[Closed] 5 'must do' rides in the UK?

Most of Wales. Most of Scotland. Some lake District. A bit of the Peaks. And some southern Woodland.

Jacobs Ladder.
Back of skiddaw.
Garburn Pass.
Grizedale forrest and associated area.
Cannock chase but not the trail centre.

Walna Scar Road
Jacobs Ladder
High Street
The Wall descent at Afan
and any snowy road today where you can laugh at all the struggling car drivers

I've got down so far:
Back of skiddaw.
Garburn Pass.
(inc Kentmere Green quarter)
Aiming to ride in the Lakes twice a month.

High St? Anymore details on that?

5 we've done relatively recently that would tick the wild/remote/big day out ticket.

Garburn Pass
Torver/Dunnerdale/Seathwaite/Walna Scar Rd
Howgills
High Street
Ceriog Valley

On my list would be:

GlenCoe / Devils Staricase
3 brethren ride around by Innerleithen.
Black Mountains Ride taking in Lord Herefords Knob, Haff Bluff and Capel.

for the last 2 I would like to check out some more stuff on Skyke, Harris and the Lakes but the 1st 3 are definately there. Jacobs ladder was OK but I've ridden better stuff personally, so I don't think it would make top 5.

Yeah I've done High Street a couple of times. Go up from Hartsop to a reservoir from where you'll have to push up a grassy slope (bridleway). Then go around onto High Street all the way down to Howtown or Pooley Bridge. Then there is a cracking bridleway all along the southeast side of Ullswater to terrify walkers on and get you back to where you started. A great day out; more about the superb views and isolation than technical riding. Take food.

Jacobs ladder is particularly good when stuffed with walkers 😉

If you can get up there I would recommend Torridon. We spent two days up there last year, best riding I've ever done. Hoping to go up again this easter. Big hills and views and top quality trails.

The Dark peak in general, on a late september/october saturday, with sunshine.

The trails weill be baked hard and deserted, best days riding ever (Sheffield, Stanage, Golf course, cut gate, then back allong manchester road)

got to say, I wasn't hugely impressed with high street. It's Ok, but it wasn't everything people had made it out to be. Back of skiddaw rocks though.

TBH - I enjoyed running High St. but when I rode it I was also a bit 'under-whelmed'

Simon1975 - your summary of High Street is spot on.

Anyone done Nan Bield - as featured in the mag a while back?

3 passes

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/pont-scethin-ride-pictures-mobile-phone-camera-content

Pont Scethin,N Wales - seems to fit the bill - 30 miles all in,awesome 😆

Shinsplints: Do you have a route for that trip (gpx would be utterly wonderful)?
Or was it this one [url= http://www.flattyresmtbroutes.com/MawddachPontScethin.html ]FlatTyres route[/url]

Cheers Snowslave. Yes I've done Nan Bield too, a massive push going up from Small Water. It was 6 months after a broken collarbone so quite painful too. Superb views and a steep techy descent from the pass. There was a superb fast run down to Hayeswater on the outward run up from Staveley / Kentmere as well.

sharkbait - thats the one mate.We started from just outside Dol,gentle bimble along the Mawdacch trail ,then crossed the estuary & up into them thar hills.It was fkn brilliant,the rocky ,technical descents kicked the backside of any trailcentre I have been to.Lots of moto x bods up there though,so the trail was a little cut up & with it being frozen,made for interesting riding in places.Went over the bars due to said ruts !!! We were out for about 5 hrs I think,including stops for grub,shelter from the wind & 3 flats !!! Enjoy ! Some other great routes on that site aswell - doing the one round the Berwyns in a couple of weeks.

one with peterpoddy
one with rudeboy (bring some hearplug or cut his rear mech cable 😉 )
one with foxychick and Mr foxychick
one with WCA
one with jojo

Surrey Hills with someone who knows the area (late April/early May), just as it's drying out, but before the bracken takes over.

Long Mynd

Big Peaks epic

Snowdon - up the Llanberis, down the Ranger.

Helvellyn

Bowderdale/The Calf

...and I'm sure there's plenty more in Soctland

HIGH STREET - i started at Kendal train station, ride out to Troutbeck and clamber up to the top, then ride to Penrith and get train back 💡

I don't reckon the Surrey Hills would ever make it into the Top 5 rides in the UK.

one with rudeboy

You will have fun, this is guaranteed.

I am stunned that no-one has mentioned the Woods Behind Nationwide in Swindon.

Which route for Helvellyn, Joh?

