Did it sunday morning. Would go again but not in a hurry. Couldnt help thinking that there was 'something' missing.

Any other opinons?

it's funny how often this comes up, given that Grizedale is stuffed with excellent bridleways and less official tracks! (hover mouse over map for routes to appear)

Beginning and end are OK, but the fire-road and north shore stuff in the middle need to be bypassed with something better. And there's plenty better stuff in the forest if you know where to look. No real need to do NFT when riding in Grizedale.

What others said – just look at an OS map and pick a bridleway ~ there's loads of good routes around the forest (and this is coming from a non-local)!

I quite like the first couple of sections as a way of getting up towards Lawson Park or Parkamoor from the visitors centre. Apart from that it's not really worth bothering with – as said almost every bridleway in the forest is miles better.

I quite like the first couple of sections as a way of getting up towards Lawson Park or Parkamoor

agreed 🙂

The 'something missing' is some downhills, I dont think there are any on the NFT.

However, there are loads of birdleways knocking about that are decent. If you go just past the start of the 2nd singletrack section of the NFT theres a path that leads to the trig point which is a good dh, you can then carry on all the way down to the visitors centr pretty much

As mentioned, it's a pretty good way of linking up some of the tracks from the visitor centre but you really can't go far wrong either by following SFB's maps and routes or with a bit of planning and use of an OS map.
The forest has miles and miles of rights of way (some cheekier than others!) but in the depths of the forest there's so few people you can get away with most of it.

Grizedale is full of good downhills, if you look for them. Titty's Track, Lawson Park, Moor Lane, Belle Grange (bet you can't ride that without dabbing) Colthouse come off the top of my head.

Add in Nibthwaite, Breasty Haw, The Fox. So many to choose from.

Which bits are titty's track, belle grange and colthouse? People seem to call bits by lots of different names.

Here's a good little guide to some of em

http://www.ridethelakes.co.uk/cms/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=27&topic=704.0

Belle Grange (bet you can't ride that without dabbing) Colthouse come off the top of my head.

these last 2 are in Claife. And yes, I have ridden BG without dabbing, but I've fallen off on it more often 🙂

Which bits are titty's track, belle grange and colthouse? People seem to call bits by lots of different names.

if you look at my map and type in those names bottom left a list will pop up and you can click to see them marked

Doh too slow!

Thanks – btw your map thing is cool but still buggy as hell on Safari Mac OSX 10.5

Belle Grange I can do without dabbing, the Hole in the Wall is one that often catches me out though.

I like this track, the start of it is lovely: (it's this track here which drops into Satterthwaite)

Titty's track is NE of Carron Crag. Starts approx Gr 326 952 on my map shown as park plantation. Runs down to 330 943 near Park Piece. Comes onto the main drag, just near where the Scale Green track joins in.

Colthouse is south of Latterbarrow. I usually get to it from Base Camp, then follow the fire road to what the map calls Guide Post, then the westwards tending track to come out on the road at Colthouse Plantation, NE of Hawkshead.

Belle Grange you must know. From the top of Claife Heights go E/Ne almost stright downhill. The bottom section is all cobbles covered with leaves. I've never seen anyone clear that stretch. Most come off involuntarily down there.

You m ust know these by different names. What are they?

Belle Grange track (starts up by Wise Een tarn)

but still buggy as hell on Safari Mac OSX 10.5

strictly speaking its the Mac which is buggy as most other browsers (even Win Safari) cope with it fine 🙂 Until such time as someone lends me a Mac (or Apple fix their browser) it shall remain so.

We call Belle Grange "The Cobbles" for obvious reasons 🙂 And Lawson Park is £5 Hill due to a bet…

went on saturday too and just picked my way around the area on bridleways…….enjoyed doing that more than the NFT itself on sunday

Lack of decent downhills on nft, did like the first singletrack climb though

I do know the Claife ones but was thinking of Grizedale not Claife 😉

I know the one you mean in Grizedale now – didn't know that was Titty's track.

One of my favourite bits I have seen called Grandad, Dad and Dentist, as well as other things – from Parkamoor back over towards Satterthwaite. They have sanitized the bottom bit but it's still a great dh overall.

