[Closed] Is there anything else I'm missing in Yorkshire?

the colne / holme valleys Marsden/holmfirth and the pennines.
some great riding on the moors/ offpiste and around greenfield / m62 motorway to hollingworth lake.
can easily get 600-700 metres in on a local cheeky 20-25km ride

@whatyadoinsucka

Got any strava activities or similar to get me started? Can't find many segments that link together well.

Sounds like a tough crowd - if Calder Valley doesn't work I can't see any appeal in Holme / Colne Valley. With this full suss / Fox 38 vs single speed rigid, are we being trolled? Criteria also excludes Wharncliffe.

@scuttler

No? A little flippant at most? Just a lot of the rides that I've been sold as "Classic Yorkshire Singletrack" have ended up being grassy slopes or stony bridleways. Calderdale was hard going on rutted muddy footpaths - some of it is very steep but that's just a matter of a bit of braking control rather than requiring a 40lb 170mm 29er. I'm not proposing to be any kind of riding god - I back off plenty off plenty of stuff in the lakes (e.g. Grizedale pike).

I guess it's all stuff that would be fine and fun enough if you were getting on the bike from your back-door of an evening after work and wanting to just ride, but not worth putting the bike in the car and, right now, not worth having to wash it in the bath in my flat :D.

I was going to say Wharncliffe. There are things in between the off piste and bridleway as though which are still great fun riding there. I’ve not been in a long time but when I lived locally I was up there every week.

What are you actually looking for? Sure there's a lot of land-rover tracks but there's plenty of other stuff too, There's also plenty that wouldn't get a trail centre black grade.

If you're looking for lakes type rocky stuff then no, you won't find it in Yorkshire, the geology just isn't there.

"Classic Yorkshire Singletrack” have ended up being grassy slopes or stony bridleways.

Uh huh. That's pretty much exactly what that is.

Regarding your suspension comment, you could level that about any riding, anywhere. As I see it some people become obsessed with the sport and buy the best they can possibly afford, whether its necessary or not. On Saturday I saw 2 people zipping along a bridlepath above Sheffield at a speed that could only have been an e-bike. When our paths crossed they were indeed on 4 - 6" ebikes. Having ridden all of these trails on a rigid / hardtail SS, you could argue that their bike of choice was completely unnecessary.

@dangeourbrain

Basically, I'm hoping someone will tell me there's a fantastic hidden area with loads of bits of interesting singletrack that isn't just kids tracks cut into the hillside above an industrial wasteland where my car gets the wing mirrors kicked off whilst I'm riding.

Swaledale was good. Is there anything more like swaledale?

@pieface

I would flat out not be able to clean the Nant Bield Pass on a gravel bike. I probably don't need a V10. I'm not a shit rider, but not the best. Somewhere in this continuum is a place where being under-biked is just being bloodyminded, but I haven't yet found it around here. But this isn't a thread about this - sorry to diverge.

link us to your strava so we can see what your riding usually? that way we can offer something that will suit.

If you dont see the point in full sus my guess is your going too slow?

There are rocky trails you'd find challenging in Hebden, sounds like you haven't found them.

There aren't any secret Yorkshire mountain ranges that we've all been hiding from you though.

Swaledale was good. Is there anything more like swaledale?

Mostly the whole of the dales, but like pretty much the rest of the dales, the decent legit bits of swaledale are few and a long way apart, the rest is “Classic Yorkshire Singletrack” or Land rover tracks.

There's some lovely riding in swaledale but the whole of the northern dales are pretty much all big-sky-rides country.

Long techy descents in abundance there are not.

requiring a 40lb 170mm 29er

Err...

For me this is where the sport is split. To me the Yorkshire Dales, and most of the Lakes (and anywhere else for that matter) is classic mountain biking territory, its about riding your bike 'off the road', whether that involves any actual riding or not is neither here nor there, its about pitting yourself and your bike against what you find in the hills. There will be sections that are challenging, but I expect these will be a smaller part of a much bigger day out in the hills.

from your back-door of an evening after work and wanting to just ride, but not worth putting the bike in the car

Also, given Yorkshire is quite a big place, where is your back door? (not a euphemism)

@chakaping

https://www.strava.com/activities/6667004983

Is the last time I went nosing around Hebden. Where should I have gone?

