up and have a night at malham yoho.
I agree with the Skipton to Gargrave canal ride being very draggy, commuted it regularly last year (lived next to canal nr Bank Newton) was always hard work.
Re canal nr Silsden, personally I'd stick on the canal rather than battle the traffic at Keighley (I suppose you could pass the cop shop outside Keighley to avoid the worst bit,nipping across the traffic island at the far end). The 2 bad bits on the canal can easily be by-passed by nipping onto the parrallel road at lodge hill bridge/NCR joining hainsworth road, on edge of Silsden where hainsworth road touches the canal there's a gap between houses back onto canal beyond all the bad bits. Rest of it's reasonably ok and now fully aggregate to Skipton from the Polish WW2 memorial.
Getting past Keighley: Drop down off the [url= http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=407922&Y=442235&A=Y&Z=115 ]canal onto the old road[/url] through Riddlesden then turn right just by Jewsons onto [url= http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=407194&Y=442080&A=Y&Z=115 ]Royd Ings Road[/url]. If you continue on this road past the cop shop it ends for vehicles at some bollards beneath the [url= http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=406215&Y=442380&A=Y&Z=115 ]A650 dual carriageway[/url] but it's tarmac through to the railway and you pull back onto the road just by Utley cemetery. It got put in just prior to the Tour de France coming through, I use it on my commute.
They are all good suggestions but the canal is terrible on a road bike.
Jump on a train to Todmorden from Leeds. (good pub just outside the station)
I know you didn't ask for this but it's an alternative as most of the options have already been covered.
Cycle up through the forest of Bowland to Kirkby Lonsdale and then onto kendal.
Did it a few weeks ago. The bit coming down to high Bentham looking over to the lakes is staggering.
Many years ago I visited a nice tea shop in Gargrave, i'd been riding around Malham and was due to get the train to ?Keighley?, a regular gave me and my bike a lift instead 🙂 I wonder if its still there, very cycle friendly.
I cant recall but are you north or south Leeds?
If north, I would be heading to Otley, Askwith, back road to Bolton Bridge, past Billy Bobs to Embsay, and then back roads to Settle, but it gets a bit hilly!
I remember when I were a lad (probably 15ish) cycling all the way from Shipley to Coniston on the A65. Very little traffic 😐 eee them were the days
Yes the cafe's still there and going strong. It's right on the A65 opposite the road to the station.
There's also a bike friendly cafe in Airton just on the edge of the village as you head towards Malham.
@damascus - Cross o'Greet is quite a climb, it's in the [url= https://cyclinguphill.com/100-climbs/cross-of-greet/ ]100 Climbs book[/url] but not sure of that site's max gradient of 13% since there are a couple of arrows on the OS map!
but it's tarmac through to the railway and you pull back onto the road just by Utley cemetery.
Ah, wasn't aware of that, just that little bit might well change my decision making over the canal. Thinking about it, I'd probably come off at 3 rises locks, over the foot bridge, ride the old road from Bingley, there's always loads of people walking the towpath around Bingley/Crossflatts/Riddlesden, it's not that wide so progress is usually slow.
S'ppose it depends on how much OP want to avoid roads v's speed he wants to progress etc etc
I remember when I were a lad (probably 15ish) cycling all the way from Shipley to Coniston on the A65. Very little traffic eee them were the days
Coniston (Cold), nr Skipton or Coniston, Lake District? 🙂
It may come up with a route thats already been mentioned, but this site returns nice routes on quiet roads
is this on xbike?
On roadbike, and mainly to avoid thinking and because I don't have a garmin, I'd personally go up wharfedale (main road to Cav Pavillion after Bolton Abbey, then back road all the way to kettlewell, then take the little road to Hawes over [url= https://roadcyclinguk.com/sportive/13-highest-roads-ride-uk.html#SrqT4T5gjdVksy8s.97 ]Fleet Moss[/url]. Highest road in Yorkshire I'll grant you but steady away and then a fast blast into Hawes. Then A684 all the way to Kendall. Less pleasant but no navigation to speak of.
On xbike I might still go Fleet Moss, but take the Roman road round Cam Fell to the Pennine Bridleway, and drop into Dent Dale. Or alternatively turn left at Beckermonds to stay in the valley and take the forest road to the Pennine Bridleway and ride north up this, again to drop down to Dentdale (offroad options available), then down to Sedbergh and pick up the 684.
Everything else is dodging the dales and you don't want to do that...
I would recommend the ride up Wharfedale and over to Hawes, it's a nice ride (if somewhat steep on the climb up out of Wharfedale). Or it was when I was a teenager anyway.
Coniston (Cold), nr Skipton or Coniston, Lake District?
Lake District !
@whitestone I knew it was a tough climb, didn't realise it was in the top 100. I had full panniers on as well which was tough.
Ton has got a low ratio gear set up, he will be fine 🙂
It's a fantastic route, I can't believe I've never done it before