Whinlatter or Grizedale – Ebike

Hi,

Having just welcomed my first child into the world my opportunities for riding have become substantially more limited recently. I have managed to sort out a week in the lakes on our first family holiday and have wrangled a day where I can go off on my own on a bike.

No space in the car to take my current bike with all the baby gear so would need to hire something and given my lack of recent riding am keep to give an E-bike a go to make up for being even less fit than usual.

We’re based in Windermere and i’m trying to work out if it’s worth heading off to Whinlatter, which is further away or Grizedale wich is closer, but from what i’ve read on here less well regarded. I’m sure there are many non-bikecentre bridleways and routes I should be trying but given i’ll be on my own would prefer somewhere with waymarked routes and facilities if possible.

What would people reccommend? Is it worth driving the extra distance or are ther some non-bikecentre routes i simply have to do

You can start at grizedale VC and do a bridleway loop that’s far better than riding just the north face, something like this

https://strava.app.link/DgiI0r9IFJb

Navigation is pretty easy, but obviously not as straight forward as a waymarked trail centre

You’d blast round pretty quick I should think on an ebike so then if you’ve got time you can take in a few runs of the black at grizedale to finish

For purely trail centre trails, whinlatter wins hands down

I like Whinlatter, a quick blast around the South loop then the north, decide your favourite and do it again.

Nice cafe too.

Your life sounds like mine (except we have two now).

So of course for my Lakes trip I’ve managed to figure a way to take my own bike and planned a 30-plus mile ride with 7,000 odd foot of ascent.

I might die, but what a way to go.

Sort of covered already, I’d head to Grizedale but wouldn’t ride the North Face loop, it’s like some Salvador Dali picture, up up up up and finish where you started??? It’s baffling and shit for the most part, should be good but FC haven’t invested.
I’d ride more of the off piste stuff and some other good official sections.
If you just want ease of navigation and a trail centre then winlatter is worth the extra mileage.

* I do rate grizedale as a wider complex with some great routes and an amount of unofficial off piste is tolerated with locals building some nice sections. Just not the North Face trail 😜

Whinlatter is the better trail centre, but there is loads of great riding around Grizedale IMO.

+1 for Grizedale but not the waymarked route. Follow some of the bridleways, bound to be a GPX kicking around somewhere.

I tend towards the other posters here.  If you insist on TC riding then Whinlatter Defo.

But there is indeed stacks of great bridleway riding from the Grisedale trail hub, which is far better than the TC

Similar can sort of be said about Whinlatter with the caveat that the TC is much better and the non TC is much wilder and consequential ( and indeed non bridleway) than the stuff at Grisedale.

Whinlatter is a good 1.5 hrs round trip from where you are.

A better option would be to cycle down to Windermere and get the ferry over the lake to do the Claife heights route. Super easy to follow. And you can whip over and do some more of grizledale too. Follow your nose.

Some route info here.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.visitlakedistrict.com/dbimgs/GLT-Easy-Cycling-Guide.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjlzOX305WGAxXf87sIHc71AGUQFnoECBYQBg&usg=AOvVaw2bDzTtvHoHHTNohkOLpQhC

As above Whinlatter is a long way from Windemere . Realistically it’s going to take your day up

However imo it’s much nicer riding + if hiring an unfamiliar ebike you will stand more chance of getting round without any mishaps

I’m similar ish as in time challenged these days and not that fit. I did the north face trial last year. It was very underwhelming and in need of much repair (which they had just started doing) large sections were closed.

Gets you out though and not too far from Windemere + you can follow the signs. All the slog stuff may be much better on an ebike

Maybe try and combine some of the above stuff from Strava but I wouldn’t go too mad if your just looking for an afternoon escape

Depends on the age of the bairn. If a toddler to about 10 years old then Whinlatter has an amazing play park that can amuse kids for hours. Was always a requested place to got by our kids. Take waterproof suit as there is a big water play area.

The other favourite place requested by them was the play area in Fitz Park in Keswick.

Happy kids = happy hols and more likely to get a turn out on the bike next trip.

Grizedale also has a reasonable play area.

Both have good cages for cyclists and non cyclists.

Was at Whinlatter on Thursday, borrowed an ebike, managed 2 laps of both reds and the blue in about 4/4.5 hours of riding time, was a good laugh, and the batteries had just enough juice to full power the lot, having had a top up whilst we had lunch in the cafe.

Both have good cages for cyclists and non cyclists.

Ooh, that reminds me, the cafe at Grisedale TC was always utterly woeful. Good cafes in hawkshead but the visitor centre one was shit.

Whinlatter cafe = great

No space in the car to take my current bike with all the baby gear

Alternative plan would be to strap something on to the outside of your car. Probably not the bairn as I’m advised that’s immoral and possibly unhygienic. But temporary racks are a thing.

Food and icecream at whinlatter cafe was good on Thursday, has been for a while.

Best thing about Grizedale NF trail? The ascent. Worst: The rest of it and the cafe.

Book (in advance) an eBike, do the ascent and then head off down the Parkamoor BW. Loop back around via Nibthwaite and Ickenthwaite.Head back along the road or if you’ve time head back into the forest.