so the definition of North englans is south od the scottish border line north of cannock, irish sea to north sea and this excludes Wales.
Ride means pedalling/ climbing not pushing the bike to the top.

All else is open to discussion.

So what are the 5 must do/best rides in order

A689 bishop auckland to alston.
about 43 miles, great scenery, you may exceed 60mph on a couple of the downs, alston is the highest market town in england i believe.
EDIT: all road.

Fred Whitton challenge

coast to coast on or off road

The MTL.

48 miles to tick off. Don’t think I’d bother again now I’ve done it though but glad I did it. Perhaps anticlockwise if I did it a second time

I’d say High Street as a must do ride but not sure I’d do that again either. Only good if it’s bone dry.

100 mile offroader in the yorkshire dales. did one about 10yrs ago and it nearly killed me.

A689 bishop auckland to alston.
about 43 miles, great scenery, you may exceed 60mph on a couple of the downs, alston is the highest market town in england i believe.
EDIT: all road.

You can do an equally good off-road version.

The MTL ?

The MTL ?

Mary Towneley Loop.

Done it. Glad I did it. Won’t do it again. Not in my top 5.

Just spend all day around Bingley, the best trails in the North of England

yes I never drive to the lakes when I can drive to Bingley 😕

Lakeland Lugger

vondally – Member

The MTL ?

which part of “no” don’t you understand 😉

I always enjoy the ride from Sedburgh that goes up The Calf (Howgill Fells). Great when the weather’s nice. The Bowderdale Valley goes on for ages too.
I think it was once described in Singletrack as being like ‘the mountains of the Lakes, draped with the grassy carpet of the Dales’! Something like that anyway. 😀

Yep, I’d agree ‘that’ Howgills ride has to be one. Great ride with epic amounts of climbing and descending and some of the most amazing views I’ve ever seen… Stunning.

I’d go with Bingley too. The short introduction Mugboo and Simon gave me a couple of months back really whetted my appetite.

Obviously Cut Gate goes on the list as well.

Calderdale ‘Classic’? Hebden to Widdop, down the Gorple road, past the windfarm on Long Causeway, through the golf club, into the valley, out the other side to Mankinholes, along the London Road, find a fun way to finish (Kebab St or Birthday X).

sherwood pines . . . . .

just kidding

Just spend all day around Bingley, the best trails in the North of England

😆 Sancho – that might be pushing it a bit 😉 btw Bingley is on my doorstep

Cut Gate
The Lakes “three passes” Gatesgarth, Nan Beild & Garburn
Something south lakes always makes me grin.

the best rides are a push/carry

ullock pike
4 passes etc

freeridenick – Member

the best rides are a push/carry

ullock pike
4 passes etc
You can’t mention that in a public place! 😆

For me, one would involve some combination of most of the Grizedale forest BWs, Claife Heights, and then Elterwater/Loughrigg Terrace/Fell and maybe Jenkin Crag (not that I’m fit enough to do all that in one go 🙂 ). No pushing/carrying involved just great riding and some amazing views.

+1 for the Howgills ride

Not a long ride but I love going from Keswick along the old railway line, then up and round Lonscale Fell and back down Spoony Green Lane.

Not sure about any others.

d45yth – typo sorry

I meant Wallop Tike.

Grum – could you mail me a rough guide to a good claife / grizedale route? Know quite a bit if the grizedale and breasty haw stuff but never been into claife and there’s a few of us staying in sawrey in September .

Ta , Dave

I agree with (freeride)Nick, you can’t have a classic ride in the North of England that doesn’t include some push/carry.

3 Passes (what’s the 4th?)
Helvelyn via Dubbs, Dollywagon & Grizedale
Howgills (Calf & Bowderdale)
Skiddaw (+“Wallop Tike” and then clockwise tour of Skiddaw)
Tour of Coniston

[EDIT] Then there’s
High Cup Nick & Cross Fell
Ladybower, Cut gate & WLT
Ladybower, Jaggers Clough, Rushup Edge, Cavedale, Hope Cross and Gores [/EDIT]

Bingley is ace, I live fairly near, so have a 7 mile ride down the canal to get there, but its got so much happening in such a small area, it’s just brilliant.

Dont get me wrong when I want a big epic day out, I love the Lakes, doing passes, carrying the bike, packed lunch, etc etc, love Breasty Haw, and Grizedale, but two very different days riding and so in my view equally worth riding.

think i am gonna drag the leccy beast round the Howgills route in a couple of weeks.
so if anyone fancies it let me know.

Cow Green Res/High Cup Nick/DuftonFell/Cross Fell is rather nice.

Ecky

seatoller – Honister – scarth gap – black sail – sty head – seatoller

best big day out in the country I reckon.

What’s the one that takes in Scarth Gap, Black Sail, Styhead and Honister? Is that the 4 Passes?
The Borrowdale Bash with the cheeky bits added, so you don’t end up with as much tarmac. That’s where I’m going after I’ve had my tea! 😀

Edit: Freeridenick already answered!

Thanks freeridenick/d45yth, I’ve not done that one. Will have to add it to my to-do list forthwith.

freeridenick – Member

Ecky

seatoller – Honister – scarth gap – black sail – sty head – seatoller

best big day out in the country I reckon.

I’ve got a GPS route for this that says it was published in issue 19 of ST. It shows that you ride from Seatoller to Buttermere (Lake not village) on the road, is there a cheeky offroad alternative? I’m sure I’ve been up Fleetwith Pike before, as part of a different ride though. Thinking of starting at Buttermere too, as I only live 10 mins from there.
Can’t believe I haven’t done it before but I do know what to expect! I’ll soon find out tomorrow morning. 😀

Wharnscale bridleway is the route
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=321192&y=513585&z=120&sv=321192,513585&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=691&ax=321192&ay=513585&lm=0

Bingley is set to get even better in the near future. Work starts shortly opening up some footpaths for bikes and bits of linking new trail, but the best new stuff will more likely happen next year.

freeridenick – Member

Wharnscale bridleway is the route
Gotcha. Nice pic, hope it’s like that tomorrow. Cheers.

It gets nice an tech 😛

For the Peaks, I’d say ‘Lord of the Loops’ as that pretty much encompasses most of the classic bits eg Cut Gate etc.

I think something in the North Yorks Moors should be included, somewhere round Fryup Dale, etc. if only for the vast quantities of good pubs and cafe’s in that part of the world – managed to do a 38km ride with loads of good singletrack as well as stopping at two breweries and ending the day with fish and chips by the sea!

Ullock Pike is the best descent in England IMO.

Go to the following places and just ride:

Top of Kepwick Bank – NY Moors
Hawes – NY Dales
Ladybower – Peaks
High street – Lakes
Ilkley – West Yorks

A days riding at each of these locations in my eyes would give you some seriously good riding.

Keswick, Threlkeld, Skiddaw House, Carry up Great Calva, Knot, Great Sca Fell, Longlands Gate, Dash Falls, Carry up Bakestall, Skiddaw, Ullock.

Epic day out if a bit brutal. Takes in the longest Legal constant DH in the lakes. It does however involve you in “getting lost”… ahem.