Cheeky Baildon routes?

Know most of cheeky stuff on glen side but took footpath home today above the tram way and crags. Saw possible off piste through/down woods, any use?

There is someone in the process of working with Bradford Council, Friends of Baildon Moor (which they are a member) and other interested parties on an MTB protocol for Baildon Moor/ Shipley Glen. This will be along the same lines of the MTB agreement/protocol written up for Ilkley Moor. Basically, done sensibly and with consideration to other users, then the land owner (Bradford Council) tolerates MTB on the Moor/Glen.
The specific bit you are talking about is unclear in your post, but as long as it’s Bradford council land and you ride it whilst considering other users and don’t physically alter anything blah blah blah etc, then you can ride down it.

At the top of the tram way BW turn right back on yourself to a FP which leads you eventually to the Baildon Bank climbing crags, it passes woods that sit above saltair and Shipley. Don’t want to go their if it could provide conflict. Ironically what bugs me as a local is people riding the top plateau of the moor. Have ride
The BW up to caravan park for 15 years and have seen an increase in erosion due to riding from the trig point, and there had been downhill building through the bracken… Rant rant sorry.

The DH building near the caravan park was stopped pretty quickly and was the cause and effect of the above action I mentioned by locals and Bradford Council. Afiac it was a small group spreading out from the little quarry and digging on the moor. Bradford Council have since given them a piece of land in Riddlesden to work with which they are actually doing good work on. There is Pear Review to be done at Riddlesden, but it all looks good by ‘n’ large!.
As far as I know, there is still to be a written agreement/protocol for the moor/glen, but I think in the meantime sensible MTB is tolerated on the moor/glen. ie it’s ok to ride it, just don’t physically alter anything.

That’s cool, sounded a bit NIMBY of me about the downhill but it strikes me that that is now another permeant track down the side of the moor. Problem I guess is that people keep riding it, don’t suppose the bracken will grow back this summer . Once fell out a couple of years ago with a guided group of 15 from the south riding down from the trig point, what an old fart I have become!

I’m with SingletrAction who trail build at Stainburn nr Otley in agreement with the Forestry Commission. However, we are also currently very involved with Bradford Council on some projects in the Aire Valley. Bradford Council are generally pretty cool about most stuff MTB in the valley on their land, within reason. ie if you’re sensible and considerate to other users.

Hi,
Yes, I’m Chair of Friends of Baildon Moor, and a CTC Right to Ride volunteer. The protocol B A Nana refers is part of Info for Users statement on the web site, which covers the agreement with Bradford Council on cycling on Baildon Moor. http://www.baildonmoor.org

I agree with the above: “Bradford Council are generally pretty cool about most stuff MTB in the valley on their land, within reason. ie if you’re sensible and considerate to other users.” and “don’t physically alter anything”. There was some trouble 2 years ago with digging in bell pits on the Moor below the caravan park, but this has stopped and there several other lines now to spread the load.

I’m hoping to get further agreement for routes within the woodland areas too.

Sounds like Bradford Council have a refreshingly sensible approach to MTB access. Good for them.

I’ve lived in Baildon on and off for 30 years or so and ridden the local area.

I know the track your are talking about that have been built below the cravan park, and saw the lads doing it last year. I’m a bit live and let live on this one as the track doesnt really create an eye sore and it is only one track. Probably 5 or so years ago there was a similar track created just on the other side of the road lower down, now you can barely see it.

My feeling is if the council are prepared to give money to ‘upgrade’ and ruin a perfectly good track, at the same time as making it an eye sore http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=414957&y=440784&z=115&sv=414957,440784&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=747&ax=414957&ay=440784&lm=0 then I dont mind lads building one track that doesnt stick out and will regrow quite quickly.

I ride all over Baildon Moor too, not just sticking to the one BW. I just ride sensibly and avoided when very boggy. Most of the erosion on the moor is caused by water, not by bikes or people.

As to OP’s question about the wooded area. I don’t think there are any tracks in there, or at least from what I remember being a school kid and wandering through there. The path you talk about EDIT: DOES have a Bradford Council sign on it saying no biking though, although I regularly use it to get home.

“Sounds like Bradford Council have a refreshingly sensible approach to MTB access. Good for them.”

Its is good that the council are supportive. As above, having ridden there for 30 or so years, local’s have always been understanding of bikers,horses, golfers, runners, walkers etc and everyone uses the land equally with out any nastyness. Well apart from Harvey Smith!

Bradford Council are generally pretty cool about most stuff MTB

Couldn’t agree more. They are also very supportive of cyclocross racing on council owned land (peel park and myrtle park to name 2, with the former hosting next years national champs) which obviously has a reasonable, though temporary impact on the land and other users. The Council also provided a road sweeper to help with the clear up after a recent cross race in Ilkley.

Other councils could learn a lot from Bradford when it comes to supporting recreation.

Hi FunkyDunc,
As you say, mostly we all rub along OK.

There is a good path through Walker & Midgeley Woods.

The new runs on the Moor below the caravan avoid the sensitive areas where a very few people on the Moor who were “enhancing” some of the natural runs by digging in the ancient bell pits. This damage to the archaeology caused a lot of concern and bad PR, with the police notified. I got flak for it too, but it was not defensible. The original switchback is still there but is suffering from heavy use, so we are trying to get people to use the various new runs.

