[Closed] West Yorks Route Advice - Shipley & Gorple Road

Whats the Shipley route?

Shipley Glen, Eldwick, Dick Hudsons, Sconce Lane, Baildon Moor, Shipley Glen.

In other news, that guidebook is rubbish.

Well, in that case it will be wet, muddy and more wet.

Just like any where else I guess 🙄

Oh wait, actually it might take a slightly different route to that. I think that's from the older (and better guide).

There's a much better Bingley Bash variation route that doesn't include those Barcroft west manywells sections

By the looks of it it starts at Salts Mill, along the canal and up to Buck Wood, back round on itself annd to Esholt village, spring Wood, Hawksworth Lan/Lunds Farm, golf course path, ladderbanks lane into Baildon, out of Baildon towards Dobrudden Caravan Park, Sconce Lane, Otley Rd, Golcar Farm, Glen Rd, Trench Wood, back to train station.

Well they're the names in the snapshot of the trail directions if that helps.

I don't mind the Bingley route, it's just damaged now. What's the Bingley Bash route B.A.Nana?

I presume there are more options to Bingley that I'm aware of. When riding the route out of the book there's stuff off Altar Lane that might be interesting although don't know if it's footpaths or not and the same for Harden Moor.

Also at the end of the ride you have to go through the Cottingley estate when there looks to be Black Hills/Cottingley Woods/Golf Course to link up with Beck Foot again.

The Bingley Bash (also known as Hard'en Fast) is probably the route you have. Locally it's basically become a general term for any variant taking in St Ives/Altar Lane, Harden Moor, Barcroft, Cullingworth, Wilsden, finishing in StIves or Cottingley. The guidebook route will miss out all the best bits, because they aren't official ROW, but the variants we do is all owned by BMDC and BMDC permit cycle access on their access land. There is one small section where the BW turns into a footpath, but very wide FP and not an issue IMO.

Edit: Yes Harden Moor needs exploring, owned by BMDC and cycle access is permitted. Cottingley Woods is private land so explore at your own risk, but it's all very good.

King - I've not been up Harden way for a month or so, but I cant see any amount of rain making any routes up there unrideable, just more fun 😀

There are lots of options around Baildon/Harden Moor, mostly a bit cheeky, but locals are all very friendly.

I could email you links to some of my rides I've done on Endmondo if you want to see some of them?

Would post links on here, but as I said, lots of cheeky stuff.

Nana - I always draw a blank on Cottingley Woods ie doing the Bingley Bash (from Baildon) the last bit is always a bit of a disappointment coming the legal way back down the side of Cottingley woods. Am I missing an obvious trick of how to get through the woods, or does it take some finding?

@b.a.nana I've just found the nationaltrail Hard'en Fast pdf. It misses out the Barcroft climb and deviates away from Cottingley and goes into Harden and St Ives. I'll try this the next time I ride that route. Cheers.

@funkydunc As I listen to the heavy rain falling outside nothing seems appealing or fun at present 🙂 Cheeky endomondo routes appreciated. My e-mail address is in my profile. Thanks.

Any riders know what the Gorple Road route is like?

You need to arrange a ride with my Bro-in-Law (mugboo on here) who knows CW like the back of his hand, he's taken a few people out from this forum. I always get lost in there. However, you enter at the wilsden end of Lee Lane and pop out at the top of Gyllwood(sp?) Drive.
Gyllwood Drive descent is always a massive disappointment, but hopefully things will be changing soon, BMDC intend St Ives to become the grand finale to the Bingley Bash.

Cottingley is brilliant, there are loads of tracks in there, fave of mine is the tech line that drops down from the folly, and the path just below the ridge, also a cheeky ridge path, and loads of other stuff, but none of it obvious from the main path through the woods.
Harden is just a trials dream, with rock slabs, and very difficult lines ridden by the trials lads, all worth a go.

KoB you will still miss all the best bits with that route, I recommend you explore [u]ALL[/u] the paths on Harden Moor.

OK, cool. Will make an effort to do a Harden Moor scouting ride one evening soon.

Harden and Bingley are usually quite impervious to the weather, and hold up pretty well.

