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So, just been up in the lakes to ride the Nan Bield Pass. Clattered my rear mech early on in the ride so pedalling was out from that point. Pushing my bike up haweswater past the tarn and on up to the top on the nan bield pass itself was utter hell. Not my idea of fun, bike too heavy to shoulder with my previously dislocated ones and pushing from the bottom of the valley right up to the top was tge least fun I've had with a bike, ever!!!!
The route description says that it was a fair hike, but not in my wildest dreams did I imagine it'd be like that.
Did you not fancy a bodged singlespeed?
Pah, you didn't do Mayhem at Eastnor in '12 did you.
Couldn't agree more, It's a ride you 'have to do' but slogging up there is crap. Dougie Lampkin would struggle on a 300cc Vertigo!
Well, maybe not but you know what I mean.
you soft shyte.......i was up there a month ago on my'heavier than your bike' enduro.......it is ace up there. 😆
It's the Lake District, what did you expect? One of the reasons I hardly ever go there even though it's quite close.
Proper mountain biking that is.
Where you wished you stayed at home.
Yep its rubbish up here stay away, don't know why you bothered really 🙄
We had the worst ride I think we've ever done up in the lakes last month, did the high street route from some well regarded mountain bike route book, it was described as a classic, something every mountain biker should do. It was utter Sh*te, never has there been so much slogging across muddy fields, an utter waste of a day out on the bikes.
i think the walkers must have planted it in the book to keep the bikers away from the decent trails.
I know the lake district has some of the most amazing descents in the country, and it's proper mountains, but I like to ride my bike for more than 10 minutes without having to get off and push, and I'm not averse to steep technical climbs. Very over-rated IMO. The descents just don't compensate enough for the hike-a-bike.
Now if it had some chairlifts....
proper hard earned rewards in the lakes......some people prefer trail centers..... 😀
Yeah, I had a rubbish evening ride out last night, riding straight from home near Keswick. Horrid high mountains, spread the word, it sucks. Far too rocky too.......
You should have gone to Whinlatter, sounds like biking in the mountains isn't for you.
That's nothing, I did three laps of Hicks Lodge today... 
The Lakes is awesome for biking, proper awesome, but you have to choose your route carefully.
I will never again go from Haweswater up Nan Bield, I will never again do Hellvellyn, I will never again do High Street from Pooley Bridge..
There's more I will do though.
dazh - Member
I know the lake district has some of the most amazing descents in the country, and it's proper mountains, but I like to ride my bike for more than 10 minutes without having to get off and push, and I'm not averse to steep technical climbs. Very over-rated IMO. The descents just don't compensate enough for the hike-a-bike.Now if it had some chairlifts....
Troll of the day.
Character building.
I had a brilliant day up there 3 weeks ago around Grasmoor/Grisedale Pike/Whiteless Pike area.
Lots of pushing up...5 proper actual summits I'd not been on before...some technical descending and some superb sweeping descents with huge grin factor...virtually none of it legal 😳
There's a time and a place for trail centres but getting out and earning your rewards (beer) on big hills is far more satisfying IMHO.
You don't earn the Nan Bield descent unless you do.Garburn & Gatesgarth prior.
Try one of thestabiliser's mountain routes, so you can make today's endeavour the second worst ride you've had.
Character building.
Your'e not wrong there.
Hellvellyn is class at least 4 great descents!! and its rideable 95% of the way up Kepple Cove!
Haweswater to Nan Bield is a no go for me did it once never again you have to go cheeky to enjoy!
High Street needs a month of dryness to enjoy!
Riding a loop around Elterwater tomorrow loads loads of cheeky goodness!
That one time Steve, one freakin' time. And the others as well.
Actually last time out wasn't great either. Hmmm.
First time I did it, I managed to rip the hose from my rear caliper decending gatesgart, so carried my bike up and down Nan Bield, propably better if you go over (the cheeky ) Harker fell route ?
Nonsense! Haweswater to Nan Bield takes about an hour to carry up, with a little snack stop at Small Water. That's nothing, and well worth it for the descent that just goes on for miles and miles and miles...
OP you were a hero for doing it...but now a loser for whining about it!
One mans meat another mans poison. Personally I much prefer being in and on big hills. The noble art of bike portage is just a means to get there. I'll take a massive day out in the mountains with loads of carrying over a trail centre any day.
One mans meat another mans poison. Personally I much prefer being in and on big hills. The noble art of bike portage is just a means to get there. I'll take a massive day out in the mountains with loads of carrying over a trail centre any day.
