Looking at going to the lakes at the end of march for a few long day rides. I have bought the lakes mountain biking essential trails book but looking at some recommendations from you lot 😀

looking at the more extreme/technical rides.

cheers.

Full borrowdale bash!, Over Walla crag, and the Climb/desent from Honister + a few local cheeky ones to link up!!!!!

Borrowdale Bash as Stoney says has it all,or you could join us for a night ride, at the pedlar cafe Keswick 1830 Tuesday evenings. 😉

Too much road on Borrowdale Bash for me – does have one really good bit of gnar though. 🙂

I think some combination of Claife/Grizedale is probably the best purely in terms of riding. If you want extreme tech try Dollywagon Pike on Helvellyn.

Or Rossett Gill 😛

Borrowdale bash here too, don't recall that much road, maybe some of the road bits are cut out by the cheeky bits we did (we followed the bogtrotters version).

Or Rossett Gill

ie not a ride 🙁

Garburn Pass, short but sweeeeeeeeeeet!

walna scar. longsledale over style end to kentmere over garburn pass to troutbeck and back to staveley. high street, anything round langdale. all excellent rides.

Rossett Gill… oh dear oh dear that nearly broke me mentally as a younger man !

for me 1) hellvellyn 2) walna scar 3) high street 4) garburn pass 5) ullswater edge 6)skiddaw loop 7) black combe… etc

paul

For a day out in the big hills Coniston to Seathwaite (via Stephenson Ground) then back via Walna Scar Road takes some beating as well.

grum – Member
Too much road on Borrowdale Bash for me – does have one really good bit of gnar though.

I think some combination of Claife/Grizedale is probably the best purely in terms of riding. If you want extreme tech try Dollywagon Pike on Helvellyn.

Or Rossett Gill

Rossett Gill is bad enough with boots on and no bike!!

Agree with Grum about Claife/Grizedale, suggested route from me would be start in Ambleside, follow Loughrigg terrace before dropping down into Langdale/Elterwater, through Hodge Close, over Ambleside to Coniston road, over to Hawkshead, from Hawkshead Claife heights and back to Ambleside. (MBR January had the Ambleside portion of this route on its pull out cards, oddly ride it in the "wrong" direction".

Other options would be Coniston – Tilberthwaite – Hodge Close – Hawkshead – Grizedale – Coniston.

Neither of these extreme/technical, but superb day riding.

+1 for grums ride, thats a quality ride out.

In the last couple of years I've done variations of the following:

-Dunnerdale + walna scar
-Ambleside, Iron Keld, Loughrigg. Maybe add Garburn Pass. Not super tech but really good route IMHO
-Nan Bield pass and kentmere
-Helvellyn
-Tour of borrowdale, worth it all for the descent into Rosthwaite
-There is some good riding in Grizedale – I went from Hawkshead up to the Northface trail, used the last descent, the first clib and then went up onto parkamoor and came down a brilliant bridleway into grizedale, then round claife heights.

Wasdale head,
Ride / carry bikes up towards Great gable,
turn right at junction,
ride as much as you can on lower slopes of Skafell,
carry bikes down into Great langdale
Ride along Cumbrian Way towards Old Dungeon Gill pub
Lunch !
Ride from old Dungeon Gill towards Little Langdale
Turn right up and over Wrynose Pass
Along Wrynose Bottom
Up and over Hardknot pass
Roadie it back to Wasdale head

What a ride!

variations on what missingfrontallobe said.

Been reading all this with interest. Quite a few of us coming up to Lakes for a long weekend in April. We're staying in Coniston so the Walna Scar and Grizedale endorsements sound good. We were thinking of High Street for one of the days too. Thanks all for the recommendations.

The decent into ambleside from the windermere yha, just watch out for walkers. Then loughrigg and iron keld, up into grizedale and do the decent back to the ferry, bit of road but i must do this one nearly every time i go and never get tired of it…

Jenkin Crag descent into Ambleside is really nice too, as is Garburn Pass both ways round.

The "badest" lakes route I have done was Buttermere – Burtness Wood – Bleaberry Tarn – Red Pike – High Stile – High Crag – Seat and then down Scarth Gap Path down to Buttermere. I was very glad for my big bike on the way down but a proper feeling of mountains and remoteness. Some of the riding was very technical and scary with some hike a bike. The other way round would be interesting to.

buttermere

I am sure I can remember riding down that?

Some of the best riding in the Lakes is South of Ambleside, loads of varied trails, opportunities for lunch stops at cafes or pubs. Some great trails. If you have Memory Map then I can e mail you some routes. Andy Biketreks

Superb Days Ride taking in some of the finest descents :-

Tech Fest :-

I love the lakes.