I’m due to spend a few weeks on holiday in the lake district soon, along with my 15 year old son and I’d like to plan out some easy but rewarding rides to do with him whilst up there.

My lad’s a beginner at mountain biking (i’m not overly gnar skilled myself…!), with mediocre fitness levels and he is at that glorious stage of youth where just getting out of bed on a morning can be viewed as a significant challenge…

To avoid competitive dad syndrome, endless waiting and/or pleading with him to ride ‘just’ a bit faster ‘please’, can anyone suggest any routes in the lakes which involve some fun MTB riding, but without anything overly technical or demanding. I’m thinking flowing singletrack, without any really techy or rocky bits (mild red route stuff).

Whinlatter will be on the list as a starter.

Any route ideas?

Cheers.

You don’t say where you’ll be based but if in the south then there are some good rides on the Blawith Fells to the south of Torver and also further east in the Winster valley. Get the VB guide to the Lakes, it has these in.

Whinlatter is a fairly technical trail.

Whinlatter blue would be just the ticket.

Grizedale – dare I say the North Face – not good for enough the ubermensch on here but a decent spin out for intermediate riders

claife heights

loughrigg and terrace (do it on a weekday).

Tilberthwaite

as dunmail says.

Thanks Dunmail, I’ll check those out (in the Vertibrate Publishing book?)

We’ll be based on the Western edgeof the lakes about 30 mins drive to the west of keswick, but don’t mind driving to reach some good routes.

Whinlatter Blue is nice, but quite short. The red are on the stiff side IIRC

Further south there’s Loughrigg Terrace. The bottom half has been completely sanitised and is devoid of anything technical, and the top isn’t very tricky either, but it’s still a picturesque ride.
Claiffe Heights is quieter and better, although I’ve known people to complain about both the climbs and the descents there !

Problem is that these all tend to be long ups followed by long downs

Whinlatter is a fairly technical trail.

agreed, but he’ll be able to do some of it, or at least have a go at parts but this will be at the limit of what he can do.

Whinlatter blue would be just the ticket.

thanks

Grizedale – dare I say the North Face – not good for enough the ubermensch on here but a decent spin out for intermediate riders

claife heights

loughrigg and terrace (do it on a weekday).

Tilberthwaite

as dunmail says. wull check these out, thanks

Whinlatter Blue is nice, but quite short. The red are on the stiff side IIRC

Further south there’s Loughrigg Terrace. The bottom half has been completely sanitised and is devoid of anything technical, and the top isn’t very tricky either, but it’s still a picturesque ride.
Claiffe Heights is quieter and better, although I’ve known people to complain about both the climbs and the descents there !

Problem is that these all tend to be long ups followed by long downs I guess anywhere is going to involved some climbing and/or walking…I’ll call it ‘character building’ 🙂

Blawith is an excellent suggestion – very quiet too – but it sound like it will be a long drive.

Circuit of Buttermere ? Ennerdale ?

Ennerdale and environs are quite technical but there’s a bit of less demanding stuff from wasdale to eskdale and in an around Irton Pike, follow the bridleways from Boot or from wasdale head, the terrain means a bit of hike a bike will be necessary. Theres more rolling stuff a the end of eskdale towards Muncaster and bridleways along the river esk itself.

But i’d start with whinlatter blue

Ah, forgot about Claife Heights, though I’d avoid it on weekends due to the Beatrix Potter crowd.

another set of rides would be the bridleways to the south of Garburn Pass and SE of kentmere – Stavely – Green Quarter – Longsleddale – Sadgill – Kentmere Hall – up on to Applethwaite Common then down the three rivers. Generally steady gradients (a bit of a push up from Sadgill though)

Edit – just seen where you are based so the above is at the opposite corner of the Lakes! Yes the Vertibrate guide

Whinlatter blue would be just the ticket.

+1

whinlatter blue is ok for kids IME and near zero Gnar.

There is the railway line and up to the stone circle from Keswick – literally zero gnar.

We are quite near to Ennerdale water, but will check out

bit of less demanding stuff from wasdale to eskdale and in an around Irton Pike, follow the bridleways from Boot or from wasdale head

thanks

Whinlatter blue again – then if he’s feeling up to it, the south loop with a bit of walking here (section just after the summit) and there should be OK.

Claife Heights would be excellent fun – just one long fire road climb followed by a fairly untechnical descent with gorgeous views. You also have the option of climbing up from one of the Wrays on a bridleway that crosses to the Windermere lakeshore track to complete the loop, but that descent is a tad more bumpy, so the road to the ferry might be preferred.

My two girls – 8 and 11yo managed a fair chunk of Grizdale blue and the downy bits of the North Face last month. Included a really patronising American woman who loudly proclaimed how “Awesome” they were! Apparently just for being girls on bikes – If only she could have seen the look of disdain on their faces.

The low level loop around Ennerdale is pretty easy both technically and fitness wise, but has some incredible landscape and has a real sense of being out in the wilds.

Another +1 for Whinlatter blue (although I personally – and I’m no riding god – think the reds aren’t that tough technically but might be hard fitness wise).

Did the Skiddaw loop a week today with my 13 year old son. It did involve a little ‘gentle persuasion’ as It’s a stiff climb (we walked for 15mins or so) but the way down soon makes up for it and he was high as a kite for the rest of the day. Not too tecky, depending on what you mean by tecky.