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Looking at doing a Malham to Settle back loop. Is there consensus as to which bridleway is best in which direction? Or if I'm starting at Malham should my route be clockwise or anticlockwise? And should the section of bridleway that connects the North and South bridleways nearish Malham come into play?
Attermire to Settle is the bit to do downhill I'd say, over the Low Barn way which is the uphill on the classic Settle loop.
On route - I'd go up the road to the left(west) of the Cove, and take the second bridleway you come to on the left. There's a bit of climb and a bridleway goes off on the left after about a kilometer. Don't take this, stay on the main (sandy, smooth, fast blast) track, which takes you across the moor to Victoria Cave and Attermire scars, and then down to the road on a corner, then take the bridleway that goes off almost immediately on the left down to settle and which is quite fun. For return to Malham, I'd personally just ride up the steep road that goes from Upper Settle, though you'll see there is a slightly less steep road and (Pennine) bridleway option, then follow Stockdale Lane (marked as a BW but tarmac at first) which becomes a rocky then grassy climb then though a couple of gates to where it forks . The right hand fork takes you down to the road you started on, and I confess to never having ridden it, but it's part of some classic rides. The left hand fork takes you back down to the first fast BW -
If you want a longer loop follow this then BW then road round Malham Tarn, then Mastiles Lane, then Stockdale Lane to Weets Top, and a fun ride down to Calton, road back.
clockwise or anticlockwise? And should the section of bridleway that connects the North and South bridleways nearish Malham come into play?
Anticlockwise, and the connector BW is a quick grassy downhill, part of the longer loop above, good to ride but not worth going out of your way for.
Thank you!
Sorry to give the opposite opinion, but my recommendation would be to do the Stockdale Lane descent, so from Malham that's clockwise, not anticlockwise.
The best off-road loop from Malham is to take the BW which runs roughly parallel with Cove Road northwards until it meets Cove Road about halfway up. Go up Cove Road for a few hundred yards (steep) then take a BW which goes left and continues climbing up to the top of the Stockdale descent (big pile of stones) follow this down to Stockdale Farm, quite rough in places, then whizz down the tarmac to join the Airton - Settle road.
Turn R, then almost immediately leave the road and follow the BW (Lambert Lane) that drops and bends round to join Mitchell Lane. The old route of the Settle Loop just went down on tarmac, but you want to turn left, climb slightly and then look for a BW on the right which goes to Lodge Farm.
There you head down on smoothish track almost to the road, but there is a new BW (marked Brockhole Lane on the map) which goes into the middle of Settle.
Then just the standard Settle Loop up past the co-op, out to the road above Langcliffe and then onwards to Langscar Gate. You can either turn down towards Malham at this point or extend it a bit by heading for Malham Tarn, along Mastiles Lane for a bit, back on yourself to Smearbottoms Lane (yes, really), then up to Weets Top and down to Calton/Airton, returning to Malham on road.
Sorry to give the opposite opinion
clearly spending too much time on the politics threads...
I don't think there's a vast amount in it. I guess I'm more familiar with stockdale up as I used to park at the top of the road climb when riding with my kids, so I could leave them in Settle at the end of the ride whilst I nipped up the road for the car. We are not talking mega gnarl here...Though the footpath down from Attermire also gets ridden judging by the tracks, which may be worth a go.
The main advantage is that clockwise is 100 percent rideable by most riders, whereas Stockdale up will require some pushing by most. And at least the Stockdale way down has a bit of rougher ground on it, whereas the Gorbeck Road is steady doubletrack pretty much all the way.
On a gravel bike I'd recommend the other direction, but not a mountain bike.
I'd agree with that. Stockdale Lane is a fun descent (slippy when wet!).
Yeah, I'd always do Stockdale to Settle as a downhill. I'm actually over that way on Wednesday if the forecast stays good, starting at Hellifield Station. I hadn't realised that Brockhole Lane is now a BW - it's still a footpath on the 1:50,000, but changes to a BW when you zoom in to 1:25,000.
I hadn’t realised that Brockhole Lane is now a BW – it’s still a footpath on the 1:50,000, but changes to a BW when you zoom in to 1:25,000.
Bing Maps still has it as FP, even on the 1:25,000. It's nothing special, just a nice singletrack between stone walls, but anything that keeps you off-road for a bit longer is worthwhile.
Why Hellifield? Are you coming from the Manchester side?
I just want to have a look around this mahoosive ornate 1880s railway station I've passed through many times, that has absolutely no reason to be there next to a little village in a modern context!
Well, it does have a cafe! Not many legal routes up out of the place though (except the A65!)
Ditto clockwise. Good to hear Brockhole Lane has now been upgraded. Ridden it scores of times over the years & it gave a nice wheel/tyre wash just before the car park.
Thanks for the input.
I went anti clockwise and feel that was the best direction. All in all, just what I was after, a good spin for the legs, head space in amazing scenery and scouting potential rides and walks for the family.
Yes clockwise would have the couple of small tech sections but not enough to warrant the worse overall loop. For me nothing kills a route like descending on road, so the 2nd half of Stockdale would have spoiled it. No need to push at any point although a few dabs on pointy, slippy limestone.
Brockhole Lane was a good call, and there's a BW sign at the Lodge Road junction. Seems a better option than the road or all the way to the start of Lodge Road.
Weets Top to Calton is a very fun descent but living near Skipton I'd do that from Hetton.
I also asked ChatGPT just to test it, now I'm scared:
The Malham Settle mountain bike loop, located in the Yorkshire Dales, can be ridden either clockwise or anti-clockwise, and the choice largely depends on your preference for terrain and challenge.
Clockwise: Riding the loop clockwise typically allows for a more gradual ascent and a steeper descent. This direction might be preferable if you enjoy having a challenging climb at the start followed by a more exhilarating and faster descent towards the end.
Anti-Clockwise: Going anti-clockwise usually means tackling steeper climbs but having a more gradual and potentially more technical descent. This direction can be more rewarding for those who prefer a more technical and controlled descent, as well as for riders who relish the challenge of steeper climbs.
Ultimately, the best direction to ride the Malham Settle mountain bike loop depends on your personal riding style and what kind of experience you're seeking. It might be worth trying both directions to see which you prefer!
Do you have a link to your ride for the lazy ones to not have to creste it from your story above please?