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

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