@dangeourbrain

Leeds

It must be said, Yorkshire is, in many respects, an inferior county.

Well I'm going out later to ride my 35lb 170mm Enduro rig up some terrible trails through the Leeds industrial wasteland. Then down some crap trails the kids have cut in at one of the locations you mention.

Then I'm going to go to another place you didn't mention (sorry I'm not telling where)

It's going to be absolutely awful*

(* actually it's going to be ace)

....

To an extent I know what you mean OP. It's not the lakes or the tweed valley...most of it (not all of it!) Is doable on a short travel hardtail. However to ride some of it it is certainly better on an Enduro bike or if you want to ride it quickly you need an Enduro bike. You also need to be prepared to pedal. A lot of it is best sampled in the style of amlong xc ride with bits of fun technical stuff chucked in along the way.

You really need local knowledge to make the best of most of it, though.

Is the last time I went nosing around Hebden

That's a lovely ride but not techy at all, it is however one of "the classics" and by that I mean people have been riding that exact route since your gravel bike would have been a beyond bleeding edge mtb.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6667004983

Is the last time I went nosing around Hebden. Where should I have gone?

It should be noted that nearly half of your disappointment is not Yorkshire's fault. 🙂

It should be noted that nearly half of your disappointment is not Yorkshire’s fault

I don't think that's true, no one has any expectations of the other place so they can't be disappointed by it.

That's not the best Hebden's got to offer fo'shure

Plenty to have a go at in NYM, but you just have to sniff it out.
You been over to Yearsley/Kilburn?
Nidderdale? Pop in to Stif, they'll point you in the right direction.
Not been to Silton in years but there used to be some decent on/off piste stuff up there.
Not Yorkshire, but Guisborough is a hoot.
Further south, you can easily get into the Peak via cutgate, must only be half an hour down the M1.
Wharncliffe/Greno? Absolute ton of technical stuff to go at.

that isn’t just kids tracks cut into the hillside above an industrial wasteland where my car gets the wing mirrors kicked off whilst I’m riding.

Well that’s Lancashire, the Peak District, & significant chunks of Wales & the Midlands out as well then.

Are we talking about the same county.

I can’t believe my luck that I’ve ended up in Calderdale.

Literally throw a stone and you’ll find a nice trail.

Not just in Calderdale, but Bradford, Kirklees, Leeds, NYM and South Yorkshire.

I do agree the dales can be abit of a snore fest at times though.

There’s a really good place to ride, about an hour from Yeadon if you know where to look.

Geneva, I think it’s called.

There’s lots of nice stuff in West Yorkshire, but to be fair you need local
Knowledge to get the best of it linked up.

I’d suggest you are probably riding the wrong type of bike, something around the 120 travel mark would be fine, but then some stuff I rode I wished I had a lot more travel

That Strava linked ride does have some nice stuff in it but certainly the stuff that could be done on a hardtail, and better suited to a hardtail

Yorkshire Dales is a bit dull on the whole

I’ve always bought bikes that suit the area where I live, and not the occasional ride I might do in the Lakes every 6 months or so.

Yup, plenty you're missing. But as your criteria is so fixed, best you get that gravel bike out fella.

i know a group of lads who ride out of huddersfield. the stuff they ride around hebbers is pretty intense and full on. it is there if you know where to look.

There's great stuff at Stainburn and a few lines in Timble Ings nearby https://www.strava.com/segments/28105716 is definitely much harder than a trail centre black.

I really enjoy big day, classic XC style riding so the Dales had plenty to keep me entertained when we lived there. I can see how you'd get bored though if smashing trail centre / Alps / Whistler bike park terrain is your prefered style of mountain biking. Thing is though, the Lakes aren't that far away, nor is Wales and Scotland if you go up / down for the weekend.

Not Yorkshire, but Guisborough is a hoot.

Technically, Guisborough (the town) is classed as being part of the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire.

I think Guisborough Woods are also within the North Yorkshire Moors park boundary too.

There is tech in the Dales, but very little of it can be found on official bridleways/routes. It's an artefact of geology and the way the BW/byway network developed with relation to shooting estates etc.

