I really enjoy Cragg Quarry – but I always have this uneasy feeling about being up there by myself!! Sort of worried about my decomposed body being eaten by wolves, that kind of thing. The link back to Lee is great fun, I don’t remember it being that bermed or jumpy, perhaps its weathered in?

I had heard about Ride On getting planning permission to move there, I’d just wondered as given it is now a year later and nothing seems to have been built if this was still the plan

I suspect the more modern varieties had recently been parked up in the ‘car park’

Whinlatter might well have a place on a wet, windy, muddy weekend in November. It’s also not a bad place to go if the rest of the family want somewhere they can come too

We often go to Whinfell off season and I negotiate a trip to Whinlatter. MrsJ and the boy play there for a bit then when they’ve had enough they drive to Keswick and I ride down to meet them. It’s better than not riding after all.

It was a good ride thanks. Bright sunshine and fairly warm. Only issue was the strong westerly wind making Mastilles Lane more of a challenge than usual.
Started at Grassington then Threshfield, through the old mines up to Boss Moor. This track was all fine, solid with just the odd bomb hole that was avoidable or obvious. Dropped down to Mastilles Lane just above Kilnsey then upto Street Gate. This was all fine- a few biggish puddles but all with solid base. Then climbed again and down Hawkswick Cote to Littondale. This was the muddiest part – lots if cattle I think but all rideable just a bit softer and slower than usual. Overall conditions much better than I had expected. Nursery pick up was beckoning so it was head down and pretend I was in the (very slow) TdF along the lanes back to Grassington. Not a bad ride at all for November.

Thanks everyone. Looking good for a ride. Now just got to decide which one to do…..

Thats an idea – even nearer to me! Hows the descent from the road at Halton Moor down to the Woods and Bolton Abbey at the moment? I have known that bit be horrifically muddy and churned up by the cows

Thanks – that’s really useful. I had already discounted my ‘local’ Grassington Weets Top loop as the lower bit by the reservoir is boggy at the best of times.
Might do Grassington – Threshfield Moor – Mastilles Lane – Malham Tarn – Hawkswick Cote then road back to Grassington. How does that sound?

Well the area I usually go to is Grassington, or Malham or Settle way. Its the nearest/easiest part for me to get to. But willing to travel to somewhere else if better to ride.

Which bits can you give info on??

Thanks

No problem doing both. I do. The only thing is that as it is a salary sacrifice scheme your salary has to remain above the minimum wage. With the childcare vouchers you can’t claim the full £243 if a higher rate taxpayer (so the ‘saving’ is the same for all) unless you were already in the scheme before April 2011. This isn’t the case with the cycle to work.

Cheers everyone. Been camping loads before bit never with the bike. Suddenly occurred to me I didn’t know what to do with it. It’s a campsite in the middle of nowhere miles from any dodgy areas so if they don’t have a garage/shed will put them in the car. No way I’ll get them in the car until we’ve unpacked though!!

I think you’d have to be a hardcore devotee of cheeky trails to even consider Catbells in the summer holidays. It will be rammed with walkers, and not the adventurous mountaineering types who tend to not mind us but ramblers and families out for a walk who really won’t appreciate you bring there. And it will be too crowded to enjoy or get any speed up.

I’m all for a bit of responsible, well timed cheekiness but I don’t think Catbell’s is it.

Afan to Coed Y Brenin is a 3 to 4hr drive along some fairly slowish roads (no dual carriageways). It’s then another hour or so to Llandegla. So that’s a large driving to riding ratio – especially if you have to drive home afterwards.

There’s plenty of trail centres in either to stick to North or South Wales for three days without too much driving

Not risen it yet bit I’d imagine it must have the same amount of down as up. Like the other trails

Cheers everyone. Sorry for the dodgy iPhone typing – yes I did mean ‘like the WL/GT blue OR a dull fire road’. I really enjoyed both those rides as a fun blast. Sounds like this will be similar.

Usually ride every couple of weeks or so and last time I did the new red/black it took me a little over 2hr and I still fancied a bit more of a ride. Not sure if I’m up for the whole red again but I could drag myself up the climb if there was a fun, mostly downhill ride to follow.
When I went to Glentress I did the red, had some lunch the blue to the Buzzard Nest, play in the freeride park (well the easy trail!) and blue back to the carpark. That felt like a good fun ride to me and I was looking for something like that.

At four weeks the bones have not yet healed. The purpose of the cast is both pain relief and to align the bones as it heals. So you still need to be very careful

The Prison band involves bits of scrambling when walking so pretty sure you can’t ride much of it

I’m not dissing the place or the trails at all. I think the hand built ones are the best of all. I was just trying to express the fact that it’s the first time I’ve got back to my car a little sad and disappointed and wished it could be a little better. I had naively thought that the volunteers maintained their sections and the FC the contractor built bits?

I keep meaning to! But weekend shifts, young family and general lack of riding time have so far conspired against me. I did join PMBA to ease my guilt a little.
Interestingly the volunteer stuff is in far better nick than the contractors trails

Cheers everyone. One more question. Just how rocky and techy is the descent from Stephenson Ground to the Newfield Inn Seathwaite. I heard a rumour it had been sanitised? I don’t mind walking the odd techy step but I draw the line at pushing my bike on all the downs as well as ups! As a guide I’m ok with Parkamoor and Beastey Haws in Grizedale but anything much harder has me walking.

Cheers everyone – looks like down to Seathwaite is the way to go. The pint is the main attraction (may dull the pain if mostly pushing up the pass) and I get to ride a cracking new descent. The swim will surely depend on the Lake District weather…..

