a cesspit.

Get you and your fancy plumbing.

I grew up in Ilkley and there’s plenty of great singletrack around there. Find someone local and ask them to show you.

Or move to Peaslake.

The Settle loop descent on tarmac to Langcliffe is better if you turn left and descend into Settle.

I think that section will be the muddy slog he climbed to start with. Must admit I’ve not ridden that up or down for a while. Descending into Stainforth is more fun IMO, plus you can add a bit of cheek on the opposite side of the valley heading back to Settle.

Stockdale Lane is probably the best descent on the Settle Loop itself. Lot of guidebooks will still tell you to climb it, which says a lot about the philosophy when they were written.

EDIT: Talking of ‘garbage’ Yorkshire trails, has anyone been up around Reeth recently, was wondering whether anything around Fremington Edge was rideable or still in a complete mess? Fancied a trip up there this weekend.

Not sure about Scotland, but Lakes in a few short years will be all smooth and graveled if they will continue at the pace they are ekhem… “improving” things up there.

So better ride it whilst you still can OP…

Can’t fault likes of Ingleborough, Howgills and Farleton Knott. Pretty good riding IMO.

Definitely not like Blacksail, Honister, Helvellyn or Nan Bield but still decent.

Cheers!
I.

I agree that lots of the riding in Yorkshire consists of long grassy or stony slogs but that’s because it’s on ancient unsurfaced roads. If you go for the beauty of the scenery you’ll enjoy it.

Calderdale has the best mountain biking in England and the greatest variety, thanks to its industrial heritage. See my article The Packhorse Trail in a very early edition of ST mag.

Martin – we went through Reeth a couple of weekends ago, didn’t get up on to Fremington as we were heading south but there’s still a lot of damage evident. The nature of these events does concentrate damage so it appears very localised: there’s devastation then 100m away it’s as if nothing has happened. If you are on FB then I’m told Dales Bike Centre have trail updates on there.

Back to the OP’s complaint – it’s a bit like the guidebook saying “this is really great carrot cake” and the OP screaming “but I want chocolate!”. No idea why he was heading down the Cove Road in to Malham as that isn’t on the Settle Loop at all, nor on any published version of it that I’ve seen.

The climb out of Settle towards Gilbert Lane can vary quite a bit, the upper bit does get quite muddy after rain but being on limestone soon dries out. No idea why guidebooks show Stockdale Lane as a climb – it’s a good test of technique going up but it’s better as a descent.

Don’t think anyone was claiming the Dales was as good as the Lakes anyway.

As others have said, Hebden is a lot of fun and better than most spots outside Cumbria or Scotland.

I can do a 50km loop from my doorstep in Leeds toward Wetherby, 95% offroad, lots of super nice singletrack, barely see a soul outside of the weekend. All XC of course, aside from the jumps and mini-DH trails at Adel. I’m pretty happy with it, makes for a satisfying ride, doable mid-week with zero logistics.

Ilkley and Beamsley Moor are great, miles of stuff once you know your way around.

The Dales is super easy of course. But I like that I can catch a train there that leaves an 80 mile (largely offroad) ride home. And it’s stunning in the right weather.

I ride a rigid 29er or a gravelbike, which probably helps appreciate the lack of tech.

Oh – and cut gate is about as valid as Sedburgh – that’s the Peak district, even if it is just inside the lines

Actually on a point of pedantry, Cut Gate Path is in the county of South Yorkshire – the county line pretty much dissects Howden Reservoir (and was formally in West Riding / Kingdom of Northumbria … Yes it is also in the PDNP but it’s very much in Yorkshire and Margery Hill is the highest point in the Sheffield area … but I digress).

I’m inclined to agree with the OP about the Yorkshire [Dales] though in terms of mountain biking when comparing it to Scotland, The Lake District, Alps & Pyrenees, but it depends what you ride/like I guess. I did the ‘Hope Pre Peaks’ recently which takes you up around Malham and I really enjoyed it – but I did it on a ‘gravel’ bike.

Controversially, I’m also underwhelmed by what many consider to be ‘Peak District Classics’ that are actually just old rocky double-track/Land Rover tracks. Local Knowledge is key for sure!

All areas seem to hve prevalent types of riding and locals get used to it

+1 … I think where you live & ride kindof dictates to a degree your hobbies & activities. vive la différence

Local Knowledge is key for sure!

True of everywhere, not just Yorkshire

Any good Calderdale or Hebden GPX about?

Just buy the OS map OL21. I’ve worn out three of those in 21 years of scoping out then riding trails in Calderdale. It’s an amazing map.

Any good Calderdale or Hebden GPX about?

Best to make friends and get someone to show you round. Takes a while to learn how it all links up though. I still haven’t managed it.

You took the wrong bike.

Save your mountain bike for the mountains.

Take an xc bike or a rigid bike next time, I remember the settle loop being fantastic in 1992 with cantilever brakes, but as you say it ain’t superlative dragging a LLS FS bike round.

Pretty much what @wzzzz says – 95% of Dales riding is fine on a HT either rigid or with front suspension. Certainly in the southern Dales there’s very little legal* tech riding and what there is is only very short stretches. Go cheeky and there’s more but the underlying terrain just isn’t suited to providing tech rides.

