This Saturday and Sunday am looking to go away for a mini break with the GF. Have looked at the long term weather forecast, and Yorkshire seems a lot safer bet than either Wales or The Lakes.

Anyway… Normally would just turn up at a trail centre, follow the waymarked routes, and have done with it. But really fancy some more natural riding.

To which end I now have a Garmin Edge 800 with OS Maps too. So…

Where to ride? Doesn’t want to be too challenging technically (GF is fine with blues and some reds at trail centres, but definitely not anything black), but a good 3-4 hours in the saddle each day would suffice.

What would you recommend (with an easy to follow GPX route) please?

Rushup Edge??

But seriously when you say Yorkshire whereabouts will you be staying? Its a big county! If you’ve not booked yet have you considered coming north to the Dales? A lot less rocky and technical. Routes like Nidderdale Round, Settle loop or Clapham are fairly reliably under wheel and fit the bill for length and difficulties.

Sorry I don’t have GPX files, I’m a paper OS map chap

Normally I’d say Dark Peak, but I had an excellent ride the other week from Buxton, to Mac Forest and back. Very varied terrain, lots of climbing though….ached the next day!

STRAVA!

Edit: ignore the bit at the 6.5 mile mark where I miss the turn and have to double back.

Edit edit: Actually read your post, maybe not this route, it’s pretty techy in places.

Most of the Peak District is in Derbyshire, BTW.

I used to use this example to explain to friends from the anal metropolis that though I lived in Yorkshire some parts weren’t that close

Enfield to Solihull 108miles
Sheffield to Whitby 105miles

so I don’t know a good curry house in Northallerton

Edit to help I’d look at somewhere like Nidderdale

There isn’t a good curry house in Northallerton. You’ll want the Taste of India in Bedale*

*information correct as of 2005.

Most of the Dark Peak stuff is reasonably techy. White Peak less so (there are exceptions), but it’s likely to be muddy.

ride further on to Helmsley, North York Moors. Find a large group of mountain bikers of varying ages gathering in the market square between 9:30 and 10:00 saturday and sunday morning… gatecrash our trailmonkeys xmas weekend?

This is what i did last summer, following the route published in STW, it should give you an idea of the difficulty and the expected scenery.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BK74kcGdkdc&[/video]

Sorry guys, cheers for the helpful responses.

Definitely South Yorks/Derbyshire rather than North Yorks I’m afraid, already booked where we’re staying. Spent a few days in North Yorks (rode Dalby before Hamsterley Forest) in August, so this time it’s the south for some natural terrain.

Buxton to Macc Forest and back looks interesting. Been looking at routes round Ladybower too. Mud isn’t a problem (we get more of it down this way than you do up North!) as such, would like a nice natural feeling ride with some interesting sections to ride though rather than just fireroads.

Any more thoughts?

Get yourself upto the Lakes soft lad!

Rich

Or Gorple Road from Hebden

Great all-weather loop if you avoid the grassy descent halfway round

but it’s likely to be muddy.

nah, its dry more or less up there, better early on when its frozen,

i did “lord of the loops” yesterday – 105km

the only wet bits were the top of cut gate (standard), but it was frozen as it was early, and then the descent from the shooting cabin, missed out the rushup section, but that looked dry when i went past on the road

unless there is any rain between now and then its running great up there

From Buxton you can ride over the old macc road to cat and fiddle pub cross there BW to road then onto 3shires head that is nice ride very rocky in places.Dark peak Roman road out of Hope down to A57 the up over to Ladybower back via Hagg side.Theres loads up there.Worth a ride up the broken road out of Castleton if you have never seen it very interesting.

worth reading the signs dotted about on the broken road as well, the same with the old Castleton to Edale mill route, grim life back then 🙁