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on the Marathon, with what?
Well in hind sight, not much at all, there were a few jumps in the demo loop bit though. However assuming they didn't know how lousy the course would be any sooner than the rest of us I've done plenty of marathons with "exciting" bits in them to the extent that the ard rock one is distinct by being far and away the most dull mtb marathon I've ever done. (It had a few nice bits but 45 out of the 49k were shooting track)
[Edit, I've a nagging suspicion that when i did the ard rock in 2014 the Saturday was branded as a "marathon" - it was a single timed loop over all 5 stages - before being rebadged to the sport the following year and the days swapped.]
@dangeourbrain yes you’re almost right, in 2014 first thing on Saturday there was the ‘all mountain challenge’, which was a mass group start timed race of the full enduro loop. Practice went out straight after the challenge then the full enduro race on Sunday.
They did put on a marathon event up there in the past but I think it was a stand alone event on a different weekend to the enduro.
That's the one sl80.
https://www.rootsandrain.com/photos/3241918 Cheeky start for that camera
yep the marathon ride was an added extra and didnt sell out for a week, i guess its better than not going to ardrock but, a dissapointment if you were expecting the stages.
last few years we've done some 20 mile loops on the friday and they have both been dull.
first year a moor and quarry to the north west and this year moredon road (local riders favourite) (i should have brought my lefty 29er).
the demo loop singletrack is good, what other rides are decent for the area, I'm thinking something like the dark peak, oxenhope loop or pennines/calderdale style riding
The issue with Swaledale is that the nature of the landscape means reaching a lot of the decent descents involve plugging across the moorland on shooting track, as opposed to the intersecting steeper packhorse trails that make peak and pennine riding so distinctive.
Inevitably it will mean the riding is more XC in nature, and I'm sure local riders will be mixing in a fair bit of cheek to liven it up.
I'd agree with you that Moresdale Road/Schoolmaster Pasture is pretty dull fare unless you head off into the mining hushes and gullies here and there to find some interest.
The Gunnerside Gill area is the most obvious place to find a bit of tech.