Hi, just moved to Skipton.  I’m between road bikes at the minute but want to get back into it – however, any locals – would you suggest getting a CX/gravel bike instead?  I note that some B/ways in the Dales like Weets Top are pretty sanitized so probably CX worthy.

I don’t fancy cycling up and down A59 or Grassington road but are there enough gravel paths to keep me entertained if I was to go gravel?

so, road or CX (in skipton). In the words of Highlander – there can only be one

It’s a bonus being able to jump onto the canal path (e.g. to Gargrave) although you can probably do that on either with a suitable wheel and tyre set.

Where have you moved from ?

ie the roads in Yorkshire are very very busy (even the quiet ones) but there are some very nice tough hilly roads.

Have you thought about mtb at all ? There is some fantastic riding back toward Keighley/Bingley/Baildon. maybe a fast XC mtb would be good.

Albeit a bit further up the dale,  I’m up in the Grassington area a lot. Round that part of the Dales a dedicated road bike is the tool to have in my opinion but being that bit further down your options open up more.

You can head past Billy Bobs and up from Bolton Abbey for another way up into the Dales – preferable to Grassington Road for me anyway.

Once up there I find the quiet roads very very quiet indeed and can often go for a 2-3 hour road ride on an evening and only see a few cars.  I even bought a Garmin radar as the cars are so infrequent I get startled by them!

Either a gravel bike or a hardtail 29er, canal towpath to Gargrave, back lanes/tracks to Settle, Malham, Cracoe and away you go.

Came to say the same as Dave, that’s what I do (or canal to Kildwick/Silsden then over to Cowling moor, Wycoller, etc).

Had a road bike, didn’t like busy roads so bought a gravel bike. Didn’t like drops so just in the process of selling that having bought an XC MTB.

Another favourite gateway to rides from Skipton is the old railway line that runs from Heslaker Lane, Carleton. It’s fine on a gravel bike and can take you all the way to Foulridge via a few short diversions. Easy to jump on the canal at various points too. Virtually all the local bridal ways are rideable on cx/gravel/xc.

Thanks I’m from clitheroe way. Ive got a hardtail mtb but want to get back into road riding as well, to complement my fell running as well . I drove to the forbidden corner on saturday and was blown away by the cam gill road from kettlewell. I feel like getting a road bike just to ride up and down that

That’s a good ‘un for sure!  I got some great pics of Ineos controlling the Tour de Yorkshire through the hairpin.

Have a look at Grassington up past Outershaw and over Fleet Moss, down into Hawes and back over Kidstones.

Or up to Arncliffe, Halton Gill, past Pen-y-Ghent, down into Settle and back out to Cracoe.

Or Cracoe, Malham, Arncliffe, Kettlewell, Grass Wood Lane to Grassington.

Plenty of hills! My next bike will have a 34T on the back, 36/28 is a bit tough for me on longer days!

There’s gravel bikes with geo comparable to endurance road bikes these days, for instance the large https://www.halfords.com/bikes/gravel-bikes/boardman-adv-9.4-mens-adventure-bike—s-m-l-xl-frames-456358.html is very similar geo to my “58cm” Cube Attain. Its 42T chainring with 10-44 12-speed 1x gives very similar gear range, you could grab a set of nice road wheels so you have tyres fitted ready for the tarmac/offroad ride you have planned.

If you like riding those types of roads you should join one of the Paceline Cycles (Crosshills) shop rides as they’re up that way all the time.

You’re spoilt for choice with either, there’s great road and gravel riding around that way.

One possible option might be a compromise bike – the new Specialized Roubaix or Canyon Endurace for example are both “all-road” bikes that’ll do (light) gravel.

Alternatively, one of the racier CX/gravel bikes like a Crux might do the job of both and it’d be a good winter road bike too.