That said, I do struggle sometimes to understand the motivation for some landowners to get uppity about people being on a bike rather than on foot

Because frankly some landowners would really rather not have anyone on their land – walkers or riders. Its just that they have to grudgingly put up with walkers if there’s a footpath across their land – there’s nothing they can (legally)do about it.
For walkers as well blocked path, diverted paths, angry shouty people etc are sill a major hassle. I was yelled at by a game keeper carrying a large gun because he didn’t want me on the path – which was fairly intimidating when I was only 18

The roads will stay shut until the riders have all past and the spectators have safely dispersed. Only then will the roads reopen.

So basically – no you can’t!

I don’t think it’s funny at all. It’s just a perfectly common sense public information documentary isn’t it?

Whinlatter is only 30min or so from the M6. Its a red trail – not hugely technical but I like it. Its two loops on either side of the valley, with mostly singletrack climbs up and some good fast descents with lots of fun. Stunning views of the weathers ok. The blue is well, well worth a go as well, its just a lot of fun.

Thanks for that – much appreciated. I think I’ll be staying on TNF side of the forest anyway. Plan is to ride up the first couple of sections of TNF, then the bridleway to Parkamoor, down to Coniston and eventually back to the forest. So it sounds like it shouldn’t be too affected by closures

At risk of sounding like a train geek the fact is that there isn’t the capacity for more bikes. These trains are fixed units. You can’t just stick a guards van on the back. And there’s no longer such a thing. There are no spare units or coaches so without a big investment there is no more space. The only solution would therefore be to convert passenger accommodation to bike. The trains are full and struggling already.

The Leeds Harrogate line struggles at the best of times. It will be crowded on TdF weekend. There just won’t be any space for bikes

Had to work the weekend but at least it meant I had Friday and today off. Friday went to the Dales – Horton to Littondale then over Horsehead Moor. Made the schoolboy error of think ‘it doesn’t look that far on the map’ so headed up the road from Buckden to Hawes to pick up the Cam Head Road and Pennine Bridleway back to Horton. That climb almost broke me! Today did Cutgate.

Two days of almost perfect riding on dry dusty trails. Friday I met just four walkers. Today a few dog walkers round Langsett and a couple of riders at the top

There is a similar sign just before the descent into the tunnels at Clapham, North Yorks. I think it so people on tourers and hybrids (the rest of the track is easy bridleway, part of some national network) don’t get a sudden shock on hitting the rocks, come off and complain.

I ignore it every time and no one seems to mind!

Just realised you were talking about riding the route – not viewing it on the weekend! So ignore what I said. Should be fine on a Saturday evening. There is a maximum of two bikes per train – and that is at the guards discresion. So you might have to split the journey between two trains.
Or how about one or two of you get the train back to Headingley without the bikes and collect the cars for the others? Its only a 20min or so ride

The train line from Harrogate to Leeds is generally a poor service. Old trains. Busy, prone to delays and cancellations. Mostly the trains are two or occassionally four coach units. No guards van. Limited provision for bikes. The trains are overcrowded on a normal day

For the weekend of the Tour I believe they are laying on extra and longer trains (with more trains terminating at Harrogate and so less on the Harrogate to York section).

BUT

I have heard that they will be banning bikes for this period – due to the huge overcrowding that will occur. The trains between Leeds and Harrogate are likely to be rammed – even without bikes

Same here – live just off the route and nothing through the door. I would have expected some info by now as to which roads are going to be shut and at least rough timings.

The Leeds council website isn’t very helpful for non cycling fans. It still says that details of the route and road closures will be updated nearer the event. It’s now less than two months ago. I work in Harrogate and a lot of my colleagues live in leeds. Those who aren’t into cycling are still blissfully ignorant about how they will get to work on the Sat and Sun

Thanks for that – looks like its only a short closure then. Although I rather like finishing on that final bermy bit!

There was a council up in Yorkshire that replaced its pay and display parking with an honesty box (I think it was legal or planning reasons). Anyway the takings actually increased! People seemed to be more likely to pay because they weren’t forced to do so!

It’s ok. It’s a lot better than not riding your bike! Good views, an interesting climb and a few good singletrack sections. But it’s not the best route in the forest at all. A similar length but much better loop is the short Grizedale Blast in the Vertebrae Graphics Lake District Trails book.

There are many Blea Tarns in the Lakes. This one is really boggy. Only walked it but can’t imagine it’ll be fun on the bike. Realy hard going boot sucking bogs

I think cheeky trails in the Lakes on Easter weekend is a very bad idea unless you want to give riders a bad name

Cheers everyone. Looks like something to do this year. It’ll probably just be me as most of my riding time is mid week. If it’s only a few really tricky sections I don’t mind walking them – I just had visions of pushing my bike all the way from the top to Edale.
Even more confused than before as to which way to ride it – I like the idea of doing it twice!! Is the descent the other side of Jacobs (if doing it reverse) not worth doing then?

It was a bit blustery round Nidderdale today. The road climb to Middlesmoor is always tough but into the wind it was a real challenge. Unfortunately it knackered me up for the rest of the ride. But freewheeling uphill later on was a odd sensation.

The trails were in very good condition though, very little mud

Evan’s website has a very handy calculator which tells you the costs, savings and monthly payments depending on your price of bike, accessories and salary/tax.

You’re not buying the bike (unlike a 0% finance) you’re leasing it – with an option to buy later