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Mountain Biking in the Yorkshire Dales

ISBN

9781852846763

Availability

Published

12 Apr 2012

Reprinted

26 Feb 2020

Edition

First

Pages

224

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.30cm

Weight

250g

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A guidebook to 30 short, medium, long and full-day MTB routes across the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The circular rides visit all the major dales, including a tour of the Howgills, and include loops around two of the Three Peaks, Whernside and Pen-y-ghent. Choose a route by grade, percentage off-road, length or time at a glance.

Seasons

throughout the year, with longer and higher routes best left to the warmer months

Centres

Settle, Horton-in-Ribblesdale, Dent, Kirkby Lonsdale, Grassington, Hetton, Ribblehead, Thoralby, Orton, Reeth, Gunnerside, West Burton, Sedbergh, Langthwaite, Airton, Kettlewell, Kirkby Stephen, Bainbridge, Hawes

Difficulty

varying lengths and difficulties, graded blue (medium), red (hard) and black (very hard); novice mountain bikers with reasonable bike handling skills should be able to complete the blue routes, while experts should be challenged by the red and, more so, the black routes

Must See

all the major dales: Wensleydale, Swaledale, Ribblesdale, Dentdale and Wharfedale; circumnavigations of Whernside and Pen-y-ghent; unique limestone geology and two major bodies of water - Malham Tarn and Semer Water

ISBN

9781852846763

Availability

Published

12 Apr 2012

Reprinted

26 Feb 2020

Edition

First

Pages

224

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.30cm

Weight

250g

Overview

A guidebook of 30 short, medium, long and full-day mountain bike routes across the Yorkshire Dales. The graded circular rides visit all the major dales and include loops around two of the famous Yorkshire Three Peaks - Whernside and Pen-y-ghent. Routes are graded for difficulty and this guidebook gives all the necessary background information. Choose a route by grade, percentage off-road, length or time at a glance. Old Roman roads and other ancient byways once used for lead mining and livestock droving are now perfect terrain for mountain bikes. Fast-rolling lanes can be combined with rocky drops down steep gullies and sinuous tracks meandering high over deserted moorland. Mountain bikers of all abilities will find their own challenges here and some surprises for novices and experienced riders alike.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

Map key

Overview map

Introduction

Getting to the Yorkshire Dales

Accommodation

Equipment

Food

Bike checks

When to ride

Limestone

Rest and recovery

Routes

Maps

Timings

Rights of Way

Trail centres

The dirty dozen

Pre-ride checklist

Short loops

Route 1 Clapham and Norber

Route 2 Thoralby

Route 3 Ribblehead and the Cam High Road

Route 4 Orton and Great Asby

Route 5 Apedale

Route 6 West Burton and Carlton

Route 7 The Dentdale Dalliance

Route 8 Kilnsey and Mastiles Lane

Route 9 Fremington Edge

Route 10 Gunnerside

Medium loops

Route 11 Hetton Hijinks

Route 12 Sulber, Wharfe and Feizor

Route 13 Cautley and Uldale

Route 14 South of Mastiles Lane

Route 15 Barbondale and Lunesdale

Route 16 Grassington

Route 17 Arkengarthdale

Route 18 Tour of Pen-y-ghent

Route 19 Kettlewell and Old Cote Moor

Long loops

Route 20 Kirkby Stephen and Crosby Garrett

Route 21 Settle and Malham Tarn

Route 22 The Ribble Rumble

Route 23 Raydale

Route 24 Tour of Swaledale

Route 25 The Cam Fell Cracker

Route 26 Embsay and Flasby Fell

Route 27 A Tour West of Hawes

Full day loops

Route 28 Tour of Whernside

Route 29 The Dales Leg-Breaker

Route 30 The Howgills Classic

Appendix A Bike Shops in the Region

Appendix B Route summary table

Maps

This book includes extracts from 1:50,000 Ordnance Survey maps to help ease your navigation of the routes (see OS map symbols on page 7). The descriptions have sufficient detail to be used alone but the maps are to be used in conjunction with them to help you to stay on the right track. The following Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer maps are recommended for the routes in this guide:

OL2 The Yorkshire Dales Southern and Western areas
OL19 Howgill Fells and Upper Eden Valley
OL30 Yorkshire Dales Northern and Central areas

Updates

November 2019

Route updates included in 2020 reprint

676 Reprint 2020 (10.421 MB)

September 2019

Corrections and updates

There was severe flooding in Swaledale and Arkengarthdale about a month ago which has temporarily affected some of the rights of way, hopefully the rights of way will be repaired soon but in the short-term here is a useful link.

Feb 2016

Route 16 - amendment.

There is no public access over Grassington Moor.

Reviews

'Each route is illustrated with a clear, highlighted 1:50k OS map and an easy-to-understand written description. Given clear visibility, you could navigate using only this pocket-sized book. ... Highly recommended.'

Cycle, the magazine of CTC, February/ March 2013

By Ian Boydon

Ian Boydon has mountain biked in the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales for almost 20 years. A graduate of History and trained journalist, he can be found in the national parks most weekends, exploring his favourite trails and routes.

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