Dry trails in the Yorkshire Dales today

Loads of good riding round there, all right out of my door. Started Strava-ing only in autumn but many routes on there. Username Highbark.

When I say out of the door, I mean who wants to live in a house like this….. http://www.jacksoneditorial.co.uk/2928-2/

Another ace day in the dales. High level route from Kettlewell to Buckden Pike. The usual bogs & peat hags are all rideable (but for how much longer?)

Any good technical bits in the Dales? I’ve always found the riding there very pleasant but not enough gnar for my enduro fun-sponge.

There are, but they tend to be either cheeky or hard to build into the kind of loop you see in places like the Lakes and Peak.

The descent off the back of buckden pike has been spoilt since they put in a load of water bars, many of which are too tightly spaced to bunny hop.

The Dales makes more sense on a gravel bike imo

Great article, thanks for posting.

Yes the dales is a bit short of gnar, but it suits me fine not having to push the tandem too much and Gisburn isn’t far away. We are yet to clear the full climb up the top of Stockdale lane on the settle loop (though really should have managed this by now, usually get very close). Downhill, that is fun but over quickly. Sounds like Monk’s road isn’t really worth bothering with. I might run it some time.

bubs, do you mean Long Lane?

B.A.Nana: You’re right about the water bars. Not only high but some have sharp edges too. However, since the route traverses the fell downwards you do get a very long descent into Buckden.

Any of you Skipton and surrounding area guys doing Le Petit Depart in a couple of weeks?

Its beautiful in the Dales at the moment, we did settle, Stockdale lane climb, Malham, mastilles to Kinsey and then that horrible climb up from Arncliffe you mentioned. Was just about bearable with firm ground but we said t wouldn’t be much fun when soggy. In hindsight I think it works better anti clockwise, yes the end of mastilles is nice and fast but it’s also straight and not that exciting even on a hardtail. The descent back down street gate to Malham tarn is a bit short lived.

View form the lime kiln near the top of the long slog up. Last Sunday.

Down to Malham tarn.

Is old cote moor worth a visit??

@blader1611 – I’ve been the sweeper on the long route for the last few years but this year I’m doing the HT550 so won’t be in a state to do that.

Is old cote moor worth a visit??

Yes. Steep climb up from Littondale but has one of the techier descents in the Dales down into Starbotton as well.

Is old cote moor worth a visit??

climb up from Buckden is quite a challenge, it’s good in dry but can be a slog if wet. start of descent is good, then becomes typically dales farm track meh.
cant recall climb from Arncliffe, but descent down to Starbottom is very good as martin says, actually typically unDales like in that it’s technical and challenging, but all rideable.

The climb from Arncliffe is steep concrete to begin with then eases slightly on a farm track, one of the few in the area I’ve had to walk (for the bottom couple of hundred metres). The descent to Starbotton is technical but the hardest bit is short lived. The descent to Kettlewell is similar to Potato Alley in the Peak.