great rides off-road weekends Summer singletrack Weekend forecast looking good? Forget the trail centre honeypots and head out into some great British countryside. Benji Haworth is your guide

nfold those OS maps and get kind of serenity amidst the sweat and toil. out your highlighter: August is a It is possible to do some truly epic perfect month for going further mountain bike rides in the Brecons. Polish up U afield on your mountain bike. your navigational skills and take clothing with In an article like this we can only scratch you for any possible type of weather. It is, and the surface and provide starting off points can feel, remote. rather than full instructions, but with the right There is a well-known 24-mile route called maps and a bit of research you can easily plan ‘The Gap’ (see www.mtbbreconbeacons. a couple of days’ riding somewhere different. co.uk). Although the ride takes you up very high over exposed terrain, the route is rideable The Brecon Beacons in all but the worst weather. There’s nothing Escape the hordes and ride in one of the lesser overly technical about the trails – apart from a visited National Parks. The Brecons are almost couple of heavily rocky and rutted bits – but it Wales’ best kept secret. Most tourists pass is a demanding day out with lots of climbing through on their way to the Pembrokeshire and not many sections where you can relax. coast and mountain bikers are drawn to The views can be stupendous and are worth the Forestry Commission’s numerous trail stopping for. centres. The meat of the Brecon Beacons If you want a break from the emptiness, are the Black Mountains, a collection of big, then Mynydd Du Forest offers plenty of imposing hills. Don’t be put off by them: once woodland thrills and spills. There’s a 22-mile you’re on them, the Brecons aren’t as bleak as mapped loop on the above website. The they first appear. On a good day they offer a dirt is lush and loamy under the dense tree great rides off-road weekends

Checklist Brecon Beacons ROUTES & INFORMATION: Wales has an abundance of decent websites devoted to mountain biking. The two best ones for these routes are www. mtbbreconbeacons. co.uk and www. mtb-wales.com. MAPS: OL12 Brecon Beacons West & Central and OL13 Brecon Beacons East GREAT PLACES TO STAY: Beacons Backpackers in New Inn and The White Hart Inn in Talybont-on-Usk. FOOD & DRINK: Brecon Beacons Mountain Centre in Libanus and The Coach and Horses in Llangynidr. great rides off-road weekends

