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Heading to Yorkshire next week. I just found the fantastic pedal north website. Subjective question I know, but can anyone tell me which the best routes are? We like medium to long stuff, nice views, techy or fun descents, all weather rideability.
If someone asked me this about wales I'd say black mountains killer, elan valleys, snowdon ranger, gap etc. but we are up for shorter stuff too.
Which moors and dales you heading to? There's a few in Yorkshire. Northern yorkshire dales?
Depends what you mean by 'techy'. I can confidently say that there is nothing like Snowdon Ranger in my neck of the woods (Dales). 🙂
The Dales is mainly an XC place with the occasional mild techy thrill thrown in, so it depends how much gnarr you need. Descents are mainly wide and rattly.
Only one place really comes to mind - Swaledale, and I don't see the route I'd pick on PedalNorth. Stu at Dales MTB Centre in Reeth would be able to sort you out with a top route from there, though.
Yes they sell maps or they could email you routes.
Also this site might help.. http://www.mtb-routes.co.uk/northyorkmoors/
Doesn't have to be as hard as the snowdon ranger to be fun in my book. That's definitely the odd one out from my welsh examples. I'm on the hardtail in any case.
Not quite sure where you divide north dales from south btw but swaledale doesn't sound too far (coming from the south)
Swaledale is north dales really. Where are you going to be?
If fun and techy descents is what you're after, best route in the Dales is the A65 to the Lakes.
Thanks but lakes look wet and I've been! Can enjoy xc type stuff too if it has other redeeming features 🙂
Moors and Dales are two separate areas. Dales is the lump in the middle of the country (West of the M1) and Moors is over towards the east coast (Northwest of Thirsk).
There's a good 3-4 hour circular loop out of a tiny hamlet called Litton (I think that's what it's called, it's beyond Kilnsey Crag). You park 50 yards beyond a pub then double back past the pub for a couple of mins on tarmac before turning off left through a farm and doing a massive (and in places very steep) climb for around 45 mins. Big downhill, over a river, to tarmac and a small hamlet, turn left on tarmac for maybe 15 mins, then left again and off-road up a massive hill for say 40+ mins. Over the top then a big downhill back to the start. Soz to be vague but I just followed the friends I was with. They refer to it as the 'Arncliffe' ride, if that's any help with navigating. The route is basically two big climbs and two big descents. Nice route, though nothing massively techy. There's stuff around Bolton Abbey too. Enjoy your trip.
Cheers, and yes I know the moors are further east, plan to go there too!
Lol at wl's pomposity. Thanks all others for the advice we did some fantastic rides on the Howgills and Swaledale!
swaledale is my fave...anywhere round reeth/ gunnerside or grinton is spot on...long ups, long trails, long downs...all rideable all year round. glad you liked it
Sideshow, if you give a bit more detail as to where you're going to be based then we can give some more detailed routes. I live in Richmond at the head of Swaledale, but also know the Moors really well. The Moors are by far the better for singletrack...theres miles and miles of the stuff. The Dales are better, IMHO, for more 'out there' wilderness type epics...and they drain better. Swaledale (and Arkengarthdale) has some great tracks, and there are some beauties from Hawes/Bainbridge further South. For the Moors try Osmotherley, Guisborough and Rosedale for some corkers.
Cheers smog, we have been and come back already. We did some great stuff on mining spoils around Swaledale (Winterings edge) but didn't get to the moors at all in the end. So for future reference, do these look good to you?
http://www.pedalnorth.com/content/osmotherley-introduction-os-map
http://www.pedalnorth.com/content/rosedale-ramble-os-map#overlay-context=content/rosedale-ramble
Couldn't find a guisborough route, maybe there is one here somewhere?
http://www.pedalnorth.com/content/north-yorkshire-moors-mtb-routes
or if those are all boring where would you look instead?
Get the Vertebrate MTB guide to the NYM, I think there's better routes in there. The NYM need to be dry or frozen though but some trails are all weather.
osmotherley is a gentle route, there's no information on distance however? I've ridden their from the gliding club at sutton bank est. 30 mile round trip.
Rosedale abbey is worth a go especially the disused railway line coming off from Blakey ridge, not done the wooded section south of RA or the hike up into the moors - definitely one for sunny wind free day as you are very exposed up their. avoid this RA killer loop from mbr http://www.mbr.co.uk/routes/northern-england/gps-route-rosedale-abbey-north-yorkshire-moors/ - the big downhill section (bridleway) north of RA has disappeared through lack of use, and so has the another section on the south side which ruined our ride a month ago.
hope that helps