Hi
Heading up that way soon and would like to get the kids out riding. They’re not regular riders at all but would cope with the distances mentioned. Having never been near the blues – are they pretty flat surfaces or more suited to experienced riders?

Looking for family pootle style riding! Any other options in that neck of the woods?

Cheers

Rode it with my son when he was around ten. He was used to off road. It’s good fun. First downhill bit is the toughest but technically so you will know pretty soon.

North face in Grizedale is easier. The old rail track from Keswick towards Blencathra is completely flat and good scenery. Might be better.

50/50 really they might love it. If not could always just cruise about the fireroads.

I’d disagree about the north face, the surface is really choppy, see loads of families giving up on the first climb.

My 4 year old daughter managed it with a bit of pushing up the hills, She bombs round it now she is 8, My 10y son now manages the red route south with no problems so fill yer boots

Cheers – will certainly look for the railway track. Might try a night ride at Whinlatter to scout it out.

Railway track is closed still , not yet repaired after the last floods

Whinlatter Blue is always full of kids, it’s one of those trails that’s as hard as you make it. If you hammer the descents it’s fun, but if you just bimble it’s nice enough.

It will be fine. It’s a great little blue. If they like it and have got some legs left, the next step up is the bottom half of the south red.

Don’t do North Face at Grizedale, it’s a considerably harder slog, technically much more difficult for kids, and a lot less fun. The only real option at Grizedale is a fire road loop.

Grizedale has a really tough hill at the very start which put my kids off doing it again. I ended up dropping them off at the top carpark and following the blue route down to the visitor centre where they stopped while I went back up to collect the car!. Still has a good mix of hills but all ridable. You could extend it by bringing in some of the orange route as well.

If they get on with the blue and it is a little short the fire roads are pretty shallow up to the top to do the red. If you miss out the summit of the south loop and take a left where the sign says ‘to the top to the bottom’ the red from there back down is completely untechnical (is that a word lol) it’s just fast and jumpy but you just roll all the tabletops and take it easy. I would say it’s no harder than the blue.

I’d say it depends on age and mood.
I took my off-road inexperienced younger brother(28) round it on a wet, cold day and he hated it.
When I offered him the route extension that jekkyl refers to, he impolitely declined. 😯

Did a bit of the blue at Whinlatter on the way back from some off piste shenanigans Sunday. Lots loose gravel but generally smooth and the guy I was with said takes his 3year old round on a balance bike so imagine it will be fine. There’s some little rock garden sections off to the side to entertain yourself on too which were wet and slippy Sunday, imagine fun challenges on a drier day.