All the best trails are cheeky 😉

hordes of people walking around like zombies dressed in Goretex with an umbrella up in and out of the countless shops buying nothing or sitting in traffic that does not seem to move.

Welcome to Keswick 😉

I presume you mean straight down into the valley to the mines?

Sorry ir_bandito – that was a bit vague ! There’s an un-named ‘ridge’ with an old wall running it’s length, right down to a gate in the tree line at Whinlatter. Pretty much follows the red line in this image:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/parkedtiger/7752984416/

Grisedale is an excellent choice. There are some more interesting routes I take our kids on through the woods – if you sort of follow the route of the south loop using the fireroads, you’re on the right track. Their final scramble is also the exciting bit for them – I tend to sick to the right hand side with mine as it’s often the more sheltered option. We always shoot straight down the wall on the return journey – by far the quickest descent (although never, ever be tempted to ride it. It’s the dullest descent in the lakes).

Definitely avoid the coach road up to, and over, the Dodds – we’ve had way too much rain recently and it’d be a depressing wet bog / slog.
Up Keppel Cove, Lower Man, then turn around, down and over Raise, down Sticks back to Glenridding – that would get my vote.

Fix the fells turned a couple of sections of Sticks into a BMX track last year but they’re still fun.

Also online.

not bad mate keeping watch from a distance! Dry up there yet?
My auntie lives just up the road from Craster, there is a good off license (Proper Beer) in Seahouses and the fish and chips are good. (that about it) Butchers in Bamburgh does great sausages too.

Beer, meat, and chippy – the essentials ! The sun actually made an appearence yesterday so we ran up Jenkin Hill before it decided to disappear 🙂

Thanks for the recommendation uphillcursing.

🙂 Excellent – thanks for the recommendations.

Morning Mike – hope you’re well.

Definitely worth the effort – good descent. It’s similar to Whiteless (maybe a bit looser and more scree) and is all rideable if it’s dry.

I emailed lneleson123 asking for pictures of a Fox jersey and highroller he’s been selling – he replied:

From: Lee Nelson
Subject: RE: FS Fox Jersey Brand New Medium Men
No Problem Paul, the Jersey is brand new.
And my Phone is currently in repair as the screen is cracked, so it will take a few days to get a picture up somehow!
When i figure out a way to get pictures without my phone ill email you asap, cant promise nothing though, expecting these to sell fast!
Thanks.

Do you mean the trail that heads down from the summit of Helvelyn slightly to the right of the top section of Dollywagon, then veers more to the right, drops steeply and finishes through some woods, ending in a car park on the shore of Thirlmere – think it’s called Wythbrun or something?

Head towards Nethermost and take the right turn down Birkside (zig-zag man made stuff), then into some tricky fix-the-fells steps through Comb Crag. Eventually drops you on the A591 by Wythburn church.

There are also a couple of bridleways that descend down the side of White Side – they’re a bit vague on the ground…fast grassy descents with a steep drop down to the King’s Arms. Finally, there’s the Thirlmere side of Sticks Pass – I’m not a big fan of that as a descent but lots of locals like it.

Edit: see Paul likes it ! I prefer his route in reverse 🙂 Although, I would dispute that as the fastest ascent Paul – straight up from Swirls is quicker 😉

There’s a nice little singletrack BW down to Thornthwaite you can add on too.

Watch out for the landslide down the bottom 🙂

Beat This!: A Hip Hop History was shown on BBC2 around ’84 / ’85…required viewing when I was 11.

Whiteless Pike sounds very tempting. What’s the best way up?
Carry up Grisedale Pike? Ride up as high as possibl in Hospital Plantation, then carry up Grisedale? Or just head up Coledale Beck and carry up from there?

Your second choice is the shorter route. Ignore the plantation though – best way is up to the top of the south loop and head out onto Sleet How. That gives you two nice descents off the top of Grisedale too, heading over to Coldale Hause. A third option is to head up Stoneycroft, right over Sail, up onto Crag Hill and onto Whiteless Pike.

I’m guessing the first fine saturday in a while, in July, probably isn’t the best time to be doing it…

Probably not – head out around 4pm and you’ll miss the walkers though.

Hall’s Fell ridge as a descent?

It’s good (as is Doddick) – with Hall’s we tend to walk up from the bottom until you hit a scrambly section (about 50ft from the summit), then turn around and descend. I can’t clear it to be honest but there’s a few Keswickians that can.

It happens – but not often !

Yep – damp as normal. There’s a land slide down the bottom end of Seldom Seen but if you’re sticking to the waymarked loops, you won’t head that way. Also, the annual Christian convention kicked off this week so it’s extra-busy in town at the moment 😥

North Lakes has a fair few ‘ridge descents’:

Robinson
Hindscarth
Halls Fell and Doddick (Blencathra)
Grisdale Pike
Whiteless Pike
Grasmoor

All totally cheeky though. One possible ‘ridge ride’ that’s actually a bridleway: High Crag – High Stile – Red Pike above Buttermere.

