I got those 3 options of spending 3-4 days riding from Wednesday onwards. I only got my cross bike with 40c tyres as my other mountain bikes are out of action.

Which one would be best considering my bike, I was thinking Kielder Northumberland with kielder and what not.

Thank

What about doing the dales 200 or dales 300 routes ?

The YD300 route won’t be pleasant on a CX bike (though it has been done), it’s pretty rough tracks. Last year’s YD200 was claimed to be “gravel friendly”, it wasn’t! This year’s YD200 route wouldn’t be too bad on a CX, just a few shortest ions that would be “interesting”.

I’d go to Kielder for a couple of days then head down to the North York Moors

Sandstone way in northuNorthumb and kielder.

Can’t think of the gravel routes you would be considering on Exmoor, but curious.

Sandstone way in northuNorthumb and kielder.

@jeffl have you ridden this? I’d like to try it but website describes it as a mountain bike route so I’m wondering what sort of surfaces it has. If it contains long boggy moorland tussocky sections I’m not sure how much fun it would be on a cross bike.

We did the Sandstone Way a couple of years ago on the August BH weekend. I’d say it’s borderline Gravel/CX to hardtail territory but on a CX bike I’d go with wide/flared drops. Mostly it’s lanes and estate/forestry tracks. There’s some riding across fields and small bits of moorland but any boggy/muddy bits will be hard work whatever bike, there weren’t many of those TBH. We took an evening, a full day then a morning to do it going S-N. We didn’t have the map so were following the, very small, markers which are mostly set up for riding N-S. The route has some differences depending on which way you are riding to give better climbs and descents for that direction.

Kielder forrest is massive, but the gravel roads much of the same, with similar views all the way. The road riding is nice enough, but limited by few roads. Lakeside path is nice for a tootle. And there’s the trail centre. Some nice stuff, but there’s something about Kielder that is quite uninspiring. Probably to do with the fact it’s completely man-made.

Some nice CXable stuff and road riding around Hexham Common.

Kielder has a route up across the border which sounds good on paper.

Actually, if I were going to Kielder. Id probably plan a route along to Newcastleton (they have a trail centre there too), and you can come back into the forest, but there’s some good roads going north. Check out Hermitage castle while you’re there, and there might be some stuff around Riccarton Junction, aside from a creepy old building?

Butcher ..false fact ..Kielder isn’t ” completely man made “..you just don’t know where to look 😁😉

I’ve done the Sandstone Way (3-4 years back, don’t know if anything has changed since?) … The basic route would mostly be do-able on a CX type bike, but the bigger tyres you can get in, the better. The optional extra sections were quite hard work (terrain and navigation) at times (signage may have improved?) on a HT, so factor that in if taking a CX.

Kielder has loads to go at. You could use the route (200/130km) of the Dirty Reiver, very Gravel/CX bike suitable (recommend 40c + tyres if you can). The loop of Kielder Water (50k ish) is lovely as a 2-3 hour ride in its own right.

Cheers chaps for the information.

It would appear we have booked a place in Wooler.

I can take the cross rear wheel off change adaptors and put it on the xc hardtail.

I’ll have a look for some trail centres.

I’ll have a look for some trail centres.

Nearest to Wooler is Glentress.

If I get a chance I’ll post some routes nearby.

There is a petrol station/bike shop called Haugh Head 1/4 mile South of Wooler. Go in and speak to Michael in the bike shop. He’ll advise you on decent routes and they sell the maps for local rides also.