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Looking for a riding & social weekend for early spring next year. Everyone in the group is moderately fit but technical ability varies quite a bit so can't go with anything too tech. Furthest north are coming from Scottish central belt, furthest south from Bristol, so want something roughly in the middle. Need somewhere with good food & drink for the evenings as probably rather just head out than sit in a cottage in middle of nowhere cooking for ourselves.
Currently thinking Hebden Bridge would be fun, good mix between riding & socialising, but there is so many options around "The North" that I have never been to myself so not sure where else is worth considering.
A bunkhouse somewhere in the Lakes for me, so many options, loads of different levels of riding, good pubs and food.
I've found that with mixed groups, proper trail centres work best. They've always got a central meeting point at the trails are always marked so it's harder to get lost and it's easier to deal with a mixed ability group as people can go off on different trails if needed.
Coed y Brenin would have been my suggestion though it doesn't meet your geographical needs.
No make it fair traveling wise you are looking at peak district or dales
The best trail centre I’ve ridden is Glentress by a country mile, but probably too far north for the Brizzle riders.
Hebden wouldn't be my first thought, likely to be muddy in early spring and it can be difficult to put a good ride together without an informed guide.
South Lakes might be the best bet.
I’ve found that with mixed groups, proper trail centres work best.
I agree with @Lunge. South Wales gives loads of options including Cwmcarn, Afan and obviously BPW too.
No make it fair traveling wise you are looking at peak district or dales
This.
The Peak is brilliant for such a weekend IMO.
South Wales gives loads of options including Cwmcarn, Afan and obviously BPW too.
A good 7-8 hours drive from Central Scotland.
South Wales gives loads of options including Cwmcarn, Afan and obviously BPW too.
A good 7-8 hours drive from Central Scotland.
Yeah, true. Just thinking variety for a mixed group and loads of options. Long way from Central Scotland though, granted.
I'm going to get howled at by some on here, but the Mary Townley Loop is a great option for something like this (and I speak from the experience of doing something like this, with a similar "moderately fit but technical ability varies" kind of group, on the Mary Towneley loop)
Book somewhere to stay in Hebden, get there Friday, beers, food etc. On Saturday, drive to the northern end (we started near Waterfoot/Lumb), and leave cars there, and spend the day riding back to Hebden. More beers/food, then on Sunday you ride the remaining bit of the loop back to the cars.
It worked really, really well when we did it. Those howling at me will say that it misses much of the best riding in the area, and it probably does, but these kind of weekends (IMO) are more about the spending time with folks you've not seen for ages and chatting about stuff while you bimble along, rather than being radical gnarr-fests.
North Wales trail centres, maybe do snowdon too?
There's tons of great riding in Dyfi valley, but need a bit of local knowledge
@IHN has a good suggestion there. I've done a couple of weekenders round the Mary Townley Loop, it's a nice ride
I'd agree with the louth Lakes and Peak District suggestions. Whilst I realise that it is partly ( mainly?) a social thing, I think it would pain me to drive that far from Scotland an ride a TC.
Castleton or Edale are the obvious locations in the Peak.
Ambleside in the Lakes
Is one allowed to publicise one's own services here?
Is one allowed to publicise one’s own services here?
Makes a change from you leaving those cards in phone boxes 😉
South Lakes, there are plenty of low level, far less technical routes, and it's just a fab place.
Another vote for the Mary Towneley Loop. We did it exactly as IHN described, although he probably rode it clockwise. It suited us better in the other direction.
although he probably rode it clockwise
Indeed he did, although not for any particular reason IIRC.
We rode anti-clockwise on both occasions I think
North Yorkshire?
Sutton Bank, Dalby Forest and natural stuff for the riding.
Plenty of accomodation, not too far from A1 or A19 for getting there.
Makes a change from you leaving those cards in phone boxes
Talking of which, what you doing this evening? 😆
Furthest north are coming from Scottish central belt, furthest south from Bristol
Thinking about it, when we did the MTL the group had come from Edinburgh, Bromley, Derby, Cheltenham and Stockport
Could Leeds / Sheffield make a good base? Probably somewhere in the middle of the furthest locations to be travelled from, and loads of riding. Mixture of trail centres / downhill type places / on the edge of the Peak District so you could make up a mixture of natural and trail centre rides. Plus plenty of nightlife available if you stay on the edge of one of those cities?
Thanks for the thoughts.
Agree with this sentiment entirely.
but these kind of weekends (IMO) are more about the spending time with folks you’ve not seen for ages and chatting about stuff while you bimble along, rather than being radical gnarr-fests.
For this reason I'm not necessarily too bothered about a trail centre if that works best, but at the moment can't see one that fits the bill for travel distance, good eating/drinking options. Likewise the fact that Hebden might not be in the best conditions doesn't concern me so much, as I'd quite like to visit the town anyway and have done for a while. Mary Townley loop sounds an interesting option.
Mary Townley loop sounds an interesting option.
If it's any use, we stayed at the Robin Hood Inn (up the hill outside of Hebden), it had decent, basic accommodation with good beer and home-cooked food and had bike storage too.
