Any good? Half-arsedly considering it as a multi-day tour kinda thing. Not worried about gnarr-shredding, more about 50ish steadyish miles a day, country views, pub lunches, beer and food of an evening.
I've done it all but not as one ride. The Peak section is OK, old railway track to a few Km short of Cheedale, tracks and lanes to Rushop Hall (the "no car café") then the section in and out of Hayfield, so Roych Clough, etc. is fine. Glossop over to Staleybridge/Mossley is OKish.
Through the Saddleworth villages seems like it's finding a way it can go rather than where it should go. From there to the junction with the Mary Towneley Loop is a bit meh IMO. Things improve on the MTL and as far as Wycoller then you've got the section across the Craven Gap, apart from the bit over Weets (above Barnoldswick) it's the worst section of the route, even the horse riders don't bother with it. Best to figure out using some of the roads for this bit.
Long Preston to Kirkby Stephen is basically the Dales and is all decent trails.
Cheers. What's wrong with the Craven Gap bit?
Overgrown, boggy, muddy fields. For instance - this is just an arable field https://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=382270&Y=448200&A=Y&Z=120 and this goes round the two hard going sides of the square - https://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=383835&Y=453895&A=Y&Z=120 whereas the other two sides are a quiet lane that maybe sees one car every fifteen minutes. It was drawn up for horse riders so keeping away from roads would have been a priority but for biking it's not particularly nice.
Biking it I'd get to Barnoldswick then go roads via Bracewell, Newsholme, Paythorne, Wigglesworth, Long Preston.
We're local to that area, the PBW is about 3km from our house and we've ridden it (the Craven Gap section) two or three times in 18 years.
We're thinking about it as a sort of relaxed summer non-tour using a bag drop service - there are several serving the Pennine Way - to link pre-booked b&bs. I've ridden all of it south of and including the MTL on a cross bike and that's probably what I'd use. Peak local here, so the southern section is all very familiar.
Agree the stuff around Saddleworth is a bit messy and meandering. Also, the way it ends - as far as I can see - just seems a bit unsatisfying. I've been to Kirkby Stephen and I'm not particularly bothered about going there again, though I know that's not really the point of it.
Maybe we should turn left at the top and head for the coast and some chips 🙂
It stopped at Kirkby Stephen because that's basically where the money and negotiated agreements ran out. The idea obviously was to go to at least Hexham where of course it would link up with the Sandstone Way.
That's probably a better route: Long Preston (or Settle) follow the PBW to Kirkby Stephen then up and over Cross Fell past Greg's Hut and across to Hexham then do the Sandstone Way to Berwick. Depending on party that's four to six days.
From Barnoldswick I'd get onto the Leeds and Liverpool Canal towpath up to Bank Newton or Gargrave, then continue via Bell Busk, Airton, Weets Top and Mastiles Lane. Then either descend Stockdale Lane and work back to Settle or miss it out entirely and go over the top track to Stainforth.
I’ve been to Kirkby Stephen and I’m not particularly bothered about going there again
TBH the main point is that it has a station (sort of)
Sounds brilliant.
Erm... Just Do It.
12 hours on a 'cross bike.
TBH the main point is that it has a station (sort of)
How many bloody horse boxes do you see attached to trains on the Settle Carlisle? 😊
All useful stuff, ta.
How many bloody horse boxes do you see attached to trains on the Settle Carlisle?
You have no imagination, Bob.
To good not to book Mark
I've done the MTL twice and found it absolutely knackering especially the day I did it on a full rigid, before I bought some second-hand SIDs.