If you're happier using all your travel all the time, bring your gravel bike.

Growing up in Leeds/Yeadon/Bradford, I’d say within easy reach is some of the countries best riding.

Used to love Nidderdale for a challenging away from it all 25 mile ish up and down challenge.

Even out of the door into Esholt Woods was great. Or down the A65 into Skipton and over hills that way.

Or down to Huddersfield/Halifax/Sheffield.

All great and probably a lot better with local guidance.

Now living in the midlands for the last 20 years I have an appreciation for just how good Yorkshire is for Mtb riding.

I did Silton Forest DH a few years ago and that was good fun for about 3 mins of descent, only issue is the hill is so steep to get back upto the top so either need to be really fit or an E-biker.

Does sound like you probably need to move to Scotland or Wales though

Now living in the midlands for the last 20 years I have an appreciation for just how good Yorkshire is [s] for Mtb riding.[/s]

FTFY

Spent 18 years living in the Calder Valley and its so good I rarely put the bike in the van and rode anywhere else. Sounds like you're just missing the good stuff (which generally isn't found in a guide book etc). The stuff at the Halifax/Brighouse end of the valley is far quieter/less advertised than Hebden but just as good, if not better I reckon.

Then you have Dalby Forest. Yes there is the follow-the-signs stuff which is just a race track for people on e-bikes these days but explore away that and you'll find some amazing off-piste stuff for all abilities as well as forgotten tracks/footpaths and quite a lot of the "old" trails built way before the current red route which now have a properly natural feel to them. Obviously you can break out from here over the moors too.

Theres Sutton Bank/White Horse and then over to Yearsley. Think you can actually link the two by heading towards Kilburn via Ampleforth etc. The inbetween bits are probably more gravel/CX biased though. Some really nice stuff from Sutton Bank though.

Then theres some proper moorland riding around Rosedale with some big descents and climbs and some lovely singletrack between.

Looks like gravel biking to me

Fellas on that vid showing Tommy-C around are the Huddersfield lads Ton refers to. Talented.

around are the Huddersfield lads Ton refers to

I'm guessing the issue for the OP here is the trails are "Various small wooded areas with crap cut trails in" and pretty difficult to work into a big day out like, fer instance, nan beild, which I assume is what's meant by "a decent adventurous day’s riding".

Watching that vid, maybe its the sick lingo that the op is missing?

Get the lingo right and the trails follow?

For reference - I recognise all those trails, and many of them could be joined up in to nice XC loops. Oh and I used to do them on my unicycle, bloody amateurs

For avoidance of doubt the video’s producer / protagonist is from Lancashite.

Fellas on that vid showing Tommy-C around are the Huddersfield lads Ton refers to. Talented.

Crikey. Young Thomas C has done a few videos around where I ride and he has described some of it as being steep/spicy/sick/whatever -- but then pretty much flies down it.

In that video I got the impression he was struggling in places, so I dread to think what those tracks are like in the flesh. I both do and don't want to seek them out! 😀

In that video I got the impression he was struggling in places, so I dread to think what those tracks are like in the flesh. I both do and don’t want to seek them out! 😀

i ride right past them. lads are bonkers. and theres not a lot of good stuff around there anyway 🙂

Thing is though, the Lakes aren’t that far away, nor is Wales and Scotland if you go up / down for the weekend.

Yeah, technically the Welsh border isn't far from Yorkshire, but the good riding in Wales is bloody miles from there. It's well over 5 hours from my house on the South Wales coast to Settle, for instance, and the bulk of the good riding is around here.

It’s well over 5 hours from my house on the South Wales coast to Settle, for instance, and the bulk of the good riding is around here.

On the Sunday afternoon of a sunny weekend it's about 5 hours drive from settle to Skipton to be fair.

Well, two pages in and 47 replies and what have I got.

1. Suggestions of lots of secret places (that I won't find because localism) but that are mostly poorly built and/or maintained DH tracks cut into woodlands.
2. Maybe some stuff in Calderdale I've missed, but I also won't find it because localism - unless anyone's up for sharing a strava route that takes in some of it?
2. One Strava segment - much appreciated that man.
3. Lots of suggestions that Yorkshire is well-placed to get to other places with better riding (the Lakes, Peak, Borders or North Wales.

