Was looking at the Pennine Bridleway and the Mary Townley Loop for a bivvy trip, then it occured to me that it might make for a good route for a self supported endurance style event. Up, around the MTL, then back.

Not sure about places to sneak a cheeky bivvy kip as I guess there are areas that it passes through are fairly well populated.

Hmmmmm

Any comments?

There’s a North-South Wales route that contains some road that might be a less populated alternative. You need maps tho.

i have thought about this.
maybe getting a few together to do it.
thing is you would have to keep it on the qs, richpips tried to sort a ‘event’ thing in the lakes and loads of h n s types threw a wobbly.

you’d have to make it for fattys/numptys only otherwise the likes of nick craig would have it done in an afternoon.

How long’s the Pennine Bridleway?

Distance-wise, you would need to ride the Sustrans C2C route once a day, every day, for something like 17 days to match the GDR. And you’d have been beaten by a couple of days.

including the MTL it’ll be about 120 miles I think. Up, loop then back would be approaching 200.
Nowhere near as long as the GDR but as daft ideas go, it’s a good un.

I’d be up for it anyway.

If you’re starting at the southern end, you could bivvy at the hayfield campsite. or there’s one at Holligworth Lake, just before you join the MTL at Summit.

i set off from part of the way along the pennine bridleway to ride (most of) it and the MTL in a day a year or so ago, sadly the lad who accompanied me did his knee in so we had to call it quits after about 70 miles

keep meaning to redo it, the bit we managed was quite nice

don’t think it would really compare to the GDR though!

richpips’ lakes idea was brilliant, it’s a shame it couldn’t take place properly

Keep it “underground”. Start planning too much/openly and you’ll be in the realms of risk assessments, medical cover and insurance.

Organise it like a ride with your mates.

Double post bugger-up alert. Move along… Nothing to see here.

i might try putting something together, route wise, where “fellow riders not competitors” have to start in north wales finishing in south wales going via checkpoints to get a pass code which have to be given in at the end to prove you rode it all.

invitational only you understand.

Hiya fellas…if anyone is half serious about the idea please send me an email stuart@forestfreeride.co.uk

It would be Wales based, you’ed have to be self sufficient, be willing to bivy/kip rough and be able to navigate. Sorry I’m sounding all a bit cloak and dagger but if we can get enough interest it’ll be a goer.

Cheers

Stuart

Stuart,

Email sent.

SSP

A week or so ago there was an article in Cycling Weekly about Nick Craig doing the southernmost point to the northernmost -92 miles-in under 12 hours on a CX bike. Quite impressive!

I’ll have to check out that CW article…Found it

SSP

Three of us did the Pennine cyleway last year like this from Berwick to Derby and bivvied out for 3 nights, great laugh but eaten alive by bloody midges as far south as Hadfield/Glossop. Some of the best scenery in England and we ended up doing Holme Moss pass at 11 o’clock at night, an experience to remember.

Stuart, would be very interested in teh Wales suggestion, depending on what time of year it was.

including the MTL it’ll be about 120 miles I think. Up, loop then back would be approaching 200.
Nowhere near as long as the GDR but as daft ideas go, it’s a good un.

More of a Trans Iowa-style distance then?

THE MTL must pass loads of good pubs, why not make a weekend of it, and a right good p155 up un all? That’s what we’re planning for this summer.

This Wales thing? It wouldn’t be the Sarn Helen would it? I had a go at it unsupported last summer. I got in to my sleeping bag to find that drenched at the end of the 2nd day and as I hadn’t been dry once since setting off early morning the day before, I jacked it in there and then. Rode to the next town, got a taxi to the nearest train station, kipped on the bench on the platform and started the multi train journey home in the morning.
I’m going back to do it all the way this year, no give ups.

Barca, nope not Sarn Helen…far too much population. I’ll email everyone who got in touch.

Anymore interested?

Cheers

Stuart

A little bit of info about this here:
http://www.whytebikes.com/wp-whyte/?p=289

Emails have gone out…if you emailed me and haven’t got one back let me know.

Cheers

Stuart

A little bit of info about this here:
http://www.whytebikes.com/wp-whyte/?p=289

I think leaving it there as a challenge is probably the best idea. Once you start making public arrangements for groups to meet up at a set time and do it as a race, you’re into dodgier territory (as with richpips’ Lakeland Lugger).

Low key is the way forward.