High Street is OK. It's a big push up from Hayeswater, then the ridge north is good, in the dry, but can be a bogfest in parts if wet. What really makes the ride is the way back from The Cockpit. If you go when the weather is nice to miss the bog on top, then the Ullswater singletrack is full of trippers. Bannerdale or Boredale are much quieter and give a "remote" feel to the ride, but you need navigational skills.

Thursday night ride.

Anothe vote for Simon's summary of High St. It's one of those 'rites de passage' type rides especially if you do it in poor weather! To be honest, the ride along the top on High St itself is a little underwhelming. It's hardly technical nor is it particularly fast until the final descent off High St down towards Howtown. But, as Simon says, the bridleway that takes you from Sandwick, tracking along the side of Ullswwater, back to Patterdale, has to be one of the very best bit of singletrack in the UK. It really is awesome.

Surrey Hills is a completely different sort of riding to Peak/Lake District and Scotland. I can understand why Richc wouldn't rate it but you can have as much fun playing in the woods as you can coming down off Skidaw. It just doesn't have that 'big mountain' feel to it.

Are the Lakes a nightmare in the summer for riding, because of the number of walkers? As I am tempted to do a few more Lakes rides, but as its a long way I don't fancy it in the winter and camping, or are some bits less walked so OK all year round?

Certain bits of the Lakes at a weekend in summer you can pretty much forget about. Eg the terrace above Rydal, or Jenkin Crag near Ambleside. There is still plenty of bits you won't see that many ppl though, eg Gatescarth and Nan Bield.

Not been there riding yet but I imagine stuff like the bits around Wasdale won't be too busy either as its a bit of an arse to get to.

Are the Lakes a nightmare in the summer for riding, because of the number of walkers?

Generally speaking no. BUT you will inevitably have stretches where there are a lot of walkers. Most of them are very bike friendly, and so long as you don't charge at them screaming for them to move, through your full face helmet, there will be few problems. Even though the Lakes are very popular the hills can absorb a surprising number of people. The real problem is in the towns and traffic/parking, especially if you arrive after 10AM

I don't reckon the Surrey Hills would ever make it into the Top 5 rides in the UK.

As I said - that depends how well you know it. I think it has some of the best woodsy singletrack in the UK.

Which route for Helvellyn, Joh?

We went up from Patterdale, past the YHA and mines (Swirral Edge?), then down Dollywagon Pike, to Grisedale Tarn, then left back down to Ullswater. Hugely technical, the weather was foul, and I really need to go back and do it again.

Ones I've done that I'd heartily recommend:

The Gap
The Quantocks
The Forest of Dean (esp. Sheldon's FoD Killer Loop)

and, whilst low on the gnarl factor but high on the excellent way to spend a day factor, a summer's day Cotswold tour wiv da STW Cotswold Massiv. Aiiit.

shinsplints: Cheers mate. Flattyres has a number of very good routes and our little group are looking forward to getting stuck into them this spring 🙂

I am interested in the skiddaw route people are mentioning (GPX would be fantastic)

Also any other routes in the lakes (planning a 4 day visit in april)
Cheers

(Swirral Edge?)

Keppel Cove

eg ... Nan Bield.

cos it's shite :o)

richc - I completely agree on the Devil's Staircase, although I find it best to combine it with a section of the West Highland Way so you can get a train back and avoid the boring road ride from Kinlochleven.

Snowdon
Ladybower loop
Berwyn Mountains loop
Bristol Singletrack on something racy out to the Mendips.
Any Peaks ride

Thanks for the advice on the Lakes, I reckon I will try a 4 day weekend and have an explore as I really haven't ridden there enough 🙂

btw: The Mendips/Bristol Trails and the Gap really shouldn't ever appear on this list either IMHO 🙂

Thanks for the replies so far
Will look through things in detail tonight as I want to get some trips planned
Have done some of the stuff but a lot worth investigating
It's those rides where you get part way through,look round and the scenery/location take your breath away.Sure you must know what I mean.
Any more suggestions welcome

Just [url= http://www.ridethelakes.co.uk/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21&Itemid=63 ] [i]THIS [/i][/url] one for now, try and find some more links later.....

Some great routes there - and many that we've not done in the mag. I can see a few more day trips looming in the mighty Sierra Estate... 🙂

[b]Torridon[/b] - Coulin Forest circuits (lots of variations)
[b]Cairngoms[/b] - lots to choose from, but Linn of Dee - Glen Derry - Glenmore - Lairig Ghru - Glen Luibeg will put lead in yer pencil
[b]Glencoe[/b] - Devil's Staircase - Blackwater - Ciaran Path - Devil's Staircase
[b]Ben Alder[/b] - circuit from Dalwhinnie via Culra and Ben Alder cottage.
[b]Glen Clova[/b] - Bachnagairn to Loch Muick and return via Capel Mounth OR Minister's Road to Glen Prosen, Cateran Path over the hills to Kilbo and back to Clova by the Kilbo Path.

