Hi,
My two adult sons and I have a weekend away this weekend; Plan A is to head over to Lakes or North Wales, but the weather looks a bit iffy ...
So, just considering a Plan B ...
The Peak or North Yorks Moors would be options (and I know some good rides we could do)
But also considering Yorkshire Dales / North Penines? Any good suggestions for riding in those areas? Trail/Tech/Fun type rides rather than XC/Gravel.
Ta.
Not much fun to be had in the Dales. Closest we get to fun is grim, and mostly it's worse than that.
It’s pretty xc tbf but doing a Settle/Malham loop or some sort of Skipton Moor-Embsay Crag-Sharphaw-Barden Moor circuit could fit the bill? There are plenty of fun bits but it’s hard to make them in to a route if you don’t know the area.
Swaledale, outstanding riding to be had from Dales Bike centre in Grinton/ Reeth.
I'm sure they’ll sort you out with some routes, but the classic is the (brutal) climb up Fremington edge, descent into Langthwaite, up to Great Pinseat, Bunton Hush - gunnerside ghyll, then Swaletrail back to Grinton!
thank me later!
This is a useful resource with some decent routes for the Dales and Moors:
https://pedalnorth.com/mountain-bike-routes/
Descents I like are the three bridleways between whafedale and littondale which ride well either direction. The malham tarn to littondale bridleway is good too. All are fast as you dare fun, lumpy with steep bits, little drops, not like riding a grouse shooting path or whatever but it is easy if ridden gently. I like to drop down to the kettlewell descent from cote fell from the ridge above (no path on the map, and there's not much tradition of footpath riding in the dales for some reason). All the bridleway descents off bucken pike are good too. Swaledale has been mentioned (was riding there yesterday) and wildboar fell has some good riding if we're getting that remote. And Howgills.
The 'inner dales' moors round skipton (trails round embsay reservoir) and ilkley which I know best are more shade into calderdale type riding. Helps if you know where to go.
I've not ridden in the northern pennines - must do high cup nick at some point - but suspect it's all big miles type stuff.
All the stuff I've ridden in the Dales is mostly XC/Gravel rather than steep and tech. Good fun, but not particularly gnarly.
Swaledale has about the tech est riding but you need to know where to look.
Aside from that it's generally very xc.
Not sure about North Pennines. Hamsterley?
The descent towards Skipton off the moor is fun and quite tech if you choose the right lines, as it the decent towards the reservoir off Embsay crag. Long and fast descents can be had from Malham Tarn-ish if you head towards Carlton via Weets Top, Settle via Langcliffe or down towards Arncliffe.
To be clear I absolutely love the riding round here but I just don't think it's close to what the OP is asking for.
Not sure about North Pennines.
It's much the same. There is Danny Hart's bike park at Hamsterley.
Swaledale has about the tech est riding but you need to know where to look.
any hints on where to look?
Bunton Hush/Gunnerside Gill is worth a look.
As above, mostly gravel/XC. There's fantastic riding around Ribblehead -> Countersett on the Cam High Road, Raydale -> Wharfedale on the Stake Road, then link up Pennine Jopunrey / Pennine Way back to ribblehead. It's mostly roman roads, I've done a lot of it on a CX bike but that's asking a lot of the bike, if I wanted to go fast then an XC29er would suit just because a lot of it is rough but not technical.
Bunton Hush/Gunnerside Gill is worth a look.
Yes I was thinking of those, also Hungry Hush is accessible over t'other side of the hill.
Pipeline descent above Reeth
BW down fell end leadmines
The pipeline descent that I know is on the south side of the valley in the Harkerside area.
Yes correct that's the one I was thinking of. I meant above as in 'height', rather than 'north of'
See if theres anything you fancy from my videos. Most have gpx links
Stephen foster mtb is my YouTube site