Surely someone can set up a length of UK ride, including a number of fixed places (summits, off road) to achieve…

Now that would be more like a GDR…

Surely someone can set up a length of UK ride, including a number of fixed places (summits, off road) to achieve…

Now that would be more like a GDR…

Someone had mapped out a MTB 3 Peaks. 600 miles or something? SSP/Alex has the map on his blog.

I may be wrong, but the GDR’s not really that technical, is it, just long? So, Sutrans routes might be the way forward in the UK. They’re all signposted pretty well too, so easy to follow.

Would people be interested in a beer-oriented ride? A mix of on- and off-road, passing the Black Sheep brewery and Tan Hill pub. About a hundred miles, though I’ve not mapped it out properly yet.

Wales thing sounds interesting, e-mail sent

So, Sutrans routes might be the way forward…They’re all signposted pretty well too, so easy to follow.

Really? I did a Chester to Cheltenham a few years ago and the signing was aweful!

I have the GPS route for the 3 highest peaks / England / Wales / Scotland but the terrain is pretty tough / unknown and some of the navigation through Manchester is a nightmare, let alone some of the route finding out in the sticks!

SSP

mike, that sounds like a much better idea than a race, you could make the competitive element of the ride a drinking challenge…

Really? I did a Chester to Cheltenham a few years ago and the signing was aweful!

I’ve found the odd dodgy bit, but all the ones round the North east I’ve ridden have been pretty good. I tried following one through Manchester to get to HTN and got lost, but there were some roadworks, so i think I missed a sign there. You do still need a map and an idea of where you’re going though.

mike, that sounds like a much better idea than a race, you could make the competitive element of the ride a drinking challenge…

Was thinking of Darlington to Masham to Tan Hill to Darlington. Originally, I’d thought of having it as a race, with the receipt from Tan Hill pub for a pint of Black Sheep being the proof needed to be returned to Darlington, but a ride would be much more fun and leave it less open to liability claims and general illegalness.

I’ve always fancied riding between the two highest pubs in England, Tan Hill Inn and Cat & Fiddle. Would include Edale area and perhaps a bivvy at STW mansions;-)

Surely someone can set up a length of UK ride, including a number of fixed places (summits, off road) to achieve…

I’d definitely be up for that. A dozen or so checkpoints, unsupported but no other rules. So you can go YHA, bivi, camp in pay for campsites etc. It’d be in no way illegal to organise, since you would issue the usual disclaimers about not camping illegally. All you have to do is get the checkpoints.

Blackhound, I’ll throw in the highest pub in Wales if you like 😀

Stuart

I’d definitely be up for that. A dozen or so checkpoints, unsupported but no other rules. So you can go YHA, bivi, camp in pay for campsites etc. It’d be in no way illegal to organise, since you would issue the usual disclaimers about not camping illegally. All you have to do is get the checkpoints.

How about using some of the remote YHA/Hostels/Bothys?

Combined with points such as 3 highest peaks (legally), a bunch of trail centres, and a few suitable bike shops/cafes as checkpoints? You would have to provide picstures of remote bits, but using YHA’s/Hostels and some bikeshops/cafe’s means that you could check in with a friendly face – especially if its a solo/informal race ride?

I reckon it should be using whatever accomodation you see fit. That way, the organisers could remind you it’s illegal to rough camp in certain areas and thereby wash their hands/cover their *rses. The rider could knock on farmers doors to ask permission to bivi in fields, or just rough it – or book a b&b/hotel/real campsite if you want. There are advantages/disadvantages to both types of accomodation so it could balance out.

I’ve always fancied riding between the two highest pubs in England, Tan Hill Inn and Cat & Fiddle

Isn’t The CB, further down Arkengarthdale from Tan Hill, the second highest pub in England?

How about just selecting two points at random -say glasgow and ullapool and leave route choice to the individual. See who gets there first.

hmmmm – sounds like one hell of a ride that does….

(goes to look at maps…)

Smee –
How about just selecting two points at random -say glasgow and ullapool and leave route choice to the individual. See who gets there first…..

The guy who caught the bus?

How about just selecting two points at random -say glasgow and ullapool and leave route choice to the individual. See who gets there first.

Cos it’d end up a road bike ride, that’s why. Hence having checkpoints at locations deep into the mountains that would mandate an off-road approach.

can’t think of the pub name but it’s in the village of Flash, few miles south ish of Cat &Fiddle is higher than the C & F. I know for a long time it claimed to be highest pub in England, though I think it has been settled now that Tan Hill Inn is the one.