• This topic has 16 replies, 10 voices, and was last updated 14 years ago by Esme.
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  • breaking her in gently
  • _foxie_
    Free Member

    I’m up in Grizedale this weekend with the missus and would like to ease her into some mountain biking. No more than 2 hours ride, nothing too steep or too technical as she’s never ridden on anything other than tame north bucks bridleways, poor gal.

    Any suggestions?

    cheers

    grumm
    Free Member

    Well the North Face Trail in Grizedale is not too hard and would probably take a beginner an hour and a half to 2 hours – its also not that great though. There’s some nice easy-ish bits around Claife Heights which is nearby and has some great views from up the top.

    SimonofBarnes will be along shortly to tell you to take her up Helvellyn or one of his other ‘easy beginner rides’ 😉

    dan_seed
    Free Member

    I visited The northface trail with my better half last week and would say that it was well suited to a beginner looking to improve. It did help that is was really quiet (midweek) so she did not have to worry about being in the way of quicker riders.

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    _foxie_
    Free Member

    good stuff, but i think we may have to take it down a level. I’ve just read the description on the forestry site and “leg burning ascents” are likely to turn her right off. *although that may put her off hi-jacking my hobby*

    where woul you take your granny to ride?

    topangarider
    Free Member

    Just don’t let her read the FC site!

    grumm
    Free Member

    You may have noticed that the Lake District is pretty hilly! You are going to struggle to find anything that doesn’t involve some kind of reasonable climbing. There is a nice bridleway underneath Claife Heights that follows the shore of Windermere for a while, which is reasonably flat but very scenic. From there though you have to climb to get up the top – but it’s worth it!

    ampthill
    Full Member

    Hmmm I’m not sue I’d agree. I did said trail with my son last week and we enjoyed it but…

    My wife and I use to ride off road alot together and I don’t think it would have been right for her.

    If she’s keen to learn skills it great. But I think my wife would have hated the obsticals for their own sake approach of a trail centre. Fitness is another factor I thought the climbing was very easy at Grizedale. For some that would be motivation enough for taking a partner their. But my wife was fit and we did things like Walner Scar road, She was happy to walk the tricky bits in exchange for the views and feeling of being out there

    I think Claife Heights would be good and the trails round Elterwater little langdale, langdale and Hodge Close.

    When you say North Bucks Bridleways what exactly do you mean? Brickhill/ Woburn single track or edge of field stuff like the North Bucks way. If its all the Brick hill stuff I think Grizadale isn’t muvh of a step up

    2hottie
    Free Member

    Do the northface trail,

    I took my GF, for her first mountain bike ride there. She got round no problems as it really isn’t that hard.

    wouldn’t recommend bombing off down the last drop as she may get pissed at you for that.

    enjoy.

    _foxie_
    Free Member

    Yep, and i’ve played down those “hills” to such an extent if i start pointing her up 10% technical climbs i’ll be in the dog-house for the rest of the weekend and she’ll have no energy left for later ;).

    lakeside riding could be the answer.

    thanks

    Harry_the_Spider
    Full Member

    The purple way marked trail is good for beginners too. Nothing technical on it at all and you can get up some speed on the last mile without fear of hitting any trees.

    mrsflash
    Free Member

    Go around Tilberthwaite and Hodge Close.

    Um, you’re going to the lakes, why have you played down the hills? You’d be better off admitting it is hilly, but telling her to ride what she can, having plenty of rests, walking bits etc.

    _foxie_
    Free Member

    well, i’ve said they’re not much worse than we get down here, just a little longer. Which technically is true.

    I ride regularly in the woburn sands/brickhills, and i wouldn’t want to take her anywhere near that “technical” – she’s a real newbie, and i don’t want to break her.

    Having said that, she’ll probably surprise me and be quicker than me. Maybe i’ll take the rigid singlespeed as a ready made excuse…

    Esme
    Free Member

    I’d suggest the bridleway along Windermere, then lanes into Ambleside for coffee & cake. Catch the boat back along the lake, and the car ferry across to the start. This was my very first off-road ride, and had me coming back for more

    coffeeking
    Free Member

    NF trail advised from me too, none of the climbs were tough, its full of interesting bits and pieces but not too technical.

    ampthill
    Full Member

    I would second Esme, a lovely day out. I thought Grizedale single track was more comitting than woburn

    To clarify start in say Bowness road to the chain ferry. Across the chain ferry then shore Bridleway North. Road to Ambelside then steamer pleasure boat back to Bowness. Just check the steamer still takes bikes

    You could of course start in Ambelside

    _foxie_
    Free Member

    Esme, that sounds ideal. Thanks ampthill for elaborating.

    Esme
    Free Member

    Did she enjoy it?

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