UK mountain bike road trip stops?

6thElement · 15 Mar 2018 at 02:55

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.

6thElement · 15 Mar 2018 at 14:40

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

, 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.

6thElement · 25 Apr 2018 at 13:37

We've got rides picked out in the below locations, looking forward to it.
Quantocks
Exmoor
Brecon
Lakes
Glentress
Innerleithen
Peak District
Long Mynd

6thElement · 26 Apr 2018 at 02:15

Fusion said:
Good stuff, which rides/locations?

Probably this Cut Gate loop:
https://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=iavrtmmfsaxzkjlq

6thElement · 13 Jun 2018 at 00:57

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.