I could go on... but they're all in Scotland. Maybe I need to broaden my horizons 😉

Borrowdale bash is a better ride than Back o'Skiddaw IMHO. However if you're there for 4 days (or feeling very fit and do it in a single day) you can do both....

GT, Lee Pen, out the back of Caberston, SUW, Gypsy Glen loop. Long day but one hell of a route.

Rhenigidale (??)on Harris ought to be on the list

they're all in Scotland. Maybe I need to broaden my horizons

No you don't 😀

stuartie_c - Member

I could go on... but they're all in Scotland. Maybe I need to broaden my horizons [:wink:]

You big tease. It's a well known fact that there's no decent riding north of Hadrians Wall.

Harris - Rhenigidale and clisham circuit are both smashin.
Argyll - Leacann muir (often called auchindrain) fantastic.
Cairngorms - Carn ban mhor - Huge up and huger down.
Mallaig - taking the bikes out on the boat over to Knoydart, then back over to
Tarbet adds to the cracking ride to follow back to Morar.
Kinlochleven - Echo the earlier thoughts on the DS and ciaran path, although
I've yet to meet anyone who can possibly clean the ciaran, a
bit beyond me to be honest.

As with Druid, I need to get out more ;->

North Wales: Pont Scethin- in any weather.

Mid Wales: Tywi & Teifi Headwaters loop, including the Tywi Track. In high water or in drought with a pint in Pontrhydfendigaid.

West Wales: Mynydd Preseli. Dry weather.

South Wales- A big Mynydd Ddu mountain loop involving Dan yr Ogof, near Abercraf

East Wales: Black Mountains loop, including Yr Das, either up or down.

Missed out Doethie Valley though, not sure why. It's pretty good 🙂

If you're in the Southwest (of England) -Manaton, down into Lustleigh Cleave, cut up through the cheeky bit to "the rock" (harton chest I think it's really called) down the Nutcrackers, double back through Foxworthy past the nicest houses you'll ever see-especially that "grand designs" style new one (f@ck knows what their council tax bills must be!) down to Trendlebere and then, sadly, road climb back to Manaton. If you're lucky the pub will be open. Never caught it open though, so it might not be very good in there![b]

It's those rides where you get part way through,look round and the scenery/location take your breath away.Sure you must know what I mean.
Any more suggestions welcome

Sligahan loop on Skye pretty much had that effect on me.

Enjoyed a good ride out in the cheviots also, taking in usway burn.

What stuartie_c said, especially about Torridon.

In no particular order:

Innerleithen
Torridon
Kinlochewe
Kinlochleven
Poolewe

😀

In no particular order:

1.) Relive the rides you used to do when a kid, I'd love to go back to Epping Forest and do the ride I used to do when I was younger and got my first mountain bike.
2.) Black Mountains - Day long fun
3.) Dartmoor - eastern edges
4.) Lake District - high street
5.) Isle of Skye

the north downs is amazing if you know where your going

Beinn a Bhuird and Ben Avon - wonderful with Tors that put Dartmoor to shame
Ciaran Path and the singletrack descent from the loch above Kinlochleven done as a figure of 8 loop - marvellous
Loch Bhac Pitlochry cicuit - not technical but guaranteed to put a smile on even the sourest of faces
Pretty much anything in the Lake District
Fife Coastal Path - did it on my Ritchey crosser on a glorious May day the year before last. Not technical but hugely good fun.

Do we have to limit it to only five? boooooo!

Cheers

Sanny

Re High Street

Ride up the Garburn Pass from Troutbeck. Keep heading along the bulldozed new path accross the tops to the summit of High Street. A cheeky traverse to the top of Nan Bield. Descend down. Lovely. Not entirely on bridleways but a cracker.

Cheers

Sanny

Cwm Doethie
BMKL
Purbecks
Quantocks

Sanny - like the sound of that one!

5 laps of Whinlatter :-0

what Stuartie C said apart from Ben Alder.

Never again do i want to do that miserable hike a bike.

Agree with Jedi, as a northerner in exile in the South a tour of the surrey hills secret singletrack would have to feature in my top 5

[i]what Stuartie C said apart from Ben Alder.

Never again do i want to do that miserable hike a bike. [/i]

Aye - but don't tell anyone about it. 😀

you're a cruel man 😆

back of skidaw inc mosedale
purbeck
quantocks
mastile lane and area
kentmere