A Dales one: the summit of Buckden Pike down to Starbotton. Probably the biggest descent in the Dales, not technical but a blast.
Definitions of best vary but that's certainly a visually stunning one, I actually got vertigo at the top, which is rare for me in the UK. We approached from Walden Head which I wouldn't want to do again as it's a bit of a hike and as the lady in the cottage told us nobody uses bridleway so doesn't really exist any more (there's an alternative path parallel). There's actually a track further back on Temple Lane which would be an easier ride most of the way up the Walden side, not marked as a RoW but I've been thinking of going up that way sometime.
continuity
Ullock is good because it is technical enough to be interesting, but flows well enough that you can let the brakes go and properly hoon down.
Now don't get me wrong, Ullock is one of my favourites (ridden it twice), but you must be a fair bit better than me on a bike and have ridden Ullock a good few times. For it to flow you must have to know the lines as I found I had to double back a couple of times having missed the ridable line and there's one section in the middle that I haven't got the bottle to ride!
As for a favourite, don't know, to many to choose from, but it'd be in the Lakes! Never ventured further North than the Tweed Valley in Scotland but it's on the list to do in the next couple of years.
I walked up Skiddaw with my 7 year old (at the time) daughter via Ullock Pike a little while back. Conditions were horrific. I remember looking at a couple of sections thinking how on earth does a bike get down this? We used hands on a couple of bits to get up
Well above my skill level!
For me, the best descents are often ones that are full of memories or the situation. Weather, company, tiredness levels etc
One of my favourites is the three witches descent in the lakes. I've only done it once. I was bikepacking and the weather was atrocious, even the locals were saying how bad it was. I was knackered, hungry, lower half was soaked and really wanted to stop for a bit. Didn't know the descent was coming, how long it would go on for, or that it would drop us at the pub we would stop at for dinner. Absolutely brilliant
It's also not a steep nadgery tech fest that you're worried about binning it on
We approached from Walden Head which I wouldn’t want to do again as it’s a bit of a hike and as the lady in the cottage told us nobody uses bridleway so doesn’t really exist any more (there’s an alternative path parallel). There’s actually a track further back on Temple Lane which would be an easier ride most of the way up the Walden side, not marked as a RoW but I’ve been thinking of going up that way sometime.
We went up from Walden Head - not something I'd wish to repeat TBH. The bit above the track that traverses the hillside was weird: a plastic netting nailed down on top of the heather, a bit like riding on top of a stack of mattresses.
Probably a better way to get up to the top would be up Raikes Wood from Buckden then just accept that you'll be pushing up the marked BW to the summit.
Hmmm... Ullock is amazing, and on a late summer evening chasing your mates dust clouds into the setting sun it really is hard to beat. But I do think there are a couple of better ones in the Lakes (Whiteless is the first that springs to mind).
The biggest issue I have with Ullock is that there's an inordinate amount of schlepping back on the road once you've ridden it which kills the buzz a little. Also, the climb up Skiddaw in the first place is an absolute ballache.
@pothead – this off piste descent from Whinlatter, is it easy to find?
I know of 2, both are a few trails linked together, 1 starts on the north loop and 1 on the south and has a climb in the middle on a footpath from near the blue loop, pretty sure both can be found on trailforks
In hindsight, while both are worth searching out, they aren't actually close to the Skiddaw/Ullock Pike descent
South Wales has some of the best.
this is one of them.
For a mincer like me, Conwy Mountain or Llanberis Quarry.
The Lady Anne Clifford Highway is fast and long and totally mince. Lovely.
Slight part missing through the trees from the end but Heartbreak ridge was insane
Just awesome from start to finish
Beinn fhada (officially) goes from the pass (or bealach) rather than the summit, although I’m sure the summit has been done (in fact I think Mctrail rider has clip’s on YouTube with both!
South Wales has some of the best.
this is one of them.
That looks great, and really long.
I had a few days in South Wales this spring doing big rides at Afan Masts, Barry Sidings and Risca - I'm led to believe I only scratched the surface.
Did sprinkling tarn loop from Borrowdale this morning - definitely up there as a great UK descent - a lot of variability like Nobeer says upthread. Very testing but rideable with it.
Needed to be good, mind. My Gosh the hiking, 3.5 hours to go 14 miles 🤔
What is Grains Gill like?
Bottom of Ben damph is lovely as well!
Any descent that drops you at a pub on a summers evening is the best.
It's all subjective to bikes company and weather plus how you feel on the day!
