Hi
We are looking for a weekend away riding before Chistmas and looking for somewhere we have not done before, thinking of Kielder or The Long Mynd (inspried by the latest Singletrack article).
What will the conditions be like in both and which would be best at this time of year?
Any good accomodation suggestions – thinking pub with accomodation (found the Pheasant Inn at Stannersburn for Kielder (I know Kielder fairly well after a family trip a few years ago but only really rode the lake side paths with the kids) and from memory this would be a good base).

Any thoughts and recommendations welcome.
Or, stupid ‘how long is a piece of string’ question but, any other destinations to suggest? – rode all of the usual national parks, trail centres etc across England / Wales / Scotland. Thinking North / central England / Wales to reduce travel.

Ta.

If you decide on the Long Mynd take a look at the YHA in Bridges for accomodation, they have a couple of four bedroom ensuite rooms and it’s nicely positioned between the Long Mynd and the Stiperstones and right next door to a good pub.

The Singletrack article was good, but they didn’t ride all the legal trails, let alone all the other great stuff. It drains really well, the only boggy bit really is ironically at the top of Minton Batch (probably the best legal descent on the Mynd).

Never been to Kielder.

Unless there is some natural stuff I don’t know about (which TBF I imagine there probably is) I’m not sure there’s enough at Kielder for a weekend of riding.

quantocks and east dartmoor innit

Kielder was a bit mehhhhhh, the black seemed very focused on being super techy and the red was a bit dull (but hard work due to the rough surface). Dalby was much better, with the North Yorks Moors to make a weekend out of it.

Large parts of Kielder aren’t technical so if you just want fast easy xc riding then that’s ok. The surface is a bit rough but then you are riding a mountain bike so you’ll probably be ok :wink:.

Your options are to ride the Deadwater (red/black but mostly red if you ask me). The Blue (nice, flowing quite a lot of climbing if you are taking the family and a fair amount of forest road). Lonesome pine (red only because of the distance and exposure). Bloody bush (an extension to lonesome pine that takes you to the Scottish border. The cross border trail that is an extension on the BB trail which was an extension on the LP trail which takes you to Newcastleton (about a 45mile round trip). You could drive to Newcastleton if you didn’t want to ride, it’s really nice as it’s not used much so alway in good condition.*

Kielder is exposed so if it is windy, wet or snowing it will be grim on top of the moors. I’ve been turned back twice now trying to get to Newcastleton. Once in driving rain and another time in a blizzard. If the weather is bad I’d stay away as, even though the trails will be fine they are high up and exposed so its no fun.

Kielder trail reavers site has plenty of info on routes.

The surface is a bit rough but then you are riding a mountain bike so you’ll probably be ok :wink:.

Lol, thats not what I ment, it just felt like the kind of chattery stuff that wears you down really quickly rather than the normal natural stuff thats been pulverised by a thusand years of feet and hooves. Either way I was far more knackered than the distance/climb would imply. Looked quite new so maybe it just needed bedding in.

I don’t know that the Long Mynd is really the next big thing in mountain-biking. It’s usually packed with walkers. It is when I’ve been there, and the valleys that such as Townbrook and Carding Mill are narrow and packed with walkers, so I don’t know that you’d have a clear run on a bike, and the top is just very flat! There’s plenty of places to cycle around the Shropshire Hills, but it’s all kind of quite bitty, there’s not just one dedicated area for biking. But they’re still fun to explore, such as the Kerry Ridgeway (close to the Mynd), at Blakeridge Woods, Eastridge Woods, Hopton Wood (last two both have designated biking trails), Bury Ditches and so on. Find some more details here:

http://www.shropshirecycling.co.uk

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/recreation.nsf/LUWebDocsByKey/EnglandHerefordshireTheMarchesHoptonWood

The cottage I was going to recommend is actually shut during the winter months. But’s it good any other time year. Here’s the link:

http://www.cottages4you.co.uk/sites/cottages4you/pages/PropertyDetails_C.aspx?QS=3E0F3DCD-882D-4738-9E61-B90EA3C005F2~C~16631~~216~GBP~~0~~A~N~~7775a2f4-9914-44a1-96dc-47cf8cc0d69c~1044~0~0~~~Y~N~

I’m going to be carefull what I say as I’ve just been modded on another thread for being rude, but I really don’t agree at all with what mtb2020 has said, at all, any of it.

Packed with walkers? Ok come flying down Cardingmill Valley on a Saturday lunchtime in June and you’ll hurt someone, but go up there on the same or any day and the walkers will generally cheer you on.

Townsbrook is fab, but it’s a footpath and so best saved for off-peak (i.e. a night ride).

The top isn’t particularly flat either (have you actually been there?), it’s a nice climb up to Pole Bank from the North (and a flat out flying along descent if you’ve had your fill of Singletrack).

I’d agree with you that it’s not the next big thing in mountain biking, I’ll give you that, not sure what relevance it has though.

Thanks for all that Nick, and a top of the morning to you too!

I’ve only been to the Long Mynd twice, and in the off-peak season, and drove across the top of it to get to Church Stretton, and then the Townbrook Valley. Looked pretty flat to me, but obviously I didn’t survey the whole 3 miles of it. And that was November the first time I think, and it was packed with people, ie walkers, and it was a week day. I was really surprised at just how many for the time of year. And the second time, about 3 years later, there were crocuses (crocii?!) out, didn’t see any bikers but tonnes of walkers. And I certainly wouldn’t discourage bikers from giving it a try at all. The more outdoor enthusiasts there are anywhere the better to mind, be they walkers, runners, bikers, cyclists, climbers etc. But I don’t see that it compares to other places like Dyfi Forest, the Coed-y-Brenin etc which have had everything done there to cater for bikers. I wouldn’t want to discourage people from giving it a go in any way. There’s plenty of other places in the Shropshire Hills that are geared to bikers specifically and they’re empty practically, most are usually a moderate sized wood, with another a couple of miles away. So maybe those need to be explored aswell, before the Guvernnment sells them off because no-one uses them!!

And I don’t want to be a complete ()*)(&, but if you look at the Long Mynd, not just actually be on it from any of the other hills around in Shropshire/Wales, it stands out because of it’s flat top!!

Long Mynd really is some of the best riding in the country. I’ve not been down there this year, but for a while its been an annual pilgrimage

Its worth going just to ride Minton Batch, which is close to Singletrack Nirvana as you’re going to get without leaving the country. If you’ve read this months mag, then you’ve no need for me to tell you

The surface at kielder is bloody awful. Kind of hard packed with lots of loose, fist sized rocks that really doesn’t lend itself to flat out riding if you like to go fast.

Had my worst off there when my front wheel washed out on a very slight downhill corner and caused myself and my bike a lot of damage. Landing eye-socket first on said fist sized rocks then scraping several yards on hard pack surface is not a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.