UK mountain bike road trip stops?

6thElement

6thElement

6thElement

Soldato
Joined
17 Oct 2002
Posts
9,055
Location
In my penthouse, Park Ave
9 years since I last did a road trip in the UK with a bike.

What top rides should my wife and I aim to hit? Looking for decent length/duration rides ~20 miles/4 hours to make driving to the location worthwhile. Both capable climbers and descenders as we ride most days and have a few different 500m descents right from our front door - which means most rides finish with that as a climb

We've got 7 days to fill with rides.
 
I just wrote out a fairly lengthy reply and then my PC crashed :(

Are you just traveling the UK to ride bikes? Because obviously Scotland and Wales are your best locations.;)

Some of the best riding I've done in the UK are BPW and Scotland. Though it's been 3 years since I've ridden in the UK now :(

If you're doing BPW I've heard Forest of Dean is worth a stop off, maybe not so much the Trail stuff but the DH spots etc in the area.

Glentress is a nice spot, full of 'off piste' 'enduro' type stuff surrounding the trail center. It also has a national DH spot just down the road too. The enduro spots aren't waymarked so it's a case of finding them on trail forks or befriending some locals. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1ACc94xWu8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvr_lQ7rw6s

It's close to Edinburgh too if it's not just a riding holiday. They have a new pump track there also, though I wouldn't travel to ride it.

Then there's stuff like Torridon, which is more of a hike your bike affair. Which I loved, my mate hated. Too technical for him on the downs, and too much effort on the way up. I done it on my hardtail and didn't find it bad at all. There's a video of steve peat doing it somewhere. IIRC him and Danny too. If you're going up that way, you have Laggan wolftrax (again a ton of 'enduro' stuff kicking about, and all of Aviemore area. I've heard the guys at Bothy bikes are the ones to speak to here. I've rented a bike from there before and they seem friendly enough). Also probably one of my favourite trail centers in the UK.

Then of course you have Fort Bill on you're way up, doesn't need much of an explanation really. Time of year will dictate the lift being open.

I could happily fill a week with just Scotland.

https://vimeo.com/67430580 (Steve Peat, though it doesn't look familiar to the trail I rode. But theres soo much riding up there)

A lot of Northern friends tell me the Lake District has some incredible riding, but I've never been.
 
Have a think what facilities and riding you want. Bike parks have good facilities and route marking, natural trails are a bit more random due to not being designed to be ridden. It also depends where in the country you want to ride, lots of long driving can drag a bit.
 
Current loose plan is starting in Somerset, Exmoor and Quantocks
Up through Wales hitting a couple of spots (I think I hit Afan, Coed y Brenin and Llandegla last time. So I'm open to new suggestions)
Somewhere in the Lakes (Grizedale?)
Glentress - not been so looking forward to heading there
Back down to North York Moors, maybe Dalby, not ridden there
Then probably back down to Cannock

Some of those locations are based on where I can get free lodging with family :D, but that's the rough loop I had in mind. Just looking to fill out the riding spots. Unsure of the best spot in South Wales to hit and then I need somewhere in North Wales as I'll drag a friend across from Manchester to meet us. Not looking for pure DH uplift locations, just nice big trail loops to ride.

Appreciate the suggestions.
 
Depnends how far you'll be travelling
6thElement said:
Current loose plan is starting in Somerset, Exmoor and Quantocks
Up through Wales hitting a couple of spots (I think I hit Afan, Coed y Brenin and Llandegla last time. So I'm open to new suggestions)
Somewhere in the Lakes (Grizedale?)
Glentress - not been so looking forward to heading there
Back down to North York Moors, maybe Dalby, not ridden there
Then probably back down to Cannock

Some of those locations are based on where I can get free lodging with family :D, but that's the rough loop I had in mind. Just looking to fill out the riding spots. Unsure of the best spot in South Wales to hit and then I need somewhere in North Wales as I'll drag a friend across from Manchester to meet us. Not looking for pure DH uplift locations, just nice big trail loops to ride.

Appreciate the suggestions.
Click to expand...

Glentress is my local and it's incredible. Innerleithen is just round the corner from Glentress so I'd try and squeeze that in as well. If you can head further north, Wolftrax and Fort Bill are also worth the trip.
 
6thElement said:
Current loose plan is starting in Somerset, Exmoor and Quantocks
Up through Wales hitting a couple of spots (I think I hit Afan, Coed y Brenin and Llandegla last time. So I'm open to new suggestions)
Somewhere in the Lakes (Grizedale?)
Glentress - not been so looking forward to heading there
Back down to North York Moors, maybe Dalby, not ridden there
Then probably back down to Cannock

Some of those locations are based on where I can get free lodging with family :D, but that's the rough loop I had in mind. Just looking to fill out the riding spots. Unsure of the best spot in South Wales to hit and then I need somewhere in North Wales as I'll drag a friend across from Manchester to meet us. Not looking for pure DH uplift locations, just nice big trail loops to ride.

Appreciate the suggestions.
Click to expand...

Bike Park Wales.
 
bit of a late reply, but two i enjoyed (but were a bit above my newbie skills...) were Penmachno and the Marin trail. Did them in Feb/March when they were very wet, in the dry i could see them being fantastic, did them on a thursday/friday and only saw 1 other person apart from our group of 3.
 
6thElement said:
Back down to North York Moors, maybe Dalby, not ridden there
Click to expand...
Personally I wouldnt bother with Dalby, its alright for a bit of exercise but not much fun, feels like you spend a few hours riding uphill but manage to finish off at the same altitude as you started... theres a bit of fun at Dixies Hollow and the short black XC WC route is alright, but dosnt make up for the rest of it. Oh and they have a cheek to charge you the princely sum of £9 to park:mad:

If you are headed down Yorkshire way, you'll get much more enjoyment out of heading to Hamsterley Forest, and the Dales (starting out from Reeth - Dales bike centre).
 
Tons of great rides in the Dark Peak (northern half of Peak District), there's something for everyone. Peak District is pretty accessible too compared to other National Parks.
 
A great loop in Exmoor
A meh loop in Brecon
A couple of monsters in the Lakes
Great fun on Glentress Black and Innerleithen Red
A shortened Cut Gate ride, definitely want to do the full loop linked above next time I'm back with a bike.
A meh ride at Long Mynd, didn't realize how little trail would actually be on it.

140 miles 21200ft vert for the 7 rides we did and probably ~1400miles in the rental car for the 11 days we were in the UK.
 
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