Ok there is no uplift but the trails for the UK are outstanding, as good as it gets i reckon.

I remember having a conversation with a Keswick local on a STW ride a while back (Hiya Stoney!), and on discussing where he usually rides, he said Keswick. “That’s it, nowhere else ??” says I, to which he merely said, “why go anywhere else.”.

He did have a very good point.

Lovely riding, but technically, isn’t Verbier the mtbike equivilant of Verbier? 😉

For the trails, i don’t think there is anywhere in the UK that comes close, as a tourist i really envy the locals and yes, i shouldn’t really broadcast on here, it’s hard biting the tongue though.

Presumably cheeky, briedleways seemed a bit mehhhhh. Although doing the up/down Skidaw would have been much more fun on a completely rambler free day.

Yep remain courteous and avoid peak times, never had a bad response as long as you slow down and say high, i don’t want to get into a right or wrong debate, as far as i’m concerned if you ride responsibly, where is the problem.

For cheeky, I’d agree that the stuff round Keswick is very special indeed. In fact, the Lakes in general are extremely hard to beat. Throw in one of the best LBS’s I know, Biketreks, and you have a cracking venue for UK riding. Is it better than Aviemore though? Hmmm. Now there is something to ponder. Both are excellent in their own way.

I’ll bite, South Wales is immense for local trails – most of them aren’t that easy to navigate without local knowledge though.

If you know Machen, Sirhowy, Rhondda, Rudry, Castle Coch, Margam, Afan… you’ll know what I mean 🙂

Yep remain courteous and avoid peak times, never had a bad response as long as you slow down and say high, i don’t want to get into a right or wrong debate, as far as i’m concerned if you ride responsibly, where is the problem.

I agree 100%

Unfortunately for the couple of ramblers coming the other way after I launched off a blind waterbar (which I didn’t clock as being blind as a result of the downslope being about 1in3!), que them diving for cover, me landing hard on the brakes and everyones sphincter getting a little tighter. I could still have stoped well within the distance, but once they’d dived I figured any damage was already done and let off the brakes again and shouted sorry before they had chance to comment. Unfortunately my cheep chinese video camera stoped working on that section so their faces aren’t saved for posterity.

Looking forward to doing some trails around Keswick when I can bored of the trails around Ambleside/Kendal area!

It’s also a never ending source of new climbs and descents – we’re still finding new stuff to ride (good and bad). The weather’s a big factor too as the rain’s capable of changing a once familiar trail into an unrecognisable, fantastic ‘new’ descent almost overnight (although that does lead to dangerously nerdy conversations about how particular rocks have moved 30mm to the left).

oo er, this sounds good – I’m going for a weeks holiday to a place “halfway between Penrith and Keswick” 1st week October. Will be bringing a bke with me. (Not sure which yet) I’m rubbish with a map so was going to ride Whinlatter but if there are any of the STW massif locals that could show a slow(ish) southerner some proper northern trails I would really appreciate it (and I can return the favour of anyone comes down to Devon) 🙂

Now i am on my soapbox, i would like to thank the good riders of Keswick/ The Lakes for thier good natured responses, to my endless fishing for inspiring rides, it’s amazing what you can glean from a few helpfull nuggets of information and an OSmap.

Some inspiration to be found here

Thanks Fergal but I think riding alone in an area I don’t know with limited map reading skills might be asking for trouble, hopefully some kind locals might be along shortly…

Cheeky yep, as fergal says play it right and it’s fine, only trouble I’ve had round there has been on bridlleways, couple of times like TINAS’s, me scaring ramblers rather than actually nearly hitting them but also some instances of honeypot 1mile-from-carpark walkers just hating cyclists.