Got a nice little trip to the lake district over Xmas and want to do a more scenic, low level ride through the valleys. Thinking longer distance with less elevation.
Any ideas?

http://www.mountain-bike-cumbria.co.uk/trails.php?id=circuitLEHCL
Add on a trip over to Staveley / Kentmere if more distance required 💡

Bridleways in and around Grizdale forest?

Take your pick

Borrowdale Bash + Skiddaw Lite from ^^^^

nice trekster, ta

Cheers Trekster, Borrowdale looks promising…

Another vote for the route on Trekster’s link, beautiful route.
Edit: do it the other way round to what is described for God’s sake! Start with the steep tarmac climb, finish on the amazing descent down Loughrigg terrace.

i did a nice route from Glenridding the other week. on road and offroad.
climb from ullswater up to dockray, up to matterdale end, the follow old coach road to st johns in the vale.
right to threlkeld, up b/w to skiddaw hause, right down mosedale, right to mungrisdale, follow c2c back to threlkeld and the retrace back to ullswater.

3 nice climbs and loads of nice views.

Loughrigg ‘amazing’? hmmmm…..

It’s amazingly scenic, definitely.

ton’s route is good. Old Coach Road is bleak as a bleak thing though if the weather’s not great. I’m always amazed to see people walking it, can’t be much fun on foot.

Northern variation:

Back o’ skiddaw circuit – Caldbeck, Dash Falls, Skiddaw House, Mosedale, Calebrack, Caldbeck.

Depends what you call scenic. Northern fells are bleak, but beautiful if you like that kind of thing.

another variatio would be follow ton’s route to St John s in the Vale, down the side of Thirlmere towards Grasnmere, then up to Grisedale Hause for a cracking descent down Grisedale valley to Patterdale. In fact, I think I’ll do that next time I over there 🙂

Start at the car park at High Tilberthwaite near Coniston and take the left-hand track at the farm over into Little Langdale. Then up the road over by Blea Tarn and down into Great Langdale at Dungeon Ghyll. head East into Great Langdale the cross the river at Ellergarth and take the bridleway from Baysbrown to Elterwater. Road over to Loughrigg terrace via Red Bank. Drop down to Rydal Water and follow the road almost to Ambleside, then take the bridleway over Ivy Crag to Skelwith Bridge. Follow the main road back towards Coniston a bit before detouring off right to follow the track round the North end of little fell and into Hodge Close quarries the back to Tilberthwaite. Eye-wateringly scenic without too much height gain/loss.

Interesting thread, we’re up there in a few weeks with a couple who want to try mountain biking, the Old Coach Road is a good shout if the weather is good and the wind is in the right direction

Northern variation:

Back o’ skiddaw circuit – Caldbeck, Dash Falls, Skiddaw House, Mosedale, Calebrack, Caldbeck.

I like this route, last done with nobeerinthefridge on a rather windy day 😆 We started in Keswick, up Blencartha to Mosedale
Someone on here had the cheek to say it is a boring route 🙄 Nothing too technical granted but it is a big day out for the average biker 😉

Seriously, what isn’t scenic in the lakes

+1 for Loughrigg terrace – great all weather route -do it the other way round +1 .
+1 for Skiddaw figure of 8, my personal fave, mainly because it’s near home.I’ll be doing both over Christmas or variations at least – hurrah.
Have fun.

Liking the sound of the route from John Ellison.
An area I have not ridden much, ticks the boxes in terms of ride length and climbing and is near Coniston for a start location (near where I am based).
I am carrying the DSLR on the ride so dont want anything too mental where I will be scraping up smashed camera.
I have done quite a bit of riding around Skiddaw so may skip those routes as did those earlier in the year.

Liking the sound of the route from John Ellison

it’s lovely.
You can ride to the start from Coniston via cycle track if I recall correctly – I did a ride this year which took in Loughrigg , Langdales and Walna – which you really ought do whilst your there!
Coniston is a great place to stay.

yetitony – Member
Liking the sound of the route from John Ellison.

Aye that is a good one, similar to what Biketreks use on a demo day ride. Tilberthwaite is good fun either way 😆

Ivy Crag to Skelwith Bridge

This the one at the cattle grid? Ace if it is but hate that tarmac climb 🙄