I am heading over to the lakes this weekend with some mates, we are camping in Glenridding on Fri and Sat. We are planning to do a Highstreet ride straight from the campsite on Sat morning, and wondered what routes people would recommend. I enjoyed the article in this months mag on this route, but it didn't give a route to follow. I have heard it can be very wet up there, I am in North Yorkshire and it is currently very dry with a good forecast for the weekend, has anyone got any current condition info.
Also what is the best option for a pal to hire a bike, we were keen to do a long ride and then fall into a pub. So the least hassle for picking up and dropping off a bike the better.
Cheers
Bike hire wise, the only one I know near there is at the boat hire place on Ullswater at Glenridding "St Patrick's Boat Landing". They advertise "mountain bike" hire but I've never actually seen them so I don't know if they'd be suitable for "proper" MTBing.
Route-wise, from Glenridding, I guess starting off up to Boredale Hause would be a nice (?) warm up for the legs, not sure the best way from there off the top of my head so I could well be talking utter rubbish. Something that brings you out at Pooley Bridge or Howtown would seem like a good idea so you could get the boat back, seeing as how you're in Glenridding..
If it's wet on top this week of Indian Summer isn't going to dry things out, expect it to be soggy and hard going! After the wet summer it'd take a decent dry spell to make conditions really favourable.
Ride through Patterdale to Hartsop, up Boredale, along the top, drop down to Cockpit, turn left and come back along the east shore of Ullswater, back around the southern end and return through Patterdale. Or, as suggested above, steamer back if you're pushing it time wise.
Bike hire - if you want something that'll handle the route probably best bet is Biketreks or Ghyllside in Ambleside but they're both a trek over Kirkstone...
Just a word of warning about the "back along the east shore of Ullswater" bit - if the weather stays nice this weekend it's likely to be rammed with walkers / families unless you're there really early / late in the day, particularly the Patterdale end. Lovely riding though when it's clear...
I'm I best looking at doing a route round helvellyn or even the borrowdale bash then?
If the weather stays good everywhere will be busy in the Lakes...! The steamer back up Ullswater would be a good idea to avoid the honeytrap around the shore but they too will be busy. Helvellyn might be a better idea as it's more open trails so more room for everybody to coexist in peace and harmony. Plus, it'll be a damn sight less boggy than High Street...
hire a bike in keswick, back of skiddaw or corner of skiddaw graba a bite to eat in keswick if needed then around the bash drop off bike go to pub.
Yet to see a busy lakes offroad!!!
Rich
Tis very moist on the tops!
We did high street backwards to get the sublime bit of cheeky trail by angle tarn in the other week. Its wet but it ain't that bad. It was all rideable up didn't get bogged down, so wouldn't worry too much.