Hi,
I'm currently trying to put together a weekend away in the Lakes and I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations of nice places to stay near good riding.
Ideally looking for a top quality bunkhouse that will hire out for a weekend.
Also, I've got plenty of routes in the Lakes (mainly from the likes of MBR and a couple of previous rides with Keswick MTB) but would be interested in any recommendations for good rides in the area. After copping lots of flak for my recent route choices (particularly the hike a bike a thon of Loch Muick), routes with minimal carrying of bike would be good!
Cheers,
James.
try here, Dinah Hoggus camping barn, right on the Borrowdale Bash route.
http://www.lakelandcampingbarns.co.uk/barnview.asp?ID=4
It does depend on your definition of "top quality" though, the location certainly is.
Ambleside YHA is great a bit of a step up from a barn and loads of good riding vary close. get routes from Biketreks great local shop.
Ayup. We swear by Coniston as a base for the best biking anywhere. There's two YHA's nearby (Coniston and Hawkshead). Trails include ;
* Lots between Coniston / Torver / Walna Scar.
* Many over the Blawith fells, loads in Grizedale (difficult without accurate map reading!) Well worth it if you can find em.
* North Face trail in Grizedale
* Masses around Loughrigg.
* Classic loops around Tilberthwaite.
oh yes, and all within 5 miles of the door. Keswick to me is very limited.
Further afield you've got the trails past Walna Scar down towards Broughton Mills.
We stayed at Hawkshead YHA at Christmas, twelve of us, superb riding, have some good GPS routs courtesy of SFB and the bogtrotters, good pubs and food, highly recommended!
I liked the big Coniston campsite on the west side of the lake just fine, but I've heard of some people having awful experiences there
Last time I slept at Dinah Hoggus it snowed inside the sleeping area! No felt on the roof and a very low pitch, what fun we had!
Depends on what you want from the break really; just good biking or good biking and decent places to go out in the evening. If the latter, then I would look at Ambleside, Backpackers or YHA, and make sure you go to the Royal Oak for beers because it's a great pub.
There is lots of good riding around Ambleside; Kentmere, Grizedale, Helvellyn, Walna Scar, etc., are all within rideable distance and mainly possible to get to/from using decent bridleways as well, without too much map reading.
We've got a few routes in the Lake District on our site if its any help..
[url= http://www.justgoride.co.uk/Content/Routes/Routes.aspx?srch=lake ]Routes in the Lake District.. [/url]
what about looking at the Lakes YHA hostels?. I think they are around £18 per night for non members and usually you can get a group room.
Coniston is a great base and there is plenty of accomodation there too.
Riding wise, Walna, Blawith, Duddon Valley, Tilberthwaite, Langdale all within easy reach, and that not even mentioning Grizedale where you could easy spend 2 days riding and not cover the same trail.
Hawkshead YHA is even better than Coniston YHA. Ambleside backpackers was awful and the bloke there was a creepy pervert.
I've found both Keswick and Borrowdale YHAs to be nice places to stay with quality riding on their doorsteps.
Tick
So, YHA is the option then. Any other options that are a bit more fancy (bad experiences recently with YHA).
You've got B&B's coming out of your ears in Ambleside...and Hawkshead...and Coniston.
The Church House in Torver is my fave pub food in the whole area, not sure if they do accom ?