Got a few days in the Lakes coming up and will have chance to get out for a ride or two.

Have done the Bash a few times now, and have done a Lonscale Fell loop and Skiddaw via Ullock Pike. What else is worth doing that can be ridden from the town?

Looking for roughly 3 hour rides ideally, maybe a tad longer (will most likely be riding late afternoon/evening – no lights).

TIA.

braithwaite, coledale, coledale hause, crag hill, rigg beck.

it is good.

Back o’Skiddaw might be pushing it in the time (although I seem to add on more every time I do it) but some variation of that might fit the bill.

braithwaite, coledale, coledale hause, crag hill, rigg beck.

it is good.

Looking at the map, that’s a fair amount of cheeky? (not averse to that in any way, just making sure I’m looking at the right route). Assuming the final descent is over Sail and Causey Pike rather than trying to find a way onto the footpath that follows Rigg Beck itself?

over sail, down the zig zags, and right at the 2 path junction, down to rigg beck path.

the path is visible on the ground and very visible on google earth or os maps.

Yeah, I think I see that now looking at Google Earth. Thanks.

Ton, until I got to the top of Sail i was cursing you. All forgotten now though. That descent down the zig zags, then the tech and narrow trail down to Rigg Beck followed by that neverending singletrack following the beck is awesome. Made the trudge up and over Crag Hill worth it.

Cheers.

I regularly head down to Keswick for a bit of Lakeland riding but I’m always very leery of riding ‘cheeky’ stuff. This loop looks lovely and I’d really like to try it out next time I’m down there, but what would be the best way to tackle it without getting other trail users back’s up?

Late afternoon / early evening once everyone’s gone to Oddfellows and the Dog ‘n’ Gun? Or are most folk okay about riders on the occasional out of the way footpath? I’m very aware that you guys down south have the smelly end of the stick when it comes to trail access and I’d be the last person who’d want to cause any grief between walkers and cyclists.

I rode it on a good weather day in the morning. Start of August and I saw a grand total of 9 walkers on the same paths as me. All of them happy, smiley friendly folks. Don’t think it’s a busy route. Only real potential issue would be meeting a group on the Rigg Beck path as it’s very narrow and fast with rough undergrowth both sides

My personal experience is that walker grumpiness tends to be inversely proportional to the elevation and distance from the nearest car park, so unless you’re ragging it past a child’s face on Catbells, you’re more likely to be met with encouragement than anger.

Be polite and friendly, remember that walkers have priority, so stop and let them pass with a cheerful hello, particularly on steep ground when they may be nervous about you passing close by.

Obviously there will be some honeypot footpaths you might want to avoid during the day in mid-August – the descent off Grizedale to Braithwaite, the Catbells ridge as above. Even the BW off Skiddaw will be too busy to enjoy then, though.

you guys down south

🙂

You proper northerners have the rough side of the midge problem, though, I suppose, so it all balances out.

I regularly head down to Keswick for a bit of Lakeland riding but I’m always very leery of riding ‘cheeky’ stuff. This loop looks lovely and I’d really like to try it out next time I’m down there, but what would be the best way to tackle it without getting other trail users back’s up?

What Martinhutch says, tbh I’ve never had anything but good chat with walkers in the NW fells around that area, the crabbit bastards tend to stick close to the gluepot areas such as ambleside, Grasmere and coniston, ironically the biggest bawbags I’ve encountered has been riding on Bridleways!.

Funnily enough, one of the noisiest and most annoying walkers that has ever brayed at me in the Lakes was whilst I was on the bridleway along the side of Conniston water. I’d stopped to let a huge posse of walkers go by and this one red socked (I shit you not), Scottish guy stopped and gave me a lecture about bikes not being allowed there. I took my map out, showed him where we were and that I was permitted to ride there, but he just swore and walked away…..probably a Weegie, so just angry about his lot in life in general. 🙂

The 2nd funniest one was whilst I was taking part in a Lakes Merida 100 XC event. I encountered a large lady who’d just stepped out of her Range Rover and was putting all of her mighty heft into pulling one of the event way markers out of the ground. When I remonstrated with her, she pointed out that the sign was leading riders down a footpath. We got into this wonderful circular argument where she was demanding to know where I was going, and I was trying to explain that myself and about 800 others were trying to follow the signs that she was busy pulling out of the ground. The fact that the national park authority had approved the route held no water with that lady. We were not going down that path!

In the end she just got more and more abusive and I ended up doubling back about a mile to the feedstation and letting the event organisation know what was going on. Don’t know what happened in the end, but that was one angry lady!

Other than those two that spring to mind, I’ve never had anything but encouragement and mild bafflement from the vast majority of other trail users in the near 20 years that I’ve been spending regular holidays and weekends down there. I have been fastidious about sticking to bridleways though…..but maybe next time I might be a wee bit daring and naughty if no-one is looking.

I’d stopped to let a huge posse of walkers go by and this one red socked (I shit you not), Scottish guy stopped and gave me a lecture about bikes not being allowed there.

Have some compassion, the poor sod comes from somewhere where he has no opportunity to lecture anyone on access laws. He’s driven for hours to get mardy with a cyclist, indulge him. 🙂

My personal experience is that walker grumpiness tends to be inversely proportional to the elevation and distance from the nearest car park

This is my experience too. The genuine fellwalkers do seem to realise that it’s big enough for everyone, regardless of what some dotted line indicates. Most I’ve found to be pleasant, chatty and even encouraging.

Lakeside bridleway on Ullswater though – different story.

Nobeerinthefridge

ironically the biggest bawbags I’ve encountered has been riding on Bridleways!.

This is my experience as well, all over the as well, not just the Lakes. The worst, in the Lakes, was the coward that let me go through but saw the wife as an easy target, blocked her path and then starting lecturing her, knowing I was 100 yards down the hill but could just about hear, asshat! Quite upset her!

Dunno, but hats off to the guy in the  4wheel powered MTB contraption that passed me in the town centre in  Keswick with a bunch of his mates a few weeks ago.

I was in the car with kids and they thought it was awesome.

I don’t know if they were just heading out or just getting back but, judging by the look on his face, the guy looked like he was having the time of his life.

Edit: A bit of googling turned this up on youtube….  Well done Peter, you made my day as well as your own.

awesome that colournoise
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<div>brilliant photos.</div>
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<div>glad you enjoyed it.</div>