What’s the level like?

4 of us are going up this weekend and whilst three of us are good on a bike and won’t have a problem the 4th guy is a complete novice.
We are doing Longscal Fell on friday which I’m also a little concerned about.
We took him for a ride around the chilterns, very tame, and he squeled like a girl on some bits of it!
Should be funny but do you think it’s dangerous?

Its all easily rideable for the experienced Mtb’er but for a novice some of the descents could prove interesting! take it easy and be prepared for the hills too 🙂

warm up on the south loop first then hit the north

and make sure you take some energy food and a puncture repair kit along with you.

Whinlatter is one of favourites and brill trail for beginners and non-beginners.

Do the blue (Quercus-Trail) first then on to the red to give your novice mate a taste of things to come.

The consequences of an off on bits of Lonscale Fell could be interesting, as there is a steep, long drop on one side.

Why don’t you do the blue at Whinlatter as a warm-up on Friday, followed by the south loop if he’s going OK, then the north loop, then Lonscale if you think he’s up to it?

He should be fine, nothing that can’t be rolled IMO. I’d start him on the blue, then south and finishing on the north.

It’s the Whinlatter Challenge on Sunday so the trails will shut.

I’ve seen a video of longscal and it looked pretty exposed but to be honest he’ll probably just get off and walk if it gets to tough (those rocky bits) so he should be ok I think.
Maybe turn him into a man, or possibly just frighten him from doing anything adventourous again. It’s make or brake time!

Lonscale fell is a great ride, do it from keswick through threlkeld and up the side of blencathra to do it properly of course. The bit from the carpark at the bottom of Skiddaw back to keswick is great fun, very fast with water bars for jumping.

^^^^ what jekkyl said. Lonscale Fell is a great ride when done this way. Nice ride and climb out. Nice technical traverse. Seriously fast poppy(?) and bermy descent.

That photo shows the only really exposed part of the Lonscale Fell – experienced or not that’s a piece of trail to think about walking if it’s wet or icy. Far more of a ‘Lakes’ experience than Whinlatter which , whilst fun, is ‘just’ another trail park.

The only thing with The Lonscale loop is the Latrigg descent is very, very popular with walkers. You really have to watch your speed.

All very much noted, thanks for the input guys. I’ve heard about the walkers so will be on the lookout, i’m hopign it might be a bit quiter on a friday afternoon than the weekend.
Really looking forward to the trip now and even the weather looks passable.

Don’t bomb it down Latrigg (the bit in the woods under Lonscale) unless it’s dark it’s normally full of families.

Someone went off the exposed bit one day after overtaking Fabien Barrel, they survived, I know a one who has straightlined one of the gullys down there on purpose 🙂

Whinlatter, chill and enjoy it. Purple route is best 🙂 look at the map and do Blue, then south red then north red best way to warm up for it all.