Article
Cycling the Pennine Bridleway
Lancashire and the Yorkshire Dales, plus 11 day rides
A guidebook for cycling the Dales section of the Pennine Bridleway National Trail. Over 140km of mountain biking riding through Lancashire and the Yorkshire Dales, along with an anti-clockwise route round half of the Mary Towneley Loop. 11 circular day MTB routes in the Yorkshire Dales using the Bridleway are also included.
Seasons
perfect in spring and summer when the Dales are at their most attractive; winter conditions offer a new adventure but the Pennines can be tough in bad weather.Centres
Littleborough, Burnley, Barnoldswick, Long Preston, Settle, Horton-in-Ribblesdale, Dentdale, Garsdale Head, Ravenstonedale, Kirkby StephenDifficulty
graded routes from easy, family rides for beginners through to tough challenges for experienced riders; routes can be linked for longer daysMust See
classic limestone country, including the Yorkshire Three Peaks - Ingleborough, Pen-y-ghent, Whernside; Ribblehead, Garsdale, Ravenstonedale, Mallerstang-
Overview
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This guidebook covers the northern stages of the Pennine Bridleway, through Lancashire, Yorkshire and Cumbria, a dedicated and waymarked mountain biking and horse-riding trail that opened in 2011. Using part of the Mary Towneley Loop, the route is described for mountain bikers from Summit, just outside Rochdale all the way to Ravenstonedale in Cumbria, in about 176km.
11 circular day mountain bike routes are included for those who do not wish to ride the whole route as a linear trail. It splits the main bridleway into rides of 8 - 16 miles in length.
A grand total of 384km of trail are covered, mapped using OS map extracts and illustrated with profiles, photographed and described in enough detail to suit all levels of navigational ability. Appendices also offer information on local facilities, accommodation, bike shops and other useful contacts for planning your days out or longer trip along the Bridleway, and information provided before each route description includes distance, ascent, grading, estimated time and percentage of route off-road, as well as maps needed and pubs and cafes en route.
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Table of Contents
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Maps
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Updates
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Reviews
By Keith Bradbury
Keith Bradbury's early interest was in white water and sea canoeing. After trekking in Nepal and canoe guiding in France, a teaching job in Kendal meant the Lake District would be his next playground. Walking and climbing then became new passions, until he was introduced to caving in the Yorkshire Dales.
He has been exploring their hidden places for the last 20 years, either underground with helmet and lamp, or above, on his (t)rusty mountain bike. A member of the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild, Keith prides himself on his knowledge of the Lake District and the Northern Dales bridleways.