It was a while ago now, but I think we parked the cars at http://www.peerscloughfarm.co.uk/ I'm pretty sure I rang them and asked nicely and we might have paid £10/£15 to park a few cars there overnight.
Agree with Heb being a decent location, It has all you need. Disagree about the MT loop though, there are better "big day out" loops that both get you out into the moors and have a bit of tech in them. Some of the MT loop is just too much of a slog to be enjoyable really.
If you need a guide, contact Chris at Whoosh MTB guide and he can put together a few days out, or point out some interesting features/tracks on the map.
How big a group OP? This place looks nice and well placed for riding and social stuff.
https://instagram.com/peakbunkhouse?utm_medium=copy_link
Never used it personally but only because I live 20 minutes drive from there.
Dunno why anyone would drive half way across the country for a trail centre. They're all basically the same.
Get down the m5 to Kendal, and explore the South lakes. Plenty of good pubs to catch up in and you'll actually have something to talk about after your day :-).
Dunno why anyone would drive half way across the country for a trail centre. They’re all basically the same.
I don't think that's true any more than it's right to say that every trail in Chilterns or The Peak, or the Lakes is essentially the same, and even if it's true, it's still outdoors on a bike having a good time with your mates rather than stuck in a office, right?
I'd choose Sheffield, then you have lots of choice for food and drink. Lots of classic Peak riding, no matter what the weather. Plus Wharncliffe/Grenoside to spice things up.
Hebden has great riding too but a lot of it is on footpaths or is of the steep and sketchy, off piste variety. As Nick says, Chris at Woosh would be able to sort you out route wise. Good pubs and food too.
I have very happy - if a bit woozy - memories of The Gate. Did a weekend Nov 19 with @nickc. It's a fab place, absolutely loved the town, but the riding was pretty tough. Up and down. There may be easier routes, but the ones we did with Nick were definitely not the faint hearted 😉
It was pretty wet, cold and muddy tho. Standard northern conditions 🙂
Which you can do any day of the week - and don't need to drive half way across the country for.
Actually I'd say that the difference between, say, the North York Moors and Torridon (or, maybe the Nan Bield Pass in the lakes?) couldn't be greater and I can't think of a trail centre that offers you either of them, let alone anything special or that different - unless you have a thing for manicured signposts, jumps, duckboards and the odd carpark t6 cock-off?
To be fair there are plenty of t6's in the lakes tho also.
I guess my point is that despite having been to 75% of the trail centres in mainland UK, I genuinely can't remember a single moment that sticks with me. I can, however, give you a blow by blow story of the first time I tried to get down Ullock Pike without dabbing. Cliffs: I didn't.
North Wales.
Glasgow>Conwy<Bristol - all about 4 hours.
Carneddau has some nice natural riding + Snowdon as a thing to tick off + great trail centres (Marin, Penchmachno, Brenin) etc. etc.
Stop in a bunkhouse in Betws. Easy reach of all. Cheap. Multiple eateries and a curry house.
They've been on my wishlist for a few years now, but once again in '22 I'm hoping to find a way of climbing...
Stwlan Dam just south west of Blaenau Ffestiniog
Ffordd Pen Llech in Harlech
Bwlch Y Groes near Lake Vernwy from at least the south, but the Bala and Hirnant Pass routes from the north are pretty good too
Given the gradients for the latter two, I could really do with heading back towards ~73Kg from my current ~84Kg.
They could be done in one day by someone used to hilly centuries, but I'd certainly be looking to split them over at least two days, if not three.
The Peak District and a stay in Hope, you've got Jacobs Ladder, Ladybower (The Beast) and if you are up early before the walkers chance to come down CowDale at Castleton and Hollins Cross near Winnats Pass (Mam Tor).
and don’t need to drive half way across the country for.
If all your friends are spread around the country, some-ones going to be driving half way across regardless of where you end up though. Sure Trail centres can be a bit join-the-dots, but they are perfect for folks of differing abilities and if you choose wisely you can have all the facilities that folks may need to persuade them to come for a ride in the first place people can pick and choose routes based on fitness and difficulty, but all meet back at the same place, there's nearly always a café with coffee and cake, and some have showers and loos.
If the riding is an adjunct to getting together they take the stress out of someone having to take the responsibility for organising the route, and navigating it, and if it's turns out to lame, it's no ones fault, and God forbid you get into difficulties, you're not all stuck out somewhere unfamiliar and you can't easily give directions to where you might be.
Trail centres may not be the be all and end all of MTB fo'shure, but they never fail to put a smile on my face at least.
I thought we were past the "trail centres are lame" thing now.
Stop at Peebles and ride all around there.
I thought we were past the “trail centres are lame” thing now.
Indeed. I got past it years ago, and haven't been to one since 🙂
Shropshire.
Stop in Ludlow, nice food/drink.
Ride: long mynd and stiperstones for natural, hopton and eastwood for waymarked TC, bringewood and Bucknell for enduro/DH options.
Another vote for the Shire. Middle of the Country, good access via M54, base yourselves in Shrewsbury for loads of accom and food options. Riding locations as mentioned above.
Shropshire is a great suggestion.
Think ginger meant Eastridge rather than Eastwood. Brilliant spot for enduro-ing.