Even after all the rain Harden Moor was fairly dry yesterday, a few puddles still but very little mud 🙂

My favourite Bingley Bash variant is Simon's^ variant, it's pretty much the only one I do now if I want a good few hours ride up that way, with St Ives or Cottingley Woods to finish.

King - YHM

Edit: Yes I go up Lee Lane, down the short BW to Fox Croft Lane, through Cottingley on to Ghyll Wood Drive.

There must be some nice stuff from the start of Lee Lane through the woods 8)

Thanks Dunc

Go on then Simon, spill the beans 🙂

At work at the moment, but I'll reply later with a route description or maybe even gpx.

KOB is the Bingley route you do the one out of the old "Mountain Bike Guide - West Yorks" by Nick Dutton-Taylor?

No it's the new V Graphics West Yorks / South Pennine book.

Not got a copy of that but I'm guessing the Harden route is similar to the one in the old book I've got if it goes from Barcroft to Cullingworth and then up West Manywells.
Do you use Strava? If you do I can link to a version of the ride B.A.Nana refers to and give you some pointers. If not I can email you with a route description.

Is the route in Benji's book like this

YGM

YGM back 😀

Having ridden this today I feel qualified to talk about the conditions of various bits: http://app.strava.com/rides/esholt-wilsden-haworth-bingley-13377326?sref=1MT1yaWRlX3NoYXJlOzI9ZmFjZWJvb2s7ND0yMDg3NDk%253D

First up, Esholt is still a ****ing mess. It should be left alone by everyone except the downhillers at the moment in my opinion.

I didn't go into Shipley today but was there during the week and the glen was holding up fine but the moor was sodden. Irresponsible to ride on the lines down from the caravan park, again, in my opinion

The Bingley Loop's holding up pretty well mud wise but some major (major) water damage in st ives and on the wilsden steps. These make the former harder and the latter easier so just keep an eye out if it's an area you know well.

If I were going to head to anywhere from today it would be up above Haworth. That's all drained about as well as can be expected and aside from Thornton moor was pretty much mud free. Even that wasn't too bad. Stairs Lane's taken a battering and definitely felt a bit more tech than it did a couple of months back.

Hope that helps anyone planning on heading out tomorrow.

That was a long ride 😯

I've still got my one and only KOM 8)

Well, my girlfriend's in London so I thought I'd take advantage. Think next time I'd take more than just a scotch egg to eat though.

Not likely that it'll be beaten for a while incidentally, it's a lot rougher down there than it was.

Great day for it, I'm rather sunburnt after a day at Lee Quarry watching the Weekender. 😳

Ahhhh, I was wondering where the people were, aside from the tow path I didn't see a rider all day. I just assumed it was Tour Fever and everyone was squeezing their beerguts into the full lycra.

lemonysam
where is the major (major) water damage in StIves?

The main line parallel to the road. The whole thing has gone from being lovely fast and flowing to rocky and heavily rutted. Actually I probably overstated it a bit (plus I was pretty knackered by that point so I might have been being a pansy), it's all perfectly ridable just not as fast as it was - but it was a bit of a shock how much it had changed in character in the six months or so since I last did it.

Ah OK, the very bottom bit of that BW can be crazy sometimes, it seems to change often.

There's a nasty channel from the drop at the top to the sandy stuff & a pile of sand before the bends that's robs all your speed...

Don't mind the nasty channel. Don't like the muddy S bend before the rooty section starts.

maybe we should rent a self loader to move material back up the hill and repair the damage? 🙂

Christ that was some ride Lemonysam ! Big distance and hills 😯

We were in St Ives last night and the PBW descent is indeed massively more rutted from water damage, didn't go down as far as the constructed stuff, but apparently it's a bit of a mess. Someone has been cheeky building a parallel line with drops and stuff, didn't look like it had been ridden for a while tho.

Funkydunc, can i be really cheeky and ask for your routes too?
i like to try out new routes around us.

If so hrc_montyAThotmailDOTcom 😀

FunkyDunc:
Cheers, it was all pretty steady to be honest plus the tow path bumps up the distance quite a bit. The loop of Harden, Wilsden, Cullingworth, Coblin Farm, Thornton, Stairs Lane, Haworth Moor, St Ives would be a proper classic though.

Stairs Lane climb, a true test indeed.

First time up I only just got to the farm. Twas a happy day the day I cleaned it 🙂