I’ve been living in Leeds for approximately one year and have not really ridden anything other than a door-to-door route that incorporates a little bit of road work, Gledhow Valley, Roundhay, Shadwell, Wike, Harewood, Eccup, Adel and Meanwood Valley Trail.

For the last few months the condition of some sections have become terrible. Basically riding through farmers fields or churned up singletrack. Which is demoralising. I’m finding I lack the motivation to ride this route in the day or night in what is essentially a cross country route with a little element of tech at Adel and MVT.

So I’ve been, when possible, taking the car back down the motorway to Sheff to ride my old local loop out of the city and into the Peaks or parking up at Ladybower and riding variations of trails there.

As this is not always possible, due to one car, time constraints, etc. I’m looking for something closer by.

Does anybody have any other route recommendations? I’d prefer to be able to ride door-to-door (North Leeds) but don’t mind a 30 minute car journey.

I’m also interested in the Bingley Loop which is included with the Route Guide in Issue 62. Is anyone familiar with this route? What are the conditions like at present?

Cheers

KoB

The Leeds/Bradford pennines are quite clay based soils so every where gets pretty muddy very quickly after rain, and to be honest all the trails in the area at this time of year tend to mud pits. Running on the moors above Baildon last night was interesting nearly loosing my shoes a few times, and Bingley is the same.

The Dales is the best place to head for for less muddy conditions.

Saltaire IMO is the gateway to lots of fantastic riding to the West ie Buck Woods, Baildon Moor, Bingley/Harden Moors, up to Howarth etc.

Do the North Leeds mtb guys still get out? They used to post on here every week, but not seen any posts for a long time.

I’m doing a ride on Saturday from Rodley at half ten if you fancy it, It will link Adel, Meanwood, Horsforth to Esholt, and Bramley

Its a great route and not bad mud wise, Horsforth is basically Sandstone and drains really well.
If you want som route advice I can let you know about the West leeds area and Bingley, Otley, Ilkley.

The ride is on the web site, http://www.crosstrax.co.uk

Calderdale. A LOT more rocky and as long as you know where youre going, can be pretty clean even at this fime of year.

Also there are some cracking rides around Scarcroft, not hilly but a brilliant route.

Thanks folks, some interesting suggestions to investigate.

The Bingley Loop in Issue 62 takes in Harden and Black Moor so this may have potential FunkyDunc.

Sounds good Sancho, I think I spoke with you in the Adel shop before xmas about shop rides and routes. I can’t do this Saturday unfortunately but will keep an eye out on the website for the next shop ride.

Is that you KofB,
Cool, I did the loop Im talking about last week and it’s pretty good at the moment, it also gives you an option to get round Leeds to other places.

FunkyDunk, Harden Moor is mostly all weather IMO.

KofB, I assume you could get as far as the Chevin Park from your door, lots to explore there, you could link the more rocky sandy bits together.
As is always the case, the best bits of Bingley Bash are not the official route, some bits being cheeky. There’s also one called Hard’en Fast, which is another variation on the theme. Bogtrotter’s Bingley Bash route is closer to what I would do, but still misses out the best stuff.
Simon off here took us on another variation route a few months ago covering roughly the same sort of area which linked together all our usual gems and one or two other bits I’d never done. nearly all of it was good going afai recall.
You can also use the canal towpath from somewhere like Thackley to get to Bingley (Bingley Bash start would be half way up three rise locks, over the foot bridge). You can also gain access to Shipley Glen from the towpath, there are reasonable dry options to link up on the glen, you just need to know the area.

If you do head over Bingley way, there is some fantastic singletrack, IMO better than you get in the Peaks. Unfortunately though you do really need local knowledge to get the best out of it.

I’m just getting back out on the bike after a lay off but will only venture out at the moment when its frozen solid, or I go for run or get the turbo trainer out.

Not been on Baildon Moor for a few weeks, but agree that it gets muddy around there quite quickly, as does Shipley Glen. Then again, a bit of mud never hurt anybody. Well, sometimes it does, I suppose.

We ride every Sunday, but start quite early. We normally meet in Shelf near Halifax at 7.30am and it gets earlier when it gets lighter. We tend to do anything from 25 to 38 miles depending on time/wives/kids/family stuff etc 😉 taking in parts of Ogden, Bingley, Southowram, Queensbury, Norland moor, Copley, Brighouse over the moors stuff with fast country road stuff for getting back home. If you ever fancy it then just get in touch!

Just had a look at that route in issue62. It looks ok, another variation. I noticed that one or two of the photos appear to be on the better alternative stuff that we would ride, but not actually on the route detailed (slight deviations). It’s possible they mention the alternative bits in the text, I guess if you tried to detail them on such a large scale map, it would make navigation impossible.

glittergary, it’s possible to link something together that’s interesting and bog free on Shipley Glen, Eldwick, Gilstead moor, Prince of Wales Park.

rothwell and south leeds area is a total desert devoid of anything interesting to ride, unless you wanna risk your life riding thru miggy woods………. 😀

I have a similar problem from the other direction. I’m looking for the best way to ride from Skipton to Bingley, so I can do the bash then towpath home.

