Please can anyone recommend a decent loop from Gilesgate on the road with a mtb? Just need somewhere to go for hour on a night to keep the wheels turning during the week.

There's a nice little descent from Gilesgate onto the river path. If you head up to Sherburn Road and take a right down William Place the road turns to a track which then takes you across a skinny bridge. Take a right at the end and there are a couple of options for getting down to the river. From the bottom, turn left and follow the path all the way along past the boat house (on the opposite bank) and turn under what used to be a railway arch. Cross the playing field, over the bridge and bear left onto the path at the bottom of the big hill thing. Go left on that until the road, cross that and you have a bunch of trails to explore in that patch of woodland.

Why on the road though? I'm from Sherburn Village (not now though)& there's a fair few steady away offroady bits round Durham. I'll think of something & get back to you on here if you like.

Do you actually mean 'road' or is it somewhere to ride where you and your bikes/you won't get covered in cack?

If you head through Durham towards Nevilles Cross you can access the cycle routes which can take you in several directions eg. towards Brandon or the other way towards Lanchester but if it's only an hour on the road you would be as well looping around Durham. You could try the following

Head in to Durham, over the river and right towards the hospital, through Framwellgate Moor, A167 to Plawsworth, at roundabout take a left to Sacriston, Witton Gilbert, Langley Park where you can join the Sustrans route which will take you straight back to Bear Park then Durham. Or you can hang a left at Sacriston or Witton Gilbert which will take you straight back to Durham by road.

Thats great guys, thanks.

You're dead right i dont have to stick to the road at all. If there is some good off road stuff to do round here then bonus! The more variety the better 🙂

& you could also…
Head out through Sherburn Road (but do non stop!) when you get to the lights at Tesco/TK Max turn right & head down the b/way coming out on the Shincliffe-Peterlee road, turn left & follow it over the motorway taking the next right & following this b/way to Bowburn. Right again at the road bringing you out at a T junction with a Jet garage on your right. Turn right (heading for Durham) then take the next left (b/w) & over the disused railway. Keep on this obvious track to Croxdale (Sunderland Bridge actually) where you'll end up on the old road bridge over the Wear. Turn right & right again which will see you on the A167 at The Honest Lawyer Hotel. Go left back towards Durham then turn right at the (Cock o The North, not there now)roundabout. From here you can either head back to town or there's a sneaky trail off to the right, somewhere near the girly school or the crematorium, can't remember which but this brings you out in Houghall woods which is nearly home. It's about 8 years since I've done that ride but it's very enjoyable.

It's been a while, but there was some cheeky stuff in the woods behind Collingwood College when I lived in Durham.

Ride up to Tesco's and past the retail park, straight over at junction and ride down to Bent House Lane then up through Shincliffe then at the top of Shincliffe bank turn right along Strawberry lane. This will lead to a network of bridleways and cycle paths that could take you to Barnard Castle, Waskerly and Blanchland Moor to name but a few. All off road.

A good book for some local rides is the Derek Purdy book MTB in Durham.

I can second "Don't stop at Sherburn Road!"

You might want to have a look for the Beyond Hamsterley guide by Neil Gander. That's got a route from Esh Winning and another that heads north from Bishop Auckland that gets near to Durham.

Where's the OP gone?

There's loads of stuff as above but if the OP wants a road route for whatever reason and only for an hour or so, it's a bit limited.

Mike, there is still the cheeky stuff at Houghall and more. Essel, that route is also good in reverse, especially if you go through Spennymoor and take the path from Middlestone Moor down to The Browney at Croxdale.

Mike, there is still the cheeky stuff at Houghall and more.

I remember dragging my Kona Hahanna along some random tracks in those woods 🙂

I haven't been down there for a couple of years (too near the ex) but I'm not complaining as there is loads to find over where I am in Langley Park.

Chill out Woody the OP is here, time is limited for a busy girl like me ya know 😛

Ok ive got an OS map so ill be checking out your ideas n do some exploring next week – cheers!