So I live North of Leeds so the Dales is my local area. I’ll be the first to admit that it isn’t quite as exciting or technical as my other nearby choices (Peak District and Calderdale) but this week I’ve realised just how much I love it. And it’s mainly because it seems to be so bike friendly. Every walker and horse rider has been cheery and I’ve never had an aggro from other trail users. I think this might be in part due to the National Parks attitude to cycling, they’really seem to be pro it. The work they have done on rebuilding bridle ways that had become muddy quagmires should be a lesson to their neighbours to the South. Instead of just dumping 10ft wide worth of road chippings they seem to have a much better idea of what is good. Clearly they’re not going to be trail centre black runs but at least they are fun single track, and replacing what were often unrideable bogs. Particularly good I think is the descent down Weets Top. I noticed last week that some of the bomb holes had been filled in a drainage ditches cleaned out so ongoing work as well. Today I rode down the Pennine Bridleway from Cam Fell to Newby Head. Whilst not quite single track it’s fast, fun, flow ly and wouldn’t be out of place in a trail centre. I was grinning madly by the end. Much better than what Rushup Edge has become
And the pubs and beers pretty good here. So thank you to the Yorkshire Dales and I won’t neglect what’s on my doorstep so much in favour of the ‘sexier’ stuff a bit further afield