Good MTB/Gravel rides not too far from the M1/A1

In a couple of weeks I’m heading to Newcastle from the Midlands to bring my daughter back from Uni the next day. I have the whole day to get up there, so am thinking I’ll take the bike and find somewhere to ride for a few hours on the way up. Could be MTB (trail centre or natural) or Gravel. Sherwood Pines is my fallback option as hardly adds anything to the journey time, but have been before and was hoping for something a bit further North, further from my usual patch. Happy to add up to an hour to my car journey. Any ideas welcome 🙂

North York Moors, Dales or Peak

Drive to hamsterley if MTB, or a place called Rowley if on the gravel bike and pick up the waskerley way. Both just off the a68 and close enough to Newcastle that you’ve not added much. If you get delayed and short of time Chopwell is just outside Newcastle for a quick MTB blast.

Hamsterley Forest is the obvious one that jumps to mind. Been years since I rode there so not sure of the current state but I enjoyed it. And much the same situation as you – Newcastle for work and wanted to get a ride in as part of the trip.

You could even drive almost all the way to Newcastle, park in Blaydon, pick u the Derwent valley path and ride up to Consett, collect the waskerley way there and head on into the dales maybe out to the park head cafe. It would likely be a return on the same line, but it’s a downhill run all the way home 😉

Leeds Urban Bike Park isn’t too far off the M1 although it’s probably only good for half a day if I’m honest. It’s a nice place, just very compact.

Worth keeping in mind as a bad weather option though cos it holds up well and a lot of it is in sheltered woodland.

Wharncliffe is pretty close to the M1, depends what sort of ride you want I guess

The sustrans routes round Durham are fab and not far off the A1 or as above start in Newcastle

How far south are you coming from? There is some good white peak riding just the other side of Chesterfield. Although it might still be too wet this year

I rate the North York Moors although they are a touch further off the route

I think i managed an activity on almost everyone of my university runs. Normally climbing with my son in Sheffield or a bike ride in Dorset

Thanks for the suggestions so far. Peaks/Moors/Dales were indeed on my radar but was hoping for some specific suggestions. Hamsterley might be a good call, not ridden there since the 1990s when I was at uni…

I’ll join the M1 at Leicester, I’m actually only going as far as Durham as staying over with a friend.

You could get from the M1 to Langsett in around 15-20 minutes, park there and ride Cut Gate out and back on the mountain bike with additional loop over on the Ladybower side depending on how much time you have. Quieter generally than heading to the more obvious Hope/Castleton end of the Peak and beyond Sheffield for when you do get back on the motorway.

Never ridden cut gate, so that is quite appealing – how will it be after all the rain we’ve had in May?

Cutgate is running fine.

Yeah, it’ll be fine. Peak stuff dries slowly, but then takes a long time to properly wet out again and all the properly boggy bits of Cut Gate have now been renovated / sanitised / turned into slabby stone things and don’t really notice the weather.

If you do it, there are two alternative start/finish bits via North America – a weird name I know – or not, so you can do one on the way out as a climb and the oher on the way back as a descent. I still love Cut Gate, it has just the right amount of nadgery combined with some proper fast bits and a slightly epic, ‘out there’ feel.

You can ride over it, drop down into Ladybower, do some stuff / grab a pasty or whatever at the Fairholme car park, then potter back. You’re also avoiding pointless arguments over which is the best way round to do it 🙂

Loads of gentle XC/gravel starting at Leeds bike park too.

Hamsterley would be the good choice.
Park at the visitor centre but don’t do the full red trail.
Your best bet is to start the red trail from the visitor centre then when you get back into the valley after the section over the moors, turn left, first right uphill and then carry on up until the top of Kline. Ride Kline down through transmission, accelerator, nitrous and return to the same valley point as above. Then pedal up to Danny Hart’s Brexity bike park and follow the red trail back down to the visitor centre. It’s a good couple of hours ride but if you’re fit and don’t stop I reckon you can crack it in an hour.

The red kite trail near Wetherby is a nice ride through the local countryside if it’s dry. It’s just about mountain biking.

This isn’t that far from the M1 and it’s dual carriage way to chesterfield from the south

Shown round by some one and it was generally agreed this was fab

https://strava.app.link/DtGHn2Ti3JbFor

The Dales Cycle Centre at Reeth have plenty of rides from their door. Pretty sure they have printed guides?

Thanks for all the advice – I rode Cut Gate last Friday! Forecast wasn’t great, but decided to risk it. Ground was very wet, but ended up with only a few light showers through the day, only 1 of which need a waterproof. Cut Gate was a good challenge, more so than I expected, especially the ride back over it at the end of the day! Loved that section where you are basically riding through the stream 🙂

Added a nice loop along the reservoirs and did the Cragg Farm descent too – 31 miles all in.

Full album here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/oNFnt7a1eWssiDA98