*I stress “legal” because that’s only really what guidebooks can publish.

something something wrong route to Malham

Unfortunately as i tried to slip off The road onto the footpath I was collared and almost strangled by an officious ‘park ranger’ who almost ran a road cyclist over gunning his landy at me. Stupid bright endurbro clothes.

something something wrong bike

I would agree fully – as I said, bike packing on a crosser? Grand. Is this cycling? Yup. Is it awesome? Probably. Is it mountain biking as we know it? Eh… Not to me.

something something fremington edge

I was up there last weekend. Barn doing a roaring trade. Tracks mostly intact but a lot of line choice required to pick your way through the classic mine descent.

The slate path in the gunnerside valley is still pretty defined.

I’ve always thought the Dales is s bit naff on often got slated for saying it, it’s ok but very much grassy non technical stuff (on the whole)

Yorkshire does however have some brilliant riding around West Yorkshire and Calderdale, you just need to know where it is

Sounds like what you want is the lakes but closer to home. Think it’s time you think about moving, you just won’t find big days with fast rocky & technical descents like you do in the lakes and Scotland, but big xc days definitely.

If you want excitement rather than big long xc dales rides then you haven’t looked hard enough, there are a ton of places with some great steep fun technical trails to ride. Keep looking you will find them.

Dales is indeed pretty shit and disappointing (with a couple of exceptions), but Calderdale isn’t, and Calderdale cheeky is even better. Still, if you like big descents, natural tails and tech stuff, nowhere in England is as good as the Lakes IMO, and I’m Yorkshire born and bred.

Ton – which steps? Last ones down to the ruins and chimney?

So the title of the thread should really be: … Yorkshire is garbage for my take on mountain biking.

For pretty much everyone who’s not an STW riding god Dales style riding is mountain biking.

It should be noted that I’m a Lancastrian (actually from Ulverston when it was still part of Lancashire), grew up in the Lakes and I’m a Lakelander at heart. So defending the dark side doesn’t come easy!

Without reading all the above, you are missing the best part of the Dales – Swaledale is the place to head to. Alternatively the North York Moors has countless miles of quality singletrack.

Unfortunately as i tried to slip off The road onto the footpath I was collared and almost strangled by an officious ‘park ranger’ who almost ran a road cyclist over gunning his landy at me.

I can’t think of any footpath off Cove Road where you could be pursued by a landy, and if you’ve actually been physically assaulted by a National Park employee, you should report it. You’re not just making this up, are you?

something something intentionally taking things too literally

Caught me as I was climbing over a footpath style, bike on shoulder. Luckily I had my bombers with me.

So you got a telling off then for not looking up and down the road before hopping over a stile. 🙂

You do seem a little prone to hyperbole.

Been up to Swaledale a couple of times in the last few weeks,most of the trails are open,call in at the Dales bike centre in Reeth and they can advise on any closed trails

Agree with the OP. Guidebooks are shite…

I’m in Calderdale, just let me know if you want a guide to some of the better stuff

Yep having done the ardrock and ardmoors I was expecting a little more of the dales, this summer I Did the 3dales mtb challenge grassington to settle and back 36 mile
And a day trip to pateley bridge scarhouse loop with an over the top and back to horse house and back

Neither were great , ok xc rides..

Head to West Yorkshire holmfirth Marsden Calderdale and you can’t go far wrong , so much cheeky footpaths up and down the steep valley sides
Cobbles moorland singletrack, steep tech

I rode holmfirth honley woods, deer hill, black moss onto Pennines way to hebden a few weeks ago, brought back to me why I love mtbing so much.
The descent from stoodley pike is awesome as is ernies love tunnel to end the ride

Try the West Yorkshire vertebrate book for ideas,
Willykay clough was/is an amazing descent to (damn sanitisers are gonna ruin it)
Ruts and bends into the reservoirs above holmbridge/holmfirth is quality
Cheesgate nab another above Jackson bridge/ holmfirth
And all 3 are legal bridleway

Damn…

Where have you been whatyadoinsucka 3 months ago when I was asking about Holmfirth???

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/riding-around-holmfirth-local-knowledge-wanted/

Better late than never I guess…
Cheers!
I.

Ivanmtb sorry missed it been an odd summer far too much work so less bike and riding time

Theirs some very cheeky stuff topside of newmill/thurstonland/ brockholes cliff wood
, fulstone wood is fun, honley woods has some good tracks and the widow maker descent,

Back of the quarry above hade edge is good singletrack, a few good descents around the reservoir around hades clough (hade edge) , ramsden road descent to riding wood/ yateholme reservoirs are fun, the cheeky from Holme village, the rock slab steps to drop to the bilberry damn wall above digley is fun, the track down from upperthong village hall to holmfirth fire station is a cracker too..
The track from cartworth and down to dunford road..

They are mainly on strava

Cheers!

Can see little trip brewing already 🙂

I.

Edit and can only assume that those who live in the Hepstonstall/Hebden Bridge / Calderdale area of Yorkshire are too busy riding to speak up

No, nothing here but towpaths and tarmac, not worth coming at all.

Try Lancashire

I saw Stainburn mentioned earlier…..hands down the hardest XC route I’ve ever done. I’ve not done many but definitely showed me where my weaknesses were! There’s some good short off piste stuff up there and the red is a real workout that’ll bite if you’re not switched on too… as with everything there’s some climbing to get you back up for another go! There’s a soft Ard-rock route from near Reeth that’s really good which we did a year or so ago…amazing views and some good techy stuff, takes you past all the old mining area and what I think were ovens…