Normally mix it with other tracks in the forest however went round it a few weeks back in the rain and was a good laugh. It's not very hard but if you try and ride it all flat out it can be fun. It could do with less fire road but apart from that I think it's ok.

didn't know that was Titty's track.

so called because the first time I rode it an old lady said "Titty, come away from those rough bikers!" to her small dog 🙂

It could do with less fire road but apart from that I think it's ok.

IMO they ran out of money doing the first (excellent) bit and had to economise…

One of my favourite bits I have seen called Grandad, Dad and Dentist, as well as other things – from Parkamoor back over towards Satterthwaite. They have sanitized the bottom bit but it's still a great dh overall.

That becomes Moor Lane at the bottom. SFB complained voiciferously when it was tidied up. Claimed it made it too easy. So easy that he posted pics of one of his lot going a over t the other week!

On the subject of the North Face, what's the thinking behind those slanted boardwalk bits? I just can't see any point to them other than making it more likely you'll slip off them when they're greasy.

The first section now has a bypass contructed round the top of it. Looking at the number of gouges in the timbers it would appear that many riders couldn't make it across. Similarly the very last section, which was just as gouged, now has new timbers with a grippy coating on them. Reading between the lines the course designers got it wrong.

ridden it a few times and I can see why it gets knocked, too mich fire road not enough single track etc but what is there I find good fun, I actually enjoy it. It might not be the most technical route in the world but trying to pin it all the way round especially on a hardtail is very rewarding. I'll be heading back on Friday for another go

So easy that he posted pics of one of his lot going a over t the other week!

that shot was on Titty's track (strangely appropriate in that rider's case) which is an entirely different kettle of fish 🙂 I have been up and down Moor Lane in the last 2 or 3 weeks, and still complain bitterly, though the gravel is already washing away…

what's the thinking behind those slanted boardwalk bits? I just can't see any point to them other than making it more likely you'll slip off them when they're greasy.

all the boardwalks on the 1st section have been removed or diverted round now 🙁 They were slippy when new, but after a couple of years of use they roughened up nicely and were grippy even when wet (but not icy) – you just have to be confident.

that shot was on Titty's track

Sorry, my mistake.

As SFB says, the boardwalks were fine if ridden with a bit of confidence – I've done it in the snow and ice on a CX bike with no problems. The route is aimed at beginners though, including people who've just hired a bike from the visitor centre. Expecting a total beginner on an unfamiliar bike to ride it is asking for trouble.

As implied above, if you don't find it technical you're not riding it fast enough and it does make a good bit of trail to absolutely nail cos you know you're unlikely to find walkers or riders coming the other way – when ridden fast it's actually quite exhilarating and challenging.

Sorry, my mistake.

note, the bottom 200m of the lower section of Moor Lane has not been touched yet and is an exciting rockfest!

but still buggy as hell on Safari Mac OSX 10.5

use firefox on your mac and it works fine 🙂

note, the bottom 200m of the lower section of Moor Lane has not been touched yet and is an exciting rockfest!

Was down there a couple of weeks ago. I noticed the "sanitization" which certainly removed the big polished rock steps (which I'm glad they did), but didn't think the bottom bit was "exciting", just pleasant!

They were slippy when new, but after a couple of years of use they roughened up nicely and were grippy even when wet (but not icy) – you just have to be confident.

I've done it a couple of times and didn't come off, but they reminded me a bit of that loggy bit of boardwalk at Llandegla in that they didn't add anything to it apart from a bit of potential hindrance/annoyance really.

Not been for a while though, and while bits of it were OK I wouldn't go out of my way to do it again while there's lots of other stuff to do. I seem to recall a few sections that felt like they should have been fun but just weren't- a little bit too much uphill to carry the necessary speed for fun perhaps?

which certainly removed the big polished rock steps (which I'm glad they did), but didn't think the bottom bit was "exciting", just pleasant!

curious dichotomy there – I miss the rocky slabs but still find the scattered rocks challenging

We need some sort of analyst to tell us what that means!!!

Freud: Horses for courses 🙂

"they didn't add anything"

They protect the forest bog they overlie

They protect the forest bog they overlie

I know why the boardwalk is there, but I meant that making them slanted doesn't add anything.