It is that time when people reach 50 and it has been suggested 50 rides over a year, the theme is any ride but would like suggestions of classics – something different and fit in between a couple of hours to full dayers. Riders mixed ability, ideally for winter most in NW England say lakes/dales – calderdale – peaks with Scotland and Wales thrown in occasionally….trying to avoid trail centres but will do days at glentress and so on.
Thanks 😀

West highland way but do over 3 days. Or great glen way easilly doable in 1. Ggw is straightforward, whw quite technical in places.

I’d suggest looking at some of the routes on selfsupporteduk.net they are long but can be spilt into multi day outings.

Borrowdale Bash in the Lakes. Or Hellveyln or 4 Western Passes if you want an epic adventure with more challenging trails and lots of hike-a-biking.

Thanks for suggestions would like some short rides as it a mixed group and skills ..

Gypsy descent on the other side of the valley from Glentress, cycle out towards Innerleithen and cross the river at a golf cours(?). There’s also another easy ride that takes in a railway tunnel (take lights) and a jaunt along the riverbank opposite Peebles.
Both were good excursions from memory.

The route from Capel Curig that heads out towards Tryfan then crosses the A5, skirts a reservoir drops into Trefriw (coffee at the bottom of the hill) and returns over the Pinnacles and down to Capel.

Dumfries & Galloway 💡
http://www.trailscotland.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=9651
A few other routes in the area….

A day in the Pentland Hills needs to be included.

The Gap in the Brecons for a quick n easy one.

South Downs Way has to be in there if you possibly can. It’s a great day out. And after you’ve done 49 rides you should have no problem doing all 100 miles in a day.

Brotherswater to High Street then down towards Pooley Bridge, then double back along the shore of Ullswater. An absolute Lakes classic and needing doing before you get much older because it’s a tough day out especially on a heavy bike.

What, only 50 rides?

FWIW I’ve managed 78 MTB rides since my 50th birthday, earlier this year – and over 200,000 ft of climbing. 🙂

Dozens of pukka routes in/around the Tweed Valley.

Might be because I’ve already done over 200 rides this year but I don’t really understand your idea. can you explain a little better what you’re actually attempting to achieve?

Are you trying to plan one organised group ride somewhere different each weekend? or is this some sort of challenge for you personally?

Are you sure about your forum name helpful1? 😀

Swindon’s a must.
Even Brendog’s building trails there now.

Helpful1 thanks for the reply as the originial post said riders mixed abilities,…..some have rideen more than 200 rides this year some ten…..idea is to have some fun tock off some bucket lists and classics as well as see some new areas as well as find new to people rides,….swindon will not be on the list though sorry 🙁

It’s not the number of rides or the distance, but the quality of the rides that matters, surely? For this you need to be seeking out quality places to ride your bike, not pedalling round and round some poxy forest like a hamster in a wheel. This would imply quite a lot of expenditure on OS maps and driving to far-flung parts of Britain or Europe, wouldn’t it? Scotland, Wales, Ireland and England would all feature and not just the riding but the cafes, the food, the accomodation, the pubs, the people you meet and the craic.

Another overlooked area that I’ve ridden on Polaris events is the north York moors, absolutely loaded with quality trails and genuinely lovely scenery.

How about a ride in each county? There’s actually 83 administrative counties but there are 48 ceremonial counties https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceremonial_counties_of_England so you could add a Welsh and a Scottish ride to make up the numbers.

Ok. a bit clearer now. thanks.
Bucket lists = only you can choose those surely.
Classics. Depends what makes a ride a classic for you?

The only two attributes I rate for distinguishing between a mediocre ride and a great one are the terrain and the company. (nice views, quaint villages/towns, history and nature don’t really interest me at all) you seem to have company sorted so I’m just going to suggest some of the areas with terrain I’ve enjoyed riding most throughout the UK so you can look up actual rides for yourself.

Scottish Borders – sooo much good riding to be had. Personally I much prefer the East over the west, drier and a lot more interesting singletrack for mtb.
The Cheviots – bit of everything there, not so easy to find the best riding but well worth the effort if you do.
Quantocks – Easily one of the best areas in the South if not the entire UK for concentrated quality singletrack.
Warncliffe – has just about every type of riding you could ask for concentrated in a small area.
Stirlingshire – every type of riding you could ask for within 10-15miles of the city.
A few more suggestions:
Shropshire.
North Wales
South Wales.
Kinlochleven/Glencoe.
Fort William.
Aviemore.

NOT the Pentlands!

Take a trip to ireland.

Djouce woods – robin seymour’s mtb playground

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NChunQD1ZZs[/video]

Then glendalough

Brockagh, turloch hill then Camaderry – big epic style stuff.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTwQgdpL6bQ[/video]

Coast to Coast?

I love whitestones suggestion!

3 years to plan it….

Yes it is good that one…….