Rode Heart Break Ridge a few weeks back. It was so good I nearly rode back up, just for the pleasure of coming back down again. Best trail I've ridden in a long time, with my now favourite decent.
@Garry_Lager
Grains Gill has got one tricky stepped section, but is generally good. Definitely worth doing if you've not done it before
@pothead – this off piste descent from Whinlatter, is it easy to find?
well easy. just pops off the main fire road climb on the north loop.. you can pick it up a from a couple of places but best to climb to the very top and do the whole garbanzo. full on!
Quantocks for twisty, fast, stream crossing downhills that can be looped again and again. Smiths Combe always used to be a winner.
To justify Beinn Fhada, and depress me further, it's 8.5km long (ish) drops something like 500m off the belach to sea level all on rideable flowy singletrack with spectacular scenery at the end of a fairly wild feeling circuit. At the top it's got rocky nadgery, in the middle there is some decent exposed moorland valley side trails before the bottom flattens out into a faster meandering blast with drainage ditch hops before finishing through the fields.
Smiths and Weacombe have lost their charm as I've become a more skilled rider over the years. I'd not put them on the shortlist.
I thought this
style="font-size: 0.8rem;">a Ws on the Annat side but I could be wrong!</span>
That in the video is mainly Achnashellach, most the funpark segment.
Some cutting and diving around on direction to confuzzle the viewer.
For me it’s the lower section of the descent to Achnashellach from Coire Laire. (The top section is gash)
As others have said, it’s a real mix of super grippy, loose, fast and flows really well. It’s just the right gradient that I’m able to get off the brakes most of the way down but is steep enough that I hardly have to pedal.
I’ll caveat this that I’ve not done any of the big Lakes descents.
For me it’s the lower section of the descent to Achnashellach from Coire Laire. (The top section is gash)
I really enjoy the upper section as well. What's not to like about it?
I really enjoy the upper section as well. What’s not to like about it?
It has turned into a washed out rubbly mess recently.
Needs to be done on rigid singlespeed for the retro experience.
Ullock pike is special
Whiteless is also very fun
Sprinkling tarn and Sty head I didnt rate
Fairfield again a giggle
Warnscale and a return via RiggBeck is a day to remember 😉
Dalehead Maiden moor and down to Grange although cheeky is also a challenge on the alpine esk step switchbacks .
Ingleborough is a bit of fun too
I really want to get further north than Golife next month which in the wet 4 weeks ago tested my eyes in the woods I can tell thee. Ben Ledi and Vorlach are targets and like most i do steal routes from Andy (Mc Trail Rider )
Push up from Llyn Crafnant and descend to Capel Curig. Not super techie but lovely.
Oh and the descent of Moel Fferna near Glyndyfrwydy
It appears out of all the above descents, I've done one of them. Nan Bield. And the top bits were too hard for me, but once in the switchbacks and below it was pretty good.
I have niether the time nor inclination to read this thread but the title piqued my interest.
The fast fire road descent into Fort William, it's never, ever Fort Bill unless your a James Hunt. Scottish people never say that, neither should you...
Needed to be good, mind. My Gosh the hiking, 3.5 hours to go 14 miles
I don't measure days like that by distance, it's kinda pointless, do it by ascent instead, ditto hillwalking days.
And very much this...
Scottish people never say that, neither should you…
@jonundercover
Full Member
South Wales has some of the best.
this is one of them.
I'm going to ride this tomorrow (or at least I'm going to try to find it), in fact I'm driving up tonight. Proper excited, this should have been our Golfie weekend but weather has sent us to S Wales instead, pretty sure we won't be disappointed
But until I've tried that I agree with @boardinbob and @hainman, Heartbreak Ridge is the best ride I've done in the UK, we did Mastermind and another track on the opposite side of the hill that day then camped in the woods overnight and it was in the middle of the best bike trip I've ever done so it has a bit extra for me at least
My favourite natural trails are all in the lakes and my favourite homemadetrails are all in Scotland.
For the former in going with helvellyn... sticks pass onto seldom seen. Though I could have said whiteless or ullock pike.
For the latter is even harder but I'm going with waterworld at golfie. It has everything and it's the one I always have to ride. Could have said anything on the Tweed or Dee though.
There's also a popular trail at Atholl Hill in Dunkeld, which is one of the most-fun I've ridden in recent years. Lovely combination of tech & flow.
Not on Trailforks, but if you've ridden it you'll probably know the one I mean.
