I’m off to Masham to see some friends tomorrow and staying tomorrow night. Sunday I’ll should have some time on the way back up to Newcastle to get some riding in.

Question is where? Obvious answers are a couple of hours of trail centre fun at Hamsterley or one of the many routes starting from Fremington in Swaledale. Any one got any specific route recommendations, or others nearby or en-route I might not have thought of?

Need a few options 10 – 30 miles to cover different eventualities. Bonus points for GPX files!

Already decided against: going further south, North York Moors/Guisborough (been recently)

Not really, you’re pretty much out of the Dales as soon as you head north from Masham. You could get over to Nidderdale fairly easily from there, but I would opt for Swaledale in your position.

Fremington over Hamsterly. Map link

Stop off at the Dales MTB centre for hot choc too 🙂

I also did this route a couple of years ago, which goes up Frem edge, its a cracker.

(GPX – http://we.tl/XYuPMWtrAY)

Cheers for the replies. Fremington seems like the sensible choice.

Lots of routes around there but always good to have personal recommendations. Darthshearer – that link is 404

http://we.tl/dBLNp2iv5t

Some good trails on Harkerside Moor on the south side of Swaledale (basically opposite Fremington Edge) though the drop down to Storthwaite Hall having gone up FE is a great descent.

From DBC, head S take the road up to the YHA but turn R almost immediately and follow the road then BW alongside the river until you meet the next road. Turn L and in about 300m there’s a BW on the right, take this and when you join the big track head R and uphill to a T junction. (You can join the track about 100m further along the road) Turn L and once on the skyline you can cut L again to find the pipeline descent and then follow a series of tracks back to Grinton. Turn R and follow the track for a couple of miles to where you can turn L uphill to ride over in to Apedale. Down this then at the cross roads turn L and back over to join the road down to Grinton.

Routes are many and varied in the Swaledale area, Stu at the Dales Bike Centre is very helpful on the route front. Personally I love the Harker Top Apedale route and it’s variations. I also now never try and climb Fremington, down yes but never up.

Link working now, thanks.

Yep, Dales Bike Centre will be my first port of call. Been before, good place.

The Dales Bike Centre is definitely the place to go. Stu will sort you out with plenty of riding from there. Also yes, having done it both ways recently ask for a route that goes *down* rather than up Fremington Edge if at all possible…