Viewing 26 posts - 1 through 26 (of 26 total)
  • Recommend me a cycling adventure in the UK?
  • vdubber67
    Free Member

    Cheesy title I know, but I need suggestions. 🙂

    I'm doing a fair bit of marathon type racing this year, but I've got loads of spare holiday to use, and I want an adventure as well.

    Needs to be in the UK, something like 3 or 4 days, possibly involving camping / bivvying (although I don't own any kit yet!) I've done Trans Wales before, so that's out….

    Was looking at Coast2Coast, but doesn't the MTB version of that take longer?

    Thoughts welcome from the STW collective consciousness….

    🙂

    Ta

    Rich

    iggs
    Free Member

    Pennine Bridleway http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/PennineBridleway/

    We did a 3 day trip

    Day 1 southern end up to Mary Towney Loop

    Day 2 Mary Towney Loop

    Day 3 Back to southern end

    Drop tent off at campsite near Hollingworth Lake (think thats the name) then drive to start. Leave car, cycle and 2 nights camping, back to car and then back to campsite to pick up tent

    Long days, some pretty good cycling, lots of milage and logistically easy

    Another one done by friends is the Sarn Helen http://www.mbruk.co.uk/mbruk_SarnHelenTrail_details.htm

    This should be a start 🙂

    Ian

    crazy-legs
    Full Member

    MTB coast to coast can take as long as you want it to – the book I've got reckons on 8 days but I reckon it can be done in 4-5, possibly with a bit of route modification.
    Tour of the Lake District? (as done by Chipps in one of the mags a year or so ago)
    Length of the Pennine BW?
    All the trail centres in Wales/Scotland by riding between them?

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    vrapan
    Free Member

    Iggs how hard – technically – is the Pennine Bridleway? I 'd like to do it with a friend who isn't experienced at all (I am a pretty rubbish rider as well).

    dobo
    Free Member

    south downs way and back in 3-4 days and bivi?

    AJ
    Free Member

    Raund the ken gorms, ken

    meeeee
    Free Member

    coast to coast should be do-able in 4 days. You can always modify it if you end up running behind. I've done it twice in 4.5 and 5 days, and i wasnt super fit at the time.

    stills8tannorm
    Free Member

    You can always come and do the Welsh Ride Thing as seen in issue 54. Sounds like it should fit your criteria pretty much to the letter … 3 days riding, 2 nights under a hedge and all in the middle of nowhere 😉

    If you want proper details email me forestfreeride@aol.com and I'll send over the details

    Stuart

    vdubber67
    Free Member

    Wow. Some top ideas there folks – thanks.

    miketually
    Free Member

    Dales Mountain Biking are doing a guided/supported MTB coast to coast in 3 days: http://www.dalesmountainbiking.co.uk/coast-to-coast-endurance-trip/

    carbon337
    Free Member

    How about Scotland? I'm doing a 4 day Ft william tour consisting of

    Ciaran Path, Kinlocheven inc devils staircase
    2 day west highland tour inc bothy
    Red downhill with upllift.

    Tiger6791
    Full Member

    I'm doing the South Downs in a couple of weeks with bivvy, but thats just a 2 day job

    miketually
    Free Member

    Ride away from home, sleep when it gets dark. Repeat. Ride home again.

    poly
    Free Member

    There's a nice multiday circuit of the cairngorms which can land you each night at a hostel so need to lug a tent and sleeping bag – but meantime you are still remote and on a serious trip.

    We did

    Blair Atholl – Loch Morlich YH
    Loch Morlich – via Tomintoul – Braemar YH
    Braemar – Blair Atholl

    If you have the time I'd suggest it might be more enjoyable for the unfit (like me) to make it 4 day – B.A. – Kinghouse; KH – Tomintoul; T – Braemar; Braemar – BA.

    I've still got our route plan somewhere as a gpx file it you decide to do it.

    br
    Free Member

    Southern Upland Way, going west to east with the winds

    iggs
    Free Member

    vrapan – Member
    Iggs how hard – technically – is the Pennine Bridleway? I 'd like to do it with a friend who isn't experienced at all (I am a pretty rubbish rider as well).

    I wouldnt say it was technically hard at all but it is proper mountain biking. Doing it in 3 days as we did it made for very long days which is what we were after for some perverse reason.

    Technical skill wont be the issue, planning the days to fit with your mountain bike fitness will be.

    Was a good trip though and I'd recommend it to anyone who fancies a long bike ride

    iggs
    Free Member

    I did the north downs way over a few days ages ago. Its longer than the south downs way distance wise and was a very worth while ride very close and accessible from the big smoke

    bintangman
    Free Member

    some friends did a round the UK trip a few years ago, over about 2 weeks, carrying everthing with them. That was pretty epic, but probably uses up most of your holiday

    ChrisE
    Free Member

    off road c2c is easyly do-able in 4 days, do-able in 3 but that's hard. would need to overnight at say Kentmere then Richmond.

    For simpler organising you could do a splendid grand Tour du Dales or Lakes in 3 days, just make up your own route.

    C

    RRD
    Free Member

    A simple logistics wise plan would be the West Highland Way. I completed it over a weekend. 0600 Train from Edinburgh to the start at Milngavie. Stayed in a B & B near Tyndrum. Cracked on to Fort William on Sunday. 9pm (ish) train back to Edinburgh.

    Plenty of shops/hotels etc on route for food so I di not need a great deal of kit.

    Nick
    Full Member

    I'm a big fan of picking somewhere to get to, either there and back or there and train back, planning a route that involves a bivvy and or bothy, and going. Did a couple of these last year, 70 mile round trips with an overnight doss somewhere.

    Got a jolly caper lined up, 100 mile ride from Shrewsbury, via Nesscliffe, Tanat Valley, Berwyns, Bala, Snowdonia, Coed Y Brenin, Pont Scetin and finishing up in Barmouth in time for the 3pm train home on the Sunday. There's even been the suggestion of including Cadair Idris, but I think that might be a slightly optimistic.

    TandemJeremy
    Free Member

    I did a 160 mile loop around the highlands a couple of years ago. almost all easy doubletrack, right out into the wilds of nowhare, cracking scenery, only one killer climb and one bit of hikabike

    clicky make big

    Ambrose
    Full Member

    Nick- Cadair isn't over optimistic if you are prepared for a BIG carry.

    Vdubber- join the Mountain Bothies Assoc. There is a world of Epic waiting for you out there in the hills. Half of the fun is in the planning, the next half is in the riding itself and the final half is in remembering the experience later on. It will be a big experience, made all the bigger if you plan it yourself.

    vrapan
    Free Member

    Thanks Iggs I will look into it, probably add one extra day or so!

    Nick
    Full Member

    ambrose, bin there done that 🙂 but riding in from the bothy in CyB? hmmm

    blurltrider
    Free Member

    how about the Scottish c2c from Glenelg to Montrose, or Montrose to Kyle of Lochalsh.

Viewing 26 posts - 1 through 26 (of 26 total)

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