There's a couple of Lakes descents mentioned I'm not familiar with. Any pointers would be appreciated.
Rigg beck - is it the FP running alongside the beck? Follow it all the way from Buttermere?
Dalehead Maiden moor and down to Grange - From Dale Head down to the tarn, along to Maiden Moor then join BW past Black Crag?
It has turned into a washed out rubbly mess recently.
It's been like that for a while, I still rather enjoy it as it contrasts with the lower bit.
Beinn fhada (officially) goes from the pass (or bealach) rather than the summit, although I’m sure the summit has been done (in fact I think Mctrail rider has clip’s on YouTube with both!
I've ridden from the summit. It's good but not as good as the descent from the bealach. I've said before that I think it to be the longest vertical drop of any rideable descent in the UK. Ben Nevis would obviously be more but it's not all rideable unless you're right skilly.
I'm going to throw the Sgurr Ban slabs in. It's a mile of continuous bedrock on what looks like marble smooth quartzite that fortunately turns out to have plenty of grip. Starts from 800m and descends to 250m, getting steeper and steeper, following exposed diagonal lines on rock at nearly staircase angle. There's a huge overlap to drop off (2.5m?) for the really hardcore,apart from that all ridable.
Sgurr Ban is in very remote Fisherfield, you start 5 miles west of Braemore junction following Loch Bhraoin then a bit of pushing. The main rock tongue above Loch Nid is hiked up then ridden down. Route continues down the glen then up past An Teallach to the road. The huge quartzite escarpment to the north of the Coire Halle track here needs some serious scoping out by someone.
I’m going to throw the Sgurr Ban slabs in. It’s a mile of continuous bedrock on what looks like marble smooth quartzite that fortunately turns out to have plenty of grip. Starts from 800m and descends to 250m, getting steeper and steeper, following exposed diagonal lines on rock at nearly staircase angle. There’s a huge overlap to drop off (2.5m?) for the really hardcore,apart from that all ridable.
Sgurr Ban is in very remote Fisherfield, you start 5 miles west of Braemore junction following Loch Bhraoin then a bit of pushing. The main rock tongue above Loch Nid is hiked up then ridden down. Route continues down the glen then up past An Teallach to the road. The huge quartzite escarpment to the north of the Coire Halle track here needs some serious scoping out by someone.
I’ve added this thread to my favourites so I can do this ride. I remember someone (probably yourself) describing these slabs years ago and promised myself I’d ride them……and haven’t 😳.
Cheers for the reminder 👍
There’s a couple of Lakes descents mentioned I’m not familiar with. Any pointers would be appreciated.
Rigg beck – is it the FP running alongside the beck? Follow it all the way from Buttermere?
Dalehead Maiden moor and down to Grange – From Dale Head down to the tarn, along to Maiden Moor then join BW past Black Crag?
Bump on this - anyone able to point me in the right direction please?
Aye, from Buttermere, it basically mirrors along the north of newlands pass, heading west to newlands. It was alright, nice bit of singletrack, but I don't recall it being great.
Buttermere-side is Sale Beck, Braithwaite-side is Rigg Beck. Stoneycroft up, Rigg Beck down is a popular quick blast for us locals, although the descent is pretty much always wet.
Aye, it was soaking. The climb up was a horrible surface to pedal, prompting one mate to say that it was like pedalling on Archie McPherson's* hair.
Which it has been known as on Strava ever since. 😂
*Scottish fitba legend
What about the descent from above Cotterdale to Hardraw? Not remotely technical, but fast and ... fun! Also, in a similar vein is the descent from the calf to Sedbergh. Ullock Pike is way beyond my skill level.
Of those I've ridden...
Skiddaw into Ullock. 95% awesome, but the (for me) not easily rideable sections spoil the flow.
Helvellyn into Stick's Pass and Seldom Seen. Great apart from the boggy traverse into the top of Seldom Seen.
Rigg Beck from Crag Hill/Sail. Nothing really tricky, just a long, flowy singletrack descent.
The Cobbler. If you can be there when there are no walkers...
My personal favourite though, is still over from Watendlath into Braithwaite. Not super long, not super tech, but has a bit of everything and keeps you on your toes enough to be proper fun.
EDIT. Just occurred to me on reflection that I quite like riding in The Lakes...
@parkedtiger, up stoney croft then up the reddish single-track to the little col at end of sail, then straight over into rigg beck? Is that correct and about 90mins?