On the outward leg I’ve got a good idea up to here, where the BW comes out next to the television relay station:

http://binged.it/xlbqES

I’m looking for the best route from there which eventually lands me in Bingley.

There are some nice bridleways and singletrack between Drighlington and Pudsey, but some quite muddy sections. Generally quite good though even after all the rain of late. Not a huge area but plenty for a few hours riding. You’re
Welcome to join us next time we head out.

*slight hijack*

Sancho.. am new to the area and living in west leeds at the moment but unfortunatley cant make a ride on saturday..

ive had a few rides out around calverley woods and bramley falls and along the canal..

but any details of other routes around the area would be amazing.. 🙂

Thanks in advance!

martinH, down bury lane, carr lane, canal, would be the obvious, I haven’t been down bury lane for 12 years tho, Si B reported it as a nettlefest in the summer. grass road would be an alternative, Hebble Bridge, Micklethwaite, canal, but i recall it being seriously cow sh1t muddy at upwood hall farm (even in summer). That’s a big day out tho, it takes me an hour just to ride Bingley – Skipton on the towpath.

get your OS out for Leeds & bradford (you’ll need both). Leeds has lots of exceleent places to ride, the problem is none of them are really big/long enough and linking them together isn’t always practical. From Armley, I either ride to post hill, play around there for a bit, up through tong, over to fulneck, blackmoor wood to tyersal lane then either loop round the top and follow the same route home, or head over to south west bradford for judy woods area, down towards Brighouse (then ring my wife to come pick me up).

Or I go along the ring road to middleton woods, play around there a bit, then come into the city, out along meanwood road, pick up the meanwood valley trail and follow it out to adel. Play on the jumps for a bit then come back through adel woods cut through beckett park woods in Headingley for a bit of a play then back home via roads.

Or just go to Stainburn.

Stainburn isnt as good as the natural stuff in Esholt, Calverley, Horsforth and Meanwood, well the man made stuff isnt, the natural stuff at Stainburn over the road is mint though. (IMO)

But West Leeds is a haven for technical singletrack it’s just a case of knowing how to link it up.
Ive ridden with some great riders from the Bike Magic site who have intimate local knowledge and have some great cheeky links for all the above, avoiding the tarmac as much as possible.

I can link this lot up and be out for a full days ride if youre worried its all short and boring.

i can remember doing the leeds 50miler thing, we started from a pub near eccup.
50 mile cicuit of leeds and the best bits were between the canal at caverley and whitehall road.

B.A.Nana – ta for that, had seen those on OS (but not ridden them), was wondering whether there was a quick detour onto Bingley Moor that was worthwhile, or whether any of the FPs were suitable and not too cheeky.

I’ve done towpath – bash – towpath before. Just under 40, I think, including a nice headwind on the return leg.

Sancho – fancy leading a ride some time? I’d be up for it, sure a few more would be too 🙂

A bit like KOB, I’m always looking for new stuff that’s less than 30 mins away from home (I’m in Brighouse).

I went out last night, From Guiseley, towards hawksworth and through bradford golf course. That part was Crazy Clay, Built up big time on my drive gear!!! My tyres were about 4 inchs wider!!. Then went up from there to baildon moor, which too was ok then down the glen to the canal and back through esholt.

A few of us are off out on Sunday 0900Hrs, Guiseley – Shipley Glen – Ilkley moor – Addingham moorside – down to Rough Holden.

i was planning on doing the start as above, but 2 miles in with knackered gears aint good, so nice easy warm up along canal to shipley.because 1 of the lads is returning from a break.

Woody
I’m off out on Saturday if you fancy it.
Half ten at Rodley, near the Barge

Think I’m a bit time poor on Sat unfortunately Sancho, but I’ll see if I can swing it.

Can you send me your mobile number or email addy, just in case?

Cheers!

“I went out last night, From Guiseley, towards hawksworth and through bradford golf course. That part was Crazy Clay, Built up big time on my drive gear!!! My tyres were about 4 inchs wider!!. Then went up from there to baildon moor, which too was ok then down the glen to the canal and back through esholt.”

Thats a nice ride that one, do you go down the cheeky trail side of the Glen down to the canal, and then through Buck Wood, over the bridge on the River Aire to the sewage works, and then back up the nice cobbled steep climb to Guiseley?

I did it last weekend, the BW on the Golf Course was rock solid 🙂 but hard work with all the horse shoe prints in it. You quite often see deer roaming around up there too.

There is some good stuff round Pudsey, taking in the Leeds Country Way

Agree with a few posts on here, we’ve ridden from Valley Inn in Drighlington all the way up to Baildon and back (circular, not going back on yourself) good trails, some road work. Highlights would be Keeper Lane Tong – Fulneck, Calverley cutting and a good bit of singletrack from Ladderbanks Lane in Baildon down to the golf course.

