Hey folks, I’m looking to take a MTB trip from West Cumbria to my sisters in Leeds this summer, maybe 3 days, and the Cumbria backyard bit is easy planning, but not really ridden much in the A65 corridor apart from the Ingleton-viaduct-Clapham loop and nothing around Wharfdale/Skipton/Ilkely way at all.

Obviously need to make some progress, so no massive detours, but any route ideas welcome – especially bridleways/bogs to avoid!

Yorkshire Dales 300/200 routes might give you some options from Skipton

think I’d be inclined to spend the 3 days enjoying the lakes/dales and then ride from skipton on the canal to leeds (3hrs?).

I think you could get to Bolton Abbey in a fashion. From there you are going to struggle to do it legit to Leeds.

Not sure about getting to Sedbergh but from there there’s two BWs: one from Millthrop over in to Dentdale and one over Frostrow to Dent. From there, a mile or so of road gets you on to the BW over Great Wold to Ribblehead. Road to Selside then follow the Pennine Bridleway over Sulber Nick, past Austwick, through Feizor and Stainforth. From here you’ve a choice:

1. When above Stainforth cut up past Victoria and Jubilee caves on the Settle Loop and head over towards Malham, don’t drop to Malham itself but go towards Malham Tarn then pick up Mastiles Lane. A little way along this turn R to Lee Gate and Weets Top, down to Calton then Airton, Bell Busk and Gargrave (should be obvious to follow the BWs and short bits of joining road on the map). Follow the Leeds Liverpool canal towards Barnoldswick and pick up the Pennine Bridleway again.

2. Just follow the Pennine Bridleway all the way.

When you reach Widdop, take the Calder-Aire link eastwards.

think I’d be inclined to spend 2 longer days enjoying the lakes/dales and then ride from skipton (or Ilkley/Settle) on the canal train to leeds.

This.

Most direct is into Dentdale from Kendal, I guess, then across the flank of Whernside to pick up Pennine BW towards Settle. Various choices from Settle, but I’d head over Mastiles, pick up the minetracks round the back of Grassington Moor then down towards Ilkley via Hebden Gill and Barden Moor.

Others may give you a cracking route for most of the final 25 miles into Leeds, but IMO it’s diminishing returns from Gargrave-ish onwards and you may as well take a more circuitous route to that point.

I maybe should have said “mostly offroad”! No problems using a bit of tarmac to link sections, and as for Bridleways, well, as a lakes local, I tend to practice the, err, “Scottish model”.

Preferred mileage/ascent a day? And where are you kipping?

Will probably b&b or hostel so I can carry less.
Probably up to 40miles/day depending on terrain. We did a lakes hike a bike epic to Coniston and back that last hot weekend, but that was mostly pushing and carrying! 54miles 10,000ft over two days.