That'll keep you going.
Skiddaw ride can be extended or cut short via a multitude of possibilities. All the way out round Mungrisdale and back in up Whitewater Dash or cut it short and just do the up and down the valley (route in current MBR (which they must have rehashed dozens of times…))

Try Walna Scar Road loop from Coniston, not a full day jobbie, but a killer climb followed by an awesome descent, with 2 or 3 pubs at the bottom. Awesome. Try doing it during daylight hours though, not ending at 9pm like i did!!! 😆

If you have a spare hour, do Barrow near Braithwaite, it's a class descent and a very short ride. Park Uzzicar, head up the old mining track towards Sail, head off right when you've got behind Barrow and climb up onto the top. Waz down then turn right when you get to the wall and follow the path back to the road and you'll be able to see your car up ahead.

The descents is very fast, bumpy, grass, with a few steep bits, absolute hoot! Note it'll only take an hour, so you've no excuse!

Dodd Wood below Skiddaw is ok too, fire road up to the top, then there's a footpath down.

Grisedale Pike down the wall or off Hobcarton into Whinlatter are both really good desecents, worth tagging onto the South Loop of the Altura trail.

So you've heard, eh Sanny?! 😉

Don't take a group on paulrockcliffe or sanny's suggested routes at a weekend please. They're all popular footpaths and will cause a kerfuffle. Fine at quieter times, but weekends are asking for it.
Only my opinion obviously.

Yes they are footpaths, both are wide enough and quiet enough that you won't cause any kind of kerfuffle. And honestly, if anyone is going to work themselves into a kerfuffle over such trivial things, it really is their problem, not yours.

I've ridden most of the footpaths in the area and mostly at weekends and never had a bad word said against me, walkers really aren't that interested. The only issue I've had was doing the run off Cat Bells on a Saturday afternoon in July, I had to stop for an hour above a set of switch backs as there was a steady stream of Lemmings coming up.

I don't know what it's like round your way, but generally walkers are pleasant and have been known to treat us like minor celebrities for getting our bikes to the top of x, y or z. Japanese and American tourists especially love us on top of Helvellyn. No one has ever raised the issue of whether they think, or the civil law thinks, we should be up there.

Totally agree. I've been riding Lakes and N England for years, and have never had trouble with walkers. Only trouble I have seen is when a bunch of wanna be dahnillas flew along Loughrigg Terrace in full armour and full face masks expecting everyone – including me – to get out of their way. 2PM on a sunny Saturday isn't the place for that!

This walker/cyclist argument seems to be(dare I say it?)a southern phenomenon.

I'd go as far to say that Mountain Bikers are more bothered about whether they're on a footpath or not than the walkers they meet these days.

BTW, the way I suggested getting up to Barrow appears to be a footpath on my OS map, yet it is an old mining track, built so horses could get stuff off the mountains, when did the Lemmings steal that one back???

I found myself to be a minor celebrity on top of Helvellyn on Monday. Was inundated with walkers having the "crack" with me.

Not being a local though, I dont ride footpaths in the lakes… It really is a popular area and I've never really considered doing so. Basically, my rule is keep it legal in national parks but fair game everywhere else.