Fair enough. I have the answer to my question. Cheers for the help. Just a shame about the cost of fuel at the moment.

You probably have 2 choices, learn to appreciate what you have or move

but that are mostly poorly built and/or maintained DH tracks cut into woodlands.

This is I think the bigger problem here. It sounds like what you want is alpine* type descents. They don't exist in Yorkshire. The rights of way network here (exactly as in the lakes and Wales) is derived from the way the landscape has been worked. In Yorkshire that's sheep and cattle farming on the lower slopes, arable in the vales, and shooting on the moorland. Where there was lead, tin and lime production it was largely on the tops and dug down or larger scale where they dug in, so had large haulage in place once it was on the surface.

That broadly translated to horse and cart access then mechanised. Further west there's pack horse trails but again, the industry was in volume so "good" access was more important than quick and the rolling nature of the land lent its self to that - vs steep sided stuff in Wales or the lakes where it was better to have a pony or people scramble up and down to better access lower down.

If you stray off the RoW what you'll find is "mostly poorly built and/or maintained DH tracks cut into woodlands" because its not sanctioned, the land is still very much working land and cutting lines in across Heather moorland or working farm land is poorly received by the people who own it, and work on it.

Ditto the "localism" thing isn't (always) we don't like strangers round these parts, it's often that it's "very cheeky" and the less attention it gets the better, very few folk are going to post up locations and directions on the internet beyond "near Huddersfield" etc for that reason. Even in that vid up there its not mentioned where he is.

The ways to solve that are two fold, first find some folks to ride with who will show you round (we're a friendly lot and most folks will show you, they just won't shout about it). Second cut some trails yourself, or better still do both - join a trail building group (who absolutely will show you round, including very cheeky stuff they don't officially build).

*by that I mean steep, lengthy, techy, open and exposed down hills and the lack of those is not to do with row, its too do with ice ages and things.

Some ideas from a local

https://youtu.be/NlDRdRQc9oQ

This obviously is the kind of riding most of us do in Yorkshire isn't it?

If you want a techy decent ride the bridleway up to near the top of Ingleborough from Ingleton, then then come back the same way.

the lad on that video with the beard ( shag ) is one hell of a rider. zero fear, and loads of skill. they really do ride some scary stuff.

The ways to solve that are two fold, first find some folks to ride with who will show you round (we’re a friendly lot and most folks will show you, they just won’t shout about it).

This is probably the most realistic answer IMO. Guidebook stuff or published routes may be OK but they're never going to be "the best" simply because things change, and some good stuff isn't legit enough to publish.

If you ride with some locals they'll show you what they think is the best in their area, and they you can decide whether Yorkshire (or at least a bit of it) is a dead loss or not 😂

Almost all my riding is in "the other place" over the border, save for a few excursions to Hebden Bridge, and given how broadly similar the terrain is I can't imagine there's not loads of good riding in Yorkshire. But I appreciate it's a case of different strokes for different folks, and you seem to have quite specific requirements.

If you want a techy decent ride the bridleway up to near the top of Ingleborough from

Yeah, the top is definitely not something I'd try on a gravel bike!

@continuity have you ridden in the Peaks? Most of the riding sports are Derbyshire not Yorkshire but no further from Leeds than some of the places you've mentioned.

Ladybower Classic and Jacob's Ladder style routes might be the goldilocks ride I think you're saying you're looking for. Plenty of tech sections but not too techy. A proper day out in the hills, not mini DH trails.

Yorkshire only do you use Trailforks? You can piece together very good full days out in Hebden Bridge and Reeth linking descents from the app, no local knowledge needed, happy to be specific.

I think it's the 170mm 29er that could be affecting your perspective op. Not trying be an arse but that's awful lot of bike, particularly for yorkshire.

@mattkkitch

I've ridden all of those and enjoyed some. The peak has a tendancy as @thegeneralist would say to be wide doubletrack lumping through loose potato sized rocks, but there is some fun to be had.

@mos

I'm riding a 110mm giant trance - my point was that everyone I meet is riding fox 38's and big bikes.

