Living in central York and currently driving min 45mins (Dalby) for a decent ride, but really need something I can reach in say 20mins to help fit it in a bit more often.
I don't know of any decent routes or where to start looking in that kind or radius (Wetherby, Howardian Hills...?) and would be grateful of some advice!
Think you'll struggle within 20 mins, the vale of york is very flat so you need to drive a way to any hills.
There's some undulation out around tadcaster / sherburn that you could ride to from york, nothing technical though otherwise its the south edge of the moors around boltby.
There is some stuff being built at Rawcliffe, think its something to do with singletraction but not. I've not been and had a look there.
Nothing really decent on the Wolds so don't look east (it is good for road miles though).
Buy a road bike?
Yeah, I thought this might be the case....
Tadcaster/Wetherby direction seems most hopeful though I realise I'm not going to find anything too interesting.
I'm going to hold off buying a road bike just yet ...
Train to Thirsk, 16 minutes, head for Sutton Bank or up Sneck Yate, fill yer boots.
Living in York as I do, if I'm riding from home then it's the road bike.
Peaks, Dales, Moors are all good for a day out but there's not much MTBing locally. Bits and pieces of flat Singletrack but that's all.
Aberford, Scarcroft, Bramham Park areas are a little better.
London Road at Towton is a nice bit of singletrack, but it's about 200m long.
I live in York and general use the road bike if riding from home, have ridden up at rawcliffe with my kids is really just a couple of pump tracks, fun for half an hour but very short, could probably string together a decent ride around Harrogate and Knaresborough (especially with some cheeky trails) but that's more like 30 minutes away.
yes IGM sums its up
you can string together an entertaining ish hour and a half towards the south end of york - mainly flat single track and bit of on road and a few cheeky bits around the racecourse / Uni - its nice in the summer
pump track at rawcliffe
well original one is ok but new one is odd - i wouldnt bother really - its this weird collection of bumps and berms that doesnt really work - lots of people have sweated lots to help making it (including me twice)- its ok for kids but thats it
yearsley forest is good (20 mins drive ) - theres a few tracks thru the forest and some hills - 45 mins there wears me out as theres hills ! and theres the bare bones of a DH track someone had made in the trees
always keen to get out biking more do drop me a line if you want
yearsley forest:
Not explored yet. But there's meant to be some ok bridleways around terrington area.
Not explored yet. But there's meant to be some ok bridleways around terrington area. Seen a route where you can link it to hovingham and castle Howard.
Spent many years riding along the river from Poppleton. This was before anybody had heard of mountain bikes. Single track all the way upstream - well it was back in the day.
Worth a look? And I see it's a bridleway - I never knew that.
Hth
Marko
Anyone up for a get together for York folk then ? Maybe try and patch together a route from all the bits we collectively know ?? 🙂
Might have alook @ the poppleton river route, ta.
Got an early may ride planned with a group of mates if anyone wants to tag along. 22 miles in the ny moors. Meeting at Sutton bank then driving convoy to kepwick. Riding through boltby etc.
yes cool - evening ride in york sounds good - anyone interested drop me an email
Riding from York is definitely one for the road bike. If you don't fancy getting a road bike you could go half way and get a CX, plenty of hilly BWs that can be linked up by road in the Howardian Hills (Hovingham /Castle Howard/Terrington area). Always fancied doing it myself but haven't got round to getting a CX bike (yet).
There's a loop starting in Hovingham you can do on a mtb (got it from a book). It gets very muddy and isn't great tbh. On the plus side it's only 20min drive north of York.
A bit embarrassing as I wouldn't normally recommend it to anyone in Leeds, let alone York... But you could be at Temple Newsam in less than 30 mins. Old "DH" trail and some better cheeky stuff in the woods.
Spent many years riding along the river from Poppleton. This was before anybody had heard of mountain bikes. Single track all the way upstream - well it was back in the day.
Used to do the same in the early 80's on a BMX, out to Beningbrough Hall area, happy days.
Also used to ride off-road from my door in Fulford over to Elvington for an evening ride to the pub (slightly more recently)
Neither are great rides, but great memories though.
Couple of options here :
This is a fairly decent ride from wetherby : https://www.strava.com/activities/27525335
I live in Tadcaster but choose to ride from Wetherby most of the time due to vastly more options.
There is lots and lots of really nice singletrack around Wetherby. Have a look at some of the routes i've done on Strava from around 2012 should give you a few options. Failing that feel free to drop me a message on here and I'll supply you my email and could help you out.
Riding from Tadcaster only leaves one option which is the coach road via wighill lane, over to Bilton-in-ainsty, tockwith, kirk deighton and either the road back to Tadcaster (9 miles) or ride the route backwards. Its a horrid route in winter as lots on the edges of fields that get water logged and seriously claggy and energy sapping.
Another one from York here.
+1 for yearsley woods, it's good at present and dry, great if u want some techy steep stuff or hill training, it certainly isn't flat!
There's some half decent Xc stuff from Whitwell right across to hovingham/ terrington as someone mentioned, plenty of hills, can be very muddy but should be improving now and nearly all off road.
Can't think of much more any closer than sutton bank or Dalby.
Dalby has some good options if you get to know it and venture off the beaten (knackered hardcore) track!
Offer still open for York lot (or anyone else) to meet at Kepwick for our 22 mile ride. Its May the 10th. 8:45 at sutton bank visitors centre then drive onto Kepwick.
Neighbour grabbed me who rides. Hes starting his season next week and asked me to tag along on his easy Terrington ride. Going next Wednesday after work. Not sure what the start time is or you could have joined us.
Another from York. 🙂
The Poppleton river route is mapped here.
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/york-outer-river-ride
It's not technical but a nice circular route for an afternoon if you don't fancy driving. If in the centre of York you can get to it via the riverside cycle path.
You can also make up your own trails in the Howardian Hills using an OS map following the bridleways, although these can be muddy and overgrown at times.
You can park North of Castle Howard by the Hepton Hill cross roads (nr the lake) for free.
You could also try Clifton cycle club, they have a mtb section and go for regular rides.
<-- another from York 🙂
You could always try South Cave, bit of a short jump line but only a 2-3 minute push up. Something to demo or improve the skills. Although that's just under an hour away so not really fitting to the criteria.
I've heard something about a route in Pickering, Newbridge or something like that. Might be worth checking out.
Unfortunately York is definitely one for the road bike, unless you're willing to travel a little more.
Delighted this thread has started up again! Thanks for the strava and bikely links.
At the moment I'm driving fairly regularly out to Dalby, but something close to home is nice to have for a cheeky evening ride through the week, so some good recommendations.
Although its tricky to find the time, I'd be interested in meeting up for a ride at some point if York folk are interested. Whether from the door, or somewhere more interesting. Can't do that weekend in May though.