[Closed] Mrs friendly routes in't Dales?

The Dales isnt particularly technical as you are riding )mainly on grassy tracks along the side of fields.

I quite like the route that starts at Ribble Head and goes round the back of Whernside to Dent and back over.

She doesn't mind the hills, it's just the techy and loose stuff she's still a bit twitchy on.

A popular easy route starts Horton-in-Ribblesdale & goes north to High Birkwith. Swing left on Pennine Bridleway to Selside then over the fells south towards Clapham. At end of Long Lane go left (R goes to Clapham & tunnels) to Austwick & follow BWs to Feizor. Elaine's cafe is a good place to stop. Follow Pennine Bridleway signs to road & follow to Helwith Bridge & onto Horton. Great views & nothing gnarly 🙂
Blind Beck cafe half mile north of Horton is better than 3-Peaks cafe IMHO

tunnels and bridges out of clapham stop at fiezor cafe for coffee and bun.

A variation on the route that @pennine suggests.

Start at the top of Buckhaw Brow (or in Feizor but limited parking) and take road heading to Feizor. At road junction where you can turn for Feizor go across and take BW to join Pennine Bridleway. Follow this over clapper bridge to Austwick then along lane towards Clapham, turn R onto Long Lane and follow this to end (will probably require pushing the last climb) then continue on grassy tracks to Sulber Nick. You can keep going as far as you want here but you'll head back the same way. On the way back, at the high point instead of going down Long Lane keep left on one of several tracks for a grassy descent to Crummackdale farm. Along farm road and take first left to Wharfe (keep right when approaching Wharfe). In Wharfe go right as soon as you hit tarmac and follow the BW by the beck. At the road turn left then first right and eventually join the PBW on your outward route. Follow this to Feizor CAFE!!!!! Take road out of village to initial road junction.

If you look at a map, all the above should be fairly obvious as there's not a lot of BWs to cause confusion.

I enjoyed this 15 miler the other weekend. The climb up to Addlebrough is best done after a dry spell. Nothing too technical on this at all. [url= https://www.strava.com/activities/941491607 ]https://www.strava.com/activities/941491607[/url]

The VG guides books to the Dales are a fantastic way to get some ideas and inspiration.

Popping on to bookmark this for ideas

As already said, there is virtually nothing tech in the southern Yorkshire Dales. This one out of settle is pretty decent [url= http://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/visit-the-dales/get-outdoors-dales/mountain-biking/mountain-biking-routes/mtb-routes/mtb-route-settleloop/mtb-settle_loop.pdf ]settle loop[/url] we usually park in layby on the B6480 and join the route by lodge farm. also you can extend it at the east end by various means incl. a circuit of malham tarn

The route I mention is a very slight variation on [url= http://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/visit-the-dales/get-outdoors-dales/mountain-biking/mountain-biking-routes/mtb-routes/mtb-route-tunnelsbridges/mtb-tunnels_and_bridges.pdf ]this route[/url] starting at the mast symbol just out of Feizor and a little bit of singletrack out of Wharfe rather than the vehicle track.

Settle loop or the lanes around austwick/clapham are obvious choices. Malham tarn over to Littondale and back might work too (mid-ride lunch in Litton/Kilnsey).

Never seen it drier than it is right now.

I can confirm the dryness of every perma-bog in the Dales!

Tunnels and Bridges is an excellent choice for a newbie. I did it with my lass a few weeks back. If you start at Buckhaw or Feizor, as suggested, or Austwick, you avoid a bit of a grunty climb out of Clapham to start - the descent through the tunnels is great fun though.

As Whitestone says, you should climb Long Lane rather than descend it ie do the loop clockwise. It's a bit more of a pain at the start, but the fast grassy descent that follows is a good 'un for a beginner, as is the singletrack down to Wharfe.

I wouldn't do Settle Loop - in both directions the climb out of Settle is a bit dispiriting at times. Climbing Stockdale will be tough, and I'm guessing she would not enjoy descending it either.

Lots of variants on threshfield moor, this is the one I usually do, anticlockwize
[IMG] [/IMG]

Threshfield would be ace right now. You'd certainly probably beat my best time down the Weets Top descent... 🙂

Boss Moor is probably bone dry at the moment, even the really boggy bit.

B.A. Nana's route is one we do fairly regularly in an evening so it's not a super long ride. It's certainly not technical, even at speed.

some or all of the surfaced single track had been resurfaced last year, probably trashed again by now tho.

Boss Moor is probably bone dry at the moment, even the really boggy bit.

Definitely is.

I think this is a good ride for what you describe.

[url= http://brigantes.at/Yorkshire_Dales/Horton_in_Ribblesdale.html ]Horton In Ribblesdale Route[/url]

Nice rolling grassing downhill. Only a short more technical section. Return leg on road past some nice Pubs.

^ that route might be improved by coming down through crummack dale into the top of wharfe rather than going all the way to clapham. IMO.

Thanks everyone! Cafe recommendations is something i forgot completely but is a sensible addition in order to avoid the sporadic bouts of hanger-rage 🙂 Thanks those with foresight ; )

@thecaptain, yeah that's a good thought given the brief. OP. Let us know where you went and how it was.

Hetton up to Wheets top on Thursday was like the Sahara, it was drier than a nuns ####. Nothing technical around there and not much in the way of thigh burning ascents other than a couple of short sharp rises.

Nidderdale

Start in lofthouse and take the road upto scar house res which is a steady climb. Loop round the res keeping it on your right. Then head back over the tops across to middlesmoor. This bit isn't pleasant but you can just push up some of the steeper rockier parts. Once at the top its a nice loooong downhill back to the start. Comes in at about 12 miles.

Did it with the missus last year and she enjoyed the views and the downhill sections.

We did the route I suggested this afternoon - 22Km with 400m of ascent, this is starting at the top of Buckhaw Brow. At the moment the only reason your bike will get wet is if you chose to ride through the becks rather than over the bridges. A couple of hours just going steady.

@jaylittle - the BW between Scar House Res and Middlesmoor has been sanitised, Martinhutch posted something about it recently.

I've never managed the climb to the top, sounds like i'm out of excuses now!

Then head back over the tops across to middlesmoor. This bit isn't pleasant but you can just push up some of the steeper rockier parts. Once at the top its a nice loooong downhill back to the start. Comes in at about 12 miles.

It's sanitised but a couple of sections still demand a little bit of caution for a newbie. I would recommend going the other way, but the drop into Woo Gill with its ballbearings on concrete would be terrifying!

Yep Jay, probably quite a steady climb for the most part.

I expect OP is back and cursing us by now.