Stopping with my mum and brought the bikes and the lazy 10yr old.
I’m happy riding anything but he won’t pedal unless it has some “real riding”. Had planned Havok for a weekend but it’s closed coming weekend and looking for something we can ride together. He’ll ride Cwmcarn or Afan for the descents so looking for something I can get his enthusiasm … he can pedal when he can be bothered he just needs some tech to motivate him. Couple of hours drive preferable.

Drive to Staveley take him over Garburn, Nan Bield, Sadgill – should be tech enough

Drive to Staveley take him over Garburn, Nan Bield, Sadgill – should be tech enough

I’ll look for some photos and see if that motivates him… now adays it’s a battle to get him anywhere doesn’t have big road gaps and 10’ drops.

Staveley 3 Passes

There are some good tracks around Feizor, Wharf and Austwick, just down the road from Ingleton inlcuding river/stream crossings with good bridges. Good cafe (Elaines in Feizor). Gisburn Forest just over Bowland Knots. Some good tech going through Clapham tunnels downhill (more a case of “am I going to hit anything /anyone when plunged into darkness on a damp limestone track.”)

There’s also the pump track in Ingleton next to seasons bakery which can kill a couple of hours.

50 mins to an hour away is Longridge Fell with a few downhill trails and fun bits if you know where to look. Lots of locals about (including me who could show you one evening or day if they’re furloughed!) There’s some steep techy decents that the local yoofs have been playing on that go off the north side of the fell, rooty, loose, switchbacks and a few jumps.

big road gaps and 10’ drops.

In which case the DH trails at Gisburn should do the trick.

Ride from Gran’s door and do Ingleborough, up the bridleway, throw him off the top either the 3 peaks path towards sulber, or off little ingleborough to gaping gill. Road back to ingleton mind unless you set off from clapham. Choose a rainy or quiet day though as it gets MEGA busy with 3 peakers. See also whernside anti clockwise.

As above Gisburn built dh trails have some drops and jumps. This guy is like a modern day mr motivator https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njXenM5mre8&feature=youtu.be

In the car 2 hours you have your pick of world class steep rocky tech in the Lakes. You will be hiking up though to get to it. Mostly FPs, find you favourite “influencer” on instagram and then look them up on strava for routes.

Actually easy to get out of depth, how much stamina does he have….?

I reckon I’ll park and work out how to get to the top of Hully from the east then head for the DH area.

He’s got way more stamina than patience with me. With his mates to compete with he’ll pedal hours and climb thousands of feet, with me he just seems to want to kill or do stuff I can’t.

First answer you got was the right one – and I live in the Dales.

Staveley or Grizedale (not North Face).

First answer you got was the right one – and I live in the Dales.

Staveley or Grizedale (not North Face).

It’s a question of what he has patience for. Totally spoiled by uplift at Revs and Dyfi unless he’s riding with cycling mates he just wants to lap the most extreme when he’s with me.

Lapping Hully Gully and the Hope Line/DH Line is probably your best bet then. It’s a shame though, there’s some utterly brilliant riding an hour or less from Ingleton which might start to convert him to natural tech. Plenty of enduro-style tracks on the Coniston side of Grizedale too.

It’s a shame though, there’s some utterly brilliant riding an hour or less from Ingleton which might start to convert him to natural tech.

Yeah, I just enjoyed riding with him. He used to love natural tech and he’d ride miles and climb thousands of feet. He still can if he feels like it though for how long? He’s still very young and his legs are still insanely powerful but he doesn’t seem to realise he’ll lose that. He just seems to go out with his old XC mates and cycle something and still be fine so he just seems to think this will last forever. If it’s just us he will moan and ruin a ride..with his mates he’s racing every hill.

Well good news for us .. bad for Havok. They have a Larch disease that will require extensive clearing so they have put off the work they were closing for so we will ride some rough (and looking like wet n slippery) stuff Sunday.. not sure how good it is for me as I’ll be following the psychopath

You won’t get more technical than wet Yorkshire limestone! There are some fun trails right from the door that shouldn’t be overlooked.