Seconded. Last (and almost the only) time I tried a trail centre I was disgusted at the plastic pop bottles bought in the cafe then thrown down by the first few hundred yards of the trail, and by about half way round I had got so bored that I turned off the trail into some real cycling country. Mountain bikes are for mountains, not hamster wheels.
One mans meat another mans poison. Personally I much prefer being in and on big hills. The noble art of bike portage is just a means to get there. I'll take a massive day out in the mountains with loads of carrying over a trail centre any day.
This.
A little bit of research would have told you it probably wasn't the best ride to do with a knackered shoulder. And when your rear mech broke somebody was trying to tell you to turn around. Plus there are much better descents in the Lakes for much less effort.
OP you know there was a shortcut cheeky.... but its too late 😆
Ha ha I sold my mountain bike after riding that route gave it all up for three years. Sh*te bike ride, lovely photos 😆
Just out of interest (as I'll never be back there riding) where was the shortcut?
Yes- [b]redacted to save the innocent cheeky trails[/b] 😀
Just had a look on Google maps and I can bloody see it now too!!!
If you do go again- use the cheek' and add in the Green Quarter to your loop. It makes a nice one. Not sure what Gaburn is like now as its been years since I've done it.
Just out of interest (as I'll never be back there riding) where was the shortcut?
Harter Fell I presume. I've done it twice and didn't think much of it. Less pushing than the climb from Haweswater but still lots of it, some of it downhill too which I absolutely despise. It's bad enough walking up the damn hills without having to walk down them too.
And it's not like trail centres are the only other option. I hardly ever ride trail centres. It's just that in the lakes there seems to be no happy medium. Basically if a ride involves more time walking than riding then it's a walk, and most walks would be much more enjoyable without having to drag a 30lb bike around with you.
I flippin' love it. I've done it around five times and even in the pouring rain loved it. The descent from Nan Beild to Haweswater is one of the best in the country.
[img] https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/LUbBpJ7aBMNLhSK2McV-D5hJDaTFnldb_a3FP6b1EzY=w770-h577-no [/img]
[img] https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/8v0tDTV_CSAb4e3rASEKZixMmto_83Qo9kuYPfj2YXQ=w770-h577-no [/img]
[img] https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_7cTxu_3amWPsIz-GIj8HSplW_SrBSnSEWz3JF2wVU1z=w770-h577-no [/img]
[img] https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/zzRsB_BFZyjPG9d3M1cja5syqV8PPfi5Y0mIQs-Bjuw=w770-h577-no [/img]
On the other hand, the chap over there that said you have to ride Gatescarth is out of his mind. That is a rubbish ride, you may as well go to Whinlatter and descend to the valley bottom on a fire road.
Basically if a ride involves more time walking than riding then it's a walk
Nope, it's a day out in the hills, and as such, no better place to be.
Next time I go to the lakes maybe I'll ride some of the natural stuff around Grizedale. Anyone have any decent gpx's?
did that a couple of weeks back. Hard work! One of the less rideable but still good descents I've done.The descent from Nan Beild to Haweswater is one of the best in the country.
It's an acquired taste certainly and if you're walking more of the downs than riding then you (or your mate 🙂 ) has chosen a poor route [i]for you[/i]. Aslong as I can ride 90-95% of the down I'm normally happy.Basically if a ride involves more time walking than riding then it's a walk
Nope, it's a day out in the hills, and as such, no better place to be.
I'd agree with that. We did this ride in February and it was mostly unrideable in the wind we encountered it in (and it's in the new MBR, where they tackled it in better weather and still found it mostly unrideable!), but flippin' 'eck it was a grand day out.
[img] https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/P7jnMVubES_ZfTq_V8KbyFLBc4C5E8poZS6awHmLS79L=w1003-h524-no [/img]
[img] https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/aB0byus6rSWLsI97hCEs2H5JAVizi9e_F04TlNzvwJdD=w770-h577-no [/img]
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Did that "ride" last week... stunning scenery.
[url= https://c4.staticflickr.com/4/3730/18866772769_dace015cb5_o.jp g" target="_blank">https://c4.staticflickr.com/4/3730/18866772769_dace015cb5_o.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/uKc9eF ]IMAG0512[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/dave-lowe/ ]Dave Lowe[/url], on Flickr
Bad luck OP but well done for persevering and trying to get something out of your day. I've had plenty of rides where things have gone wrong or expectations haven't been met but I've found something good to take from the experience. Never regretted a bike ride.
For me an enormous part is just about being there. I've done an awful lot of walking over the years and recently came to the conclusion that a lot of it would have been a more fun with a bike. My attitude might temporarily alter if you asked me about it while carrying up an uphill bog in the rain but that usually is soon eclipsed by some kind of rush.