As I’ve said, I did some work with the council who have formally agreed that biking IS permitted on the Moor, PROVIDED certain guidelines in the Information for Users are observed: http://baildonmoor.org

The deal is basically we can ride the many existing tracks on the moor but can not dig or use tools on them. Care and consideration for all others and the land is expected. This might not suit every rider but the Moor is more good varied XC than AM/DH anyway. It is a shared public space.

The pay back is that MTBs are now formally permitted on the Moor and that digging jumps & berms within the Quarry itself IS OK.

I’m involved with the council & the local access forum too; persistence is all-important.

As far as Sconce path goes that you mention, this has been and still is controversial (it was not Council funded). It was a fun run, though boggy in places. It has naturalised better than expected but there are other paths that are more technical, such as under the Crag by Joes’s Well.

Hope to see you up on the Moor. I’m usually on a grey Canyon Nerve FS.

BR,
David

David, that a good update, apologies I was just jumping to conclusions regarding the upgraded path. Who did pay for it, it must have cost a fair penny!

I know the Baildon Moor org was looking for members a while back, and I think my parents are involved. I would have got more involved myself, but unfortunately do not have the time.

Its good to know the official stance on digging on the moorland. I would now question it if I saw people doing it.

Just as a side, I was up on Harden Moor last week (well the BW from St Ives to Harden Moor. When I heard a motorbike and then young children screaming. Some d!ck on a mx bike had ridden quickly passed a family and scared the young girl. 2 minutes later behind me I hear another bike. Turns out its a Bradford Warden chasing the MX lad. Just a bit further up the trail they were both parked up and the lad getting a ticking off. Not sure if they could arrest him though ?

Does anyone remember the DH racew off the top of the moor, across the road & finishing in the quarry?
was about 14 yrs ago iirc.

Loads of great riding around this area – Shipley Glen, Hirst Wood and Baildon Moor. This is my weekly stomping ground so it’s encouraging that mountain biking has been formally sanctioned by the Council.

Quite a bit of ‘enhancement’ has taken place in all of these areas and I often ride the bit below Dobrudden Farm and see the downhill crew hanging out at the top of the run.

If anyone wants to get together for a ride, I’m up for it.

I was told about it by some guys in All Terrain. We cut the bracken away from the part above the Crook Farm road last year to open it up. Plan to do the same again, but riding it in helps.

David

In addition to the good work regarding Baildon Moor/Shipley Glen, I believe there is also someone negotiating with the landowner of Bingley/Rombalds Moor. So, landowner permission for that area might be on the cards for the future.
There’s also other potential bits and bobs to be announced for local MTBers, nothing earth shattering, but all positive stuff if you’re a biker in the Aire Valley.

Was it really more than 10 years ago that the DH thing was on??

This is a good event too on the Moor, and gets the likes of Robb Jebb entering…. and winning. Runners v Cyclist. Fishermans Pub on the canal, top of Baildon Moor and back down.

http://www.bingleyharriers.co.uk/html/h_v_cyclists/hvc.htm

I discovered quite a lot of info on the local/regional race scene of 10-20 years ago. Unfortunately, it only amounted to a sentence in the final document and I don’t have the sources anymore.
There were regional NEMBA races held in the mid 1990’s, not sure if it included Baildon Moor. Then, in the late 90’s early 2000, they changed to NAMBS, which one of my friends raced in locally. I think Bingley, Silton/Carlton Bank, Gisburn, Pateley etc, they were DH races I think. they might have held a round on Baildon Moor.

I did a NEMBA race (think it was) race at Pately in I think the early 90’s (XC). I also remeber going up to St Ives to watch an XC race. It was about the time the first Pro Flex full sussers were out. I remeber one section was on a par or harder than some DH courses today and people were having huge falls. I’ve always thought that St Ives would make a good venue for a small ish (hard) 24hr event.

There also used to be a local race series on Harden/Haworth Moors. Which was organised/part organised by Aire valley cycles as it used to be.

To say the area is so suited to good XC riding its a shame to say that there is so little racing these days.

Message me if any of you want to go riding – weekends probably best for me but often out after work too. Email address now on my profile.

Cheers jwmll & all; we should meet up for a ride. Hope I can keep up.

In reply to FunkyDunc, please do have a quiet word if you do see MTBs digging on the Moor or Glen, and let me know too if you can. Like all users in a shared space, it can only work if we all stay below a certain profile.

We will be clearing bracken from many paths starting mid May; volunteers are welcome and are needed; see the Facebook page.

On the MXer; illegal offroad vehicles are a problem on BM too and there are contacts to report this in the user info. 4x4s have chewed up top of Baildon Hill this week. For info, the MXer can be charged and his motorbike confiscated & crushed; this has happened on BM too.

This was the type of Pro Flex. What year were they roughly?

I have a good root if people are keen. Starts Saltaire, short ride along the canal to warm up, back along the river and up to Higher Coach Road, through the woods to Sheriff / Lode Pit Lanes, across Shipley Glen and up the hill past Dobrudden farm….around Baildon Moor to the far side on the other side of the golf course, back to Saltaire via Shipley Glen and the woods….

Baildon / Shipley glen / Harden Moor…

It would be great if these moors could get some attention like crag and lee quarries and the bristol woods trails…could bring some much needed money into the Bradford coffers, as we have great riding on these moors, but it’s easy to spoil them in winter…so how did lancs and bristol ge tthe money together?