Just get onto: http://binged.it/xVTh7H and have a look around.

In various commutes around Leeds I’ve ridden most bridleways on the North and West sides, so give me a shout if you want an opinion on any of them.

KoB, there’s a group of us head out one night a week from Gledhow Valley Woods, normally Tues, Weds or Thurs.

Neil (El Boufador on here)who leads the way knows routes and places I didn’t know existed and knows where to go for decent trails whatever the weather, sometimes with a urban flavour.

You’d be welcome to come along anytime, drop me a mail, ben_houldsworth at yahoo.co.uk, and I’ll get Neil to add you to the weekly text.

Funkydunk

I wish it was solid last night!!!! By eck!
I saw some eyes light up in my beam, also saw a chav car full off kids in the middle of hollins hall golf course!!!!

I miss out buck wood as i only really know the road upto the jump track.
Might go explore at somepoint, but yeah through esholt sewage and up through esholt woods. Im lucky to live on silverdale estate 🙂

my email is ed.battye @hotmail.co.uk

Buck wood has some excellent stuff in the woods leading from the jump track.
Esholt has some sweet new stuff dug just above the sewage works and has some super steep tech on the other side. (used to be a favourite for the trials bikes)
calverley cut has great stuff either side of it.
There are sweet tech lines on each side of the stream in Shipley Glen, love hopping about on the rocks too, but not like the trials lads.
coming from Shipley to Esholt on the canal you want to ride the tech lines down the side of the river that go from the small bridge just below the brewery and carries on past the iron bridge leading to the golf driving range. (high skill / no margin / high consequence)

“I miss out buck wood as i only really know the road upto the jump track.”

I’ve never yet managed to find the singletraction stuff, although I dont try that hard…

Theres some nice stuff in there, from Shipley on the canal, turn right over the canal swing bridge and imediate left (literally off the bridge) and just follow the trail. Or over the swing bridge and keep climbing up and as it eases off a little turn left.

I always gorget about the tracks along side the R Aire..

Looks like we should organise a Singletrackworld Ride out.

Maybe meet up at the funky cafe at Apperley Bridge.

Though I’d probably get the full English and spend the afternoon reading the papers.

Just for a laugh I have waymarked a route on Google Maps – that I might try and ride on Monday.

Train to Baildon
Buck Woods
Road drag over Hollins hill to Guiseley
Up to the Yeadon BMX track
Across the top of the airport picking up the Leeds Country Way
Adel woods
A bit of the Meanwood Trail
Break off into Headingley to use the jet-wash
Fire back down Otley road into town.

I’d prefer to ride out the whole MVT – but nowhere to clean the bike back in Leeds without going all the way through to Morrisons in Hunslet.

From buck woods, Id go through Esholt to get to Guiseley, then use disused railway line to get to Yeadon, up through Yeadon then you can ride around the perimeter of the Airport on the Yeadon side on a little known path, that starts at the bottom corner of the “Bomb holes”.
then over Scotland Lane across the railway in to Cookridge, and then through to Golden Acre and then Adel, Meanwood, then keep on the Meanwood Trail through the back side of Headingley/Meanwood virtually in to town.
Jet Wash down by the bottom of the building college at the petrol station.

“Road drag over Hollins hill to Guiseley”

No need to do that. Get to the Leeds side of Buckwood and drop down to the canal, follow the canal towards Leeds for a few 100 yds and then just before the railway crosses above turn left and over the river aire

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=418737&y=438867&z=115&sv=418737,438867&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=844&ax=418737&ay=438867&lm=0

Over the bridge and then follow the path until you hit a private road and turn left. Follow the road a few 100 yrds and turn right up in to a gap in trees.

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=419392&y=439757&z=115&sv=419392,439757&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=844&ax=419392&ay=439757&lm=0

Then just follow the track thing, or go in to the woods that run along side the track.

Follow to this track http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=419174&y=440257&z=115&sv=419174,440257&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=844&ax=419174&ay=440257&lm=0 and take it all the way up in to Guiseley.

Save going back on yourself and the treck up Hollins Hill…

Edit: Ah Sancho beat me to it 🙂

Hmm, back to the map thanks. I knew I was wasting Esholt – in need of a little local knowledge.

Which garage is that? The Shell garage on Regent Street? I din’t know they had a jet wash!

garage near the adelphi has a jet wash, over the road from asda building.

Hmm, Funkydunc thats a good path, but a little lacking in tech IMO 🙂

I prefer to drop down to the River Aire from the swing bridge then ride the path along the river side and come out at the driving range.

Then along the road to the village of Esholt, then climb up from the coach path and have a goof around on the new downhill tracks before climbing up to Silverdale and then the railway line.

That shell station, I think has a jet wash though not 100%

however just up the road from there are a few garages, so maybe able to blag a wash.