If the weather's permitting on Saturday I might tick off great Dunn Fell. I'll be heading up from South side, thinking a 40-50 mile route (should be more than enough, not after a major epic.) So thinking of parking at Tebay (village) and riding from there.
Anyone got any recommendations for a route or is it as simple as picking pretty much any roads, taking in Appleby, on to Knock, up the fell, then back again? Any roads to avoid or any that are a must etc?
There's a nice cafe in Dufton for the way back.
I'd probably follow your suggestion using B roads and the NCN 68. I've no idea how good a climber you are. If you are good then it is under 30 minutes full gas. Most people take 45+. It can be interesting at the top, cold and always windy (check the wind speeds in the forecast!)
If you've not ridden in the area and like hills, consider parking in Melmerby on the A696. Ride GDF and then do Hartside over to Alston and back. Hartside is a nicer climb, nice steady gradient, probably around 20minutes if pressing on.
https://www.strava.com/activities/194451737/overview
I remember the climb being probably the hardest I've done in the Uk . This was a great route though had everything to be honest .
It’s a bastid.
That is all.
There is a fantastic cafe in Morland near Temple Sowerby - Mill Yard cafe
Done this route that includes GDF a couple of times now. Might be a bit longer than you were thinking of though..
https://www.strava.com/activities/1752382948
A less crazier route is this one, starting and finishing at Sedbergh
https://www.strava.com/activities/405482999
It is a great climb though. Never been abroad cycling but I’m guessing it’s the closest you’ll get to it in this country. Highest paved road in the U.K. apparently. Echo the comments about checking the weather, it can get pretty grim up there.
Can’t help on route advice (I did it out and back from Center Parcs at Penrith), but it’s a fabulous climb.
If it’s foggy/cloudy, do remember the two closed gates across the road when you come back down 😁
Probably the hardest climb I've ever done in the UK (and I've done Hardknott/Wrynose lots of times!)
Absolutely brutal. Also it was warm and sunny down the bottom and cold, wet and windy on the summit. Watch the descent too, it's very easy for your speed to get out of control very quickly down there. I did it on my road bike and I wish I'd been on my CX for the disc brakes and generally more robust build!
We did a nice loop from Shap village, up some back lanes towards Pooley Bridge and the southern end of Penrith then across SSE - Crossrigg Hall, Long Marton, Knock. Up and down GDF then back through Appleby-in-Westmorland.
Thanks for that @elshalimo, looks like that might be the route @crazy-legs did?
Might start from Shap then.
I'm not gonna be setting any records in the climb, happy to take my time and grind up there. That's why I don't want it to be a huge loop. Just fancy doing something different, gaining a bit of an achievement or something!
I'll definitely be wary of the weather, last time I looked the week looked fairly boring do it could be a goer.
looks like that might be the route @crazy-legs did?
No, we did the B road through Cliburn, Bolton, left/right across the A66, Long Marton, Knock.
The western side of it was on more minor roads as well, have a look at the tiny dotted-line lanes on the OS map. Round there out to Burnbanks then up to Pooley Bridge.
Nice route, the only busy bit was A66. And GDF which had loads of cyclists on it!
As others have already said, check the weather forecast. Look on the mountain weather information service. There's a page dedicated to GDF and North pennines. I did the climb in July, warm and still in the valley and not too bad over Hartside and Brough to Middleton in Teesdale. But it was cold swirling mist most of the way up GDF. You could find youself grovelling into a 40mph headwind for the last mile of the climb.