@dangeourbrain

Thanks for the well thought out and considered reply. In short; that is what I'm looking for. I've been spoiled by the lakes and Scotland and am finding the local network disappointing. It doesn't have to be big (Barrow fell isn't very big) but I'd like it to be beautiful and demanding.

I’m riding a 110mm giant trance – my point was that all I see on the hills are Fox 38’s and I can’t seem for the life of me to find any riding to warrant it?

Maybe folk only have one bike and they do lot's of uplift days or visit the alps a lot, who knows! FWIW I ride a 100mm hard tail, Lakes, Dales, "Off Piste Gnar", local stuff etc. I just can't warrant another MTB as much as I'd love one!

@continuity well yea you're not going to match the Lakes or Scotland locally.

You'll either have to make the commitment to driving to the Lakes and spending weekends crossing the border, or learn to appreciate the local riding.

I'm Yorkshire born and bred, sure I prefer riding in the Lakes and Torridon is my favourite riding spot in the UK, but I can still have a brilliant day out on a 20-30km loop round Hebden Bridge taking in plenty of tough descents, cracking views and ending with a pint at Vocation. What's not to like?

Also +1 for @BenjiM comment above regarding lots of riders only having one bike and compromising on most rides!

so in summary your trails are poo can i ride your secret trails ?
try riding one handed with an eye patch that should up the difficulty

Kilburn - You can find the trails on strava/trailforks

Op - I'm at the brighouse end of the calder valley, be happy to show you round. No idea what kind of riding you're after, but it'd be something different for you. Lot of cheeky stuff at this end of the valley though, as bridleways are few and far between.  Message if interested 👍

try riding one handed with an eye patch that should up the difficulty

If he put on a wooden leg that would make them properly arghhhhhd

A thread bursting with Yorkshire positivity😁

"The riding's a bit shit, worse than the lakes."
"Aye."

A thread bursting with Yorkshire positivity😁

It's a realistic representation I feel.

More tame off piste riding at a trail centre.

Only running a lyrik too.

That last vid is that actually truly a a trail ?

The reason I ask is that the likes of Chris Akrigg videos are sometimes multiple locations and multiple sections joined together so in some ways OP is correct about Yorkshire 😁

Op – I’m at the brighouse end of the calder valley, be happy to show you round

Good lad. Good that at least one person made the offer.

woody2000 will tie you to a tree and suck your brains out your ear with a straw.

"Maybe some stuff in Calderdale I’ve missed, but I also won’t find it because localism – unless anyone’s up for sharing a strava route that takes in some of it?" - not at all, LOADS of its dead easy to find. When Jason isn't approaching you with a straw in hand he'll know a load of it. Can't go wrong with looking at a map and then linking the following together in some kind of order:
Copley village > North Dean Woods climb > BW to Norland Moor > across Norland > Barkisland > Fiddle Lane > BW to Cliff Ln > BW towards Rishworth > up Cockpit Ln > loop around the top (maybe extend over around Scammonden) > retrace your steps by descending Cockpit Ln and up Fiddle Lane (lung buster) then back to Norland > do some up and down on Norland > footpath along the top of North Dean Woods all the way from Norland towards Clay House at West Vale > road to Elland Bridge > Elland Woods - BW to top and then pickup the trail which runs all the way along the top of the woods heading west - LOADS of options off here to drop back to the footy field near the canal > climb up to Exley > footpath which runs on the top of the cliff above the bypass to Salterhebble > climb up to Albert Promenade/All Saints church > pick a descent back to Copley

I’m riding a 110mm giant trance – my point was that everyone I meet is riding fox 38’s and big bikes.

In the Dark Peak at least the answer to this is to hit the downhills faster - at speed moar travel suddenly makes sense.

In the Dark Peak at least the answer to this is to hit the downhills faster –

I was feeling thoroughly scared and pleased with myself in equal measure coming down Cut Gate north a few weeks back at what I felt was a decent speed.

OP came past on his fannybaws 110mm Trance at a rate that made me realise what an absolute plodder I am. He's not a slow rider by any means.

( not that I'm a baseline of fastness by any stretch)

It was the easy bottom section, but still quite useful nonetheless