SoThink’s You Tube downloader[/url] works well.

binners – Member

I generally regard chedder as ‘cooking cheese’, only one up from a cheese single. But neninja is right. This is surprisingly good

I can literally see one of the herds that provide milk for that cheddar as I’m typing this. I think it’s an excellent cheese (but not as available as you’d expect around here).

whereisthurso – Member

Just what it says really. I’ve just set my cotic soul up as a 1×9 after having a double and bash for a while. I’ve been for a quick blast down some stairs and rooted descents with no sign of the chain coming off. I was going to buy a cheap chain guide from superstar but is it really necessary?

I’ve used pretty much every device going over the past five years with varying amounts of success. I think the above posts maybe demonstrate is that some, cirumstances and setup require them to have a device whereas for others it’s not neccessary.

I’d say hold fire and ride without for a while (but make sure there’s plenty of protection / helitape on the vunerable parts of your frame: BB and chainstay). If you find you’re droppping your chain, maybe go for the superstar device (cheap but they’re as good as any I’ve tried). You might find you’re one of lucky ones and don’t drop your chain.

Sunshine! It’s a miracle 8)

The price of 4 x cans of delicious Fosters from the Spa on Whittaker Lane went up from £4 to £6.50 this morning apparently.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra:

There’s an on-going ‘dispute’ between the Roses (Management / PR) and photographers, following the release of a contract earlier this week asking the photograpers to sign away the rights to any images taken. Not intended as a comment – just posting as it might be of interest:

http://www.nuj.org.uk/innerPagenuj.html?docid=2559#.T-wijH1_dMo.twitter

http://www.dangerousminds.net/comments/why_photographers_are_boycotting_the_stone_roses

Liquid Liquid’s Cavern into White Lines:

The lakes have some mountains though do they not?

No they don’t. Nothing to see here. Please move along.

The easiest-to-find off road route heading up is the signposted C2C route.

I don’t think I’ve seen it as busy in town (Keswick) or out on the fells as it was this weekend.

didn’t enjoy the ride up from Braithwaite very much

Did you drag up the road ? There’s a bridleway up to the visitors centre from Thornthwaite, and plenty of other fireroad / cheeky options if you know where to look 😉

This route would take in Dash Falls, if you don’t mind a lot of tarmac:

http://www.keswick.org/content/doc/lib/4716/adventure-cycling-keswick-skiddaw%20loop-route1.pdf

I’d recommend Glenderaterra..

http://www.keswick.org/content/doc/lib/4703/adventure-cycling-keswick-lonscalefell-route2.pdf

…followed by Borrowdale instead:

http://www.keswick.org/content/doc/lib/4718/adventure-cycling-keswick-borrowdalebash-route3.pdf

Climb up dash falls descend down Latrigg for me

Yep – you want to be heading towards Keswick as you traverse Lonscale Fell. Unless you’re really desperate to do it, I’d also avoid the longer figure of 8 route that explores the mine tracks around Mosdale and the back of High Pike; it’s the dullest ride ever. Better to go out by Blease Fell, back along Lonscale and into town, then head off and do the Borrowdale Bash.

teamhurtmore – Member

Parkedtiger – where is that photo?

North Lakes – coming off the top of Sail down to the back of Causey Pike. Fix the Fells[/url] use a variety of top notch, well thought out techniques to combat erosion. Honestly, you’d never know they’d been there 😯

Joking aside, in their never ending (already lost) battle against erosion from the rain, they’ve actually created some of the best technical descents we have around here. Although, I’d not include the one in the picture in that category.

to minimise the effect that cycling walkers’ facilities will have on the natural beauty of the countryside

Do you mean Whinfell Geoff ?

Lowey: give us a shout if you want to sit down with a map and a pint when you get to town – Stoney and I will be happy to oblige !

Three indians – avoid the Red Fort on St John’s Street. The George, Dog and Gun, and The Bank are good pubs with good food. Pizza and Tapas at The Square Orange.

Home (Keswick): three good rides (but not the best as that can change from week to week):

1 – Coledale Horseshoe (probably anti-clockwise)
2 – Skiddaw, Longside, Ullock
3 – Robinson over to Dale Head, High Spy, Maiden Moor, end off Catbells

The Lakes dry in May – unheard of!!

April and May are usually the driest months here. Then it rains until September 🙁

Has anyone ridden halls fell or doddick from Blencathra? Just interested!

Both are techie and fun. Doddick you can drop into following the fix the fells / zigzag section off the summit of Blencathra. With Halls Fell, we find it’s easier to walk up to a point about 100m(ish) off the summit then turn around and head down (that top section isn’t ridable). I’ve not cleared both but there’s a few riders in town that come pretty close.

Not specifically organised by the shop, but we’re out every tuesday – meeting at 6.30 this evening at The Pedlar cafe. Usually out until about 9.30 / 10 then into the pub – bring lights and expect a carry 😀

Thanks for all the comments 🙂