[Closed] 2020 - 'Must do' UK rides?

You could spend a week in the Lakes and not even scratch the surface there's so much good riding!! Plus you get some of the best views anywhere.
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Kinlochleven is god's own trailcentre. Bloody difficult, and sometimes pretty high stakes, there's lots of places you do not want to crash. But for sheer relentlessly awesome riding I've never found anything that comes close in the UK. And just down the road from Fort William (along a very very nice road)

Black Mountain Cycle Centre and the Forest of Dean are both pretty close to Bikepark Wales, and better. Also, TRACTORZ.

I'm probably going to limit Scotland to the Borders/Dumfries & Galloway areas for solo riding, Fort william is a nice easy one to pickas it's so famous. But once you start adding places here and there you would end up doing 2 month long trip... I want to do Torridon, Skye, and loads more of the Western Highlands, but that may need to wait until 2021!

Just had a quick look at a video on Kinlochleven, 'kin hell! That's the exact sort of riding I'd be hesitant to do on my own, one mistake there and they wouldn't find you until the spring thaw...

The Lakes, I don't even know where to start there haha. Peak district is closer so easier to do a 1/2 day trip.

FoD I've done a couple of times now, BPW also but I won't rule out returning.

If you're riding long mynd then Eastridge and the stiperstones are worth a ride.

If you're going to CyB then there is some cracking stuff hidden off from the main trails.

If you're in mid Wales then the trails around staylittle are good.

Why not do an mtb marathon or 2? I know it costs money but probably places you wouldn’t think to ride and all natural trails.

https://www.mtb-marathon.co.uk/

Plus you get some of the best views anywhere.

Cute pic where are the hills?

so riding something like a scottish munro solo probably wouldn’t be the best idea.

With a few simple precautions such as being able to do basic navigation and leaving a route and return time with someone, I wouldn't let it phase you.

Classic couple of loops and hills with us -
Ben Lomond (lots of folk around, even mid week).
Beinn a' Ghlò circuit for the 'feeling like you're way out there but not really' day.
Speyside has to be in there, but I'll leave scotroutes to tell you which route 🙂
Laggan (yes I know it's Speyside) is totally brilliant rocky fun still.
Torridon 🙂

In South Wales you have The Gower ( nice scenic one around the peninsula ) and in the Brecons you have The Gap and the Black Mountains Loop (not the uplift bike park) are nice natural loops . If your spending time in North Wales Lynn Cowlyd is a natural loop west of the Marin,Pont Scethin loop is East of Coed Y brenin -theres also a nice loop on the other side of the Mawdach estuary here too,around the foothills of the Cadair Idris. The Conwy hills on North coast has some nice riding loops/views.

@joshvegas thanks, summit of Helvellyn looking toward Ullswater.

Heard mixed reviews about it, but I'm going to try and tick off the four passes this year as I've never done it. No doubt I'll start a thread about it at some point!

Well heading North I'd say the riding starts getting good at the Peak District. Hard to say which rides are best but something round Ladsybower and some sort of tour of Edale including Jacobs Ladder. Well worth a weekend away

The Lakes and North Yorkshire are also great but a bit further away.

Hi
I’d recommend a stay at the Dales centre in Reeth for a few days. There’s loads of good stuff from the door and Stu can point you at the best stuff.
I’d be happy to meet up as I know the area well.
The cake is excellent too which is a bonus
Cheers
Steve

Travelling from the SE then I would spend time in the Lakes over heading up to the Highlands - you'll get 2 more days riding in rather than travelling. And don't forget this part of Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway) is just on the end of the M6 on you way to the Tweed valley

Personally, if you're going to come west for 3 days I'd do 2 days in Exmoor and 1 on the Quantocks rather than Dartmoor. Stuffed full of the sort of riding you're after.

Cheers all, some good places/ideas to be getting on with.

I'm probably going to save the more remote/difficult riding for group rides (guided days/trips mostly) as having the support (physical, and mental!) of a bunch of mates you just haven't met yet makes a big difference when you're on your own, halfway up a mountain, it's blowng 40mph, you can't see/feel your nose and you just feel like turning back... 😀

Why not do an mtb marathon or 2? I know it costs money but probably places you wouldn’t think to ride and all natural trails.

https://www.mtb-marathon.co.uk//blockquote >

That is tempting, and with camping included it's a pretty cheap weekend. I'd probably go for the lower KM ones as I'm on a 150mm trail/AM bike, but I'm very tempted!

Personally, if you’re going to come west for 3 days I’d do 2 days in Exmoor and 1 on the Quantocks rather than Dartmoor. Stuffed full of the sort of riding you’re after.

The dartmoor trip is a 3 day guided trip with Wildbike - it just so happens to be the day after my Birthday and being the middle of May, a good chance of decent weather.

They do also have 2 Exmoor trips in the middle of April though...

Travelling from the SE then I would spend time in the Lakes over heading up to the Highlands – you’ll get 2 more days riding in rather than travelling. And don’t forget this part of Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway) is just on the end of the M6 on you way to the Tweed valley

Linking up the Lakes with 7Stanes does seem to be more practical, I'll give you that. The highlands are a bloody long way away from Kent!

This is my current map of places I've ridden, pretty woeful, I know...

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The aim this year is to expand this hugely, I want to be able to get a big pinboard map of the UK and start filling it up 😀

 

North York Moors.. lovely place (incl Dalby)

Forest of Bowland... lovely place (incl Gisburn)

Upper York Dales.. lovely place (incl Nidderdale loop)

Stainburn (ignore the haterz)

The highlands are a bloody long way away from Kent!

Get the overnight train.
It's worth it.

I'd do it in the car, it's one of the reasons I changed cars a few months ago (25mpg wasn't really ideal for doing regular long trips), but I'd need to be up there for a couple of weeks to make it worthwhile.

Tweed Valley to Torridon is 5 hours for christ sake! Who put these bloody great mountains in the way, huh?! :p

How about booking a day with Jedi at the start of your trip, then spending the rest of it putting those skills in to practice.

And although it would take some organing, I wonder if you set a plan in place datewise, if you couldn't get somebody local to show you round on the non trail centre rides.

The Lake District is one my favourite places but not everybody likes carrying their bike up big rocky hills so if you don't then choose your route carefully.

The Tweed Valley is top of my list for a trip and I've only explored GT, Inners and the Golfie (trailforks is your friend here)
I believe Wales has similar steep honeypots but I don't know them. I have ridden Eastridge on my way home from BPW and loved it.

Peak District - if you fancy Cut Gate then it makes a nice mid week evening ride in June and if you set off early enough and have the legs you can tag on a couple of classics near Ladybower.

I'm Brighouse based so don't need to drive or drive too far for great riding. We have plenty of good riding from home with Bingley, Hebden Bridge and Wharncliffe nearby.