packs in a lot of interest. Another easy-ish route is the Settle Loop (also listed on the mtbthedales website). We say easy-ish because the start of it involves getting up out of Settle and on to the hills and there’s no easy way to do this! At least all the day’s hard work is got out of the way in one go. Despite the map chevrons, the road way up via Langcliffe is the best option as it’s quick and gets you up on to the fun stuff efficiently. Traversing the fell top via Gorbeck Lane is much easier going than it used to be due to recent resurfacing. The descent down to Ewe Moor is archetypal Dales stuff: wide, lightly-grassed limestone tracks with sweeping bends and awesome views. The return leg via Stockdale Lane turns up the rocky factor but there’s only one brief section that’s genuinely rough. It’s worth detouring to visit All photos by Benji Haworth the gladed waterfall of Scaleber Force Suspension at both ends is a definite before plummeting down to Settle. bonus on the rockier Horton-in-Ribblesdale is an “Dales trails range from green Dales descents excellent start point for some more adventurous routes. The start of the lanes to rocky descents, ex-mining 19-mile ‘Tour of Pen-y-Ghent’ route, which is along fairly rough farm track, fells and woodland singletrack” shares the infamous Three Peaks Cyclocross course over to Hull Pot, a cover. For such a compact forest it an experienced rider I recommend beguiling, big hole in the ground. It packs in a lot of gradient. The trails riding the Blue Route. It’s fast and continues on over Foxup Moor on a in here are steep and twisty with lots flowing and will put a grin on your brilliant moorland traverse made up of roots. Trails vary from tyre-width face. More details on mtb-wales.com. of natural surface and sympathetic singletrack through to 4x4 tracks. The man-made reinforcement. The steep forest has been the location for lots The Yorkshire Dales descent to Foxup Farm requires good of mountain bike races over the years There are excellent and varied trails brakes or plenty of nerve – ideally and the evidence of this is all over the to be found all over the Dales. From both! The climb out of Littondale over place – from the sinuous contouring green lanes, rocky descents, sparse ex- to Dawson Close is rough and loose singletrack used in XC races, through mining fells to woodland singletrack. enough to be sporting but not too to the daunting steeps and leaps of For the true essence and beauty of unrelenting as to put you off having the Dragon Downhill Series. cycling in the Dales you can’t beat the a go at it all. The final descent to Despite the Brecon Beacons’ south west quarter. Helwith Bridge goes past Churn Milk daunting heights and vast expanses, A great showcase route of the area Hole (another big hole in the ground) there are still options for rides that starts from Clapham. This route and is a thrilling and fast fling down don’t require all day or take much (listed as ‘Tunnels and Bridges’ on multiple-choice singletrack. Take care navigational prowess. ‘The Tramway’ the mtbthedales website – see box) (again, see above website) is an easy climbs over to Austwick before 6-mile route suitable for families that heading on up to Crummack Dale starts from Talybont-on-Usk. It heads and then back down Clapham Checklist up the decently waymarked Taff Bottoms. It’s a constantly entertaining Yorkshire Dales Trail in the forest alongside Talybont and engaging ride. There are drystone ROUTES & INFORMATION: www. reservoir. The route then turns uphill, walled lanes, some bedrock trails, a mtbthedales.org.uk joins the Brinore Tramway trail and fair amount of sheep-trimmed grass MAPS: OS OL2 Yorkshire Dales Southern gradually descends back to Talybont- tracks, an occasional tricky bit of slab & Western areas, and possibly OS OL30 on-Usk. rock, a couple of ford crossings – or Yorkshire Dales North & Central areas. If you do want to play in trail centre old clapper bridges if you want to GREAT PLACES TO STAY: The Plough Inn at honeypot then I would suggest stay dry. The view over the iconic Gigglesworth; The Game Cock in Austwick. FOOD & DRINK: The Blindbeck Tea Rooms Brechfa Forest. It’s much quieter than limestone pavement of Thieves Moss at Horton-in-Ribblesdale and Ye Olde Naked the other centres in South Wales and is one of the best in the Dales. The Man Café in Settle. has a nice feel to it. Even if you are route is around 12 miles or so but

august/september 2010 cycle 27 as you join the road at the bottom. work but rewarding and super scenic. ‘Over the Stake’ (also listed as ‘A Beyond Beeley lodge are prehistoric Grand Day Out’) is a 36-mile long stone circles and field systems. The ride from Horton-in-Ribblesdale riding is great too. The copses around that is less about the adrenaline Rowsley in particular contain some rush of rough stuff and more about ace singletrack sections. The return to immersing yourself for a full day Bakewell along picturesque riverside out in the Dales atmosphere. The trails and the Monsal Trail cinder path route uses a mix of easy-going stone is an ideal combination of scenery tracks, forest fireroads and minor and swiftness. For directions, see roads. Head north via Dodd Fell over what the Vertebrate Graphics White to Semer Water then across to Stake Peak book (see box) calls the ‘Rowsley Allotments and down into Buckden. Circuit’ – it’s a variant of this route. From there you head through The Dark Peak doesn’t have to Langstrothdale Chase to the finish. involve gritted teeth and steep bleakness. A very pleasant spin can The be had from Hadfield (of TV’s The Like chocolate, the Peak District is League Of Gentlemen fame). Starting either White or Dark. The respective from Hadfield train station it’s simple names of each Peak do give you to get on to the Trans Pennine Trail good idea of the differing terrain and and head out east to take in a tour of environment on offer. The White the reservoirs. How many reservoirs Peak is lush and pretty. The Dark Peak you pass is up to you; it’s possible The Peak District is bleak and brooding. Both offer after each one to cross over the packs an enormous excellent mountain biking. dam heads and return to Hadfield variety into a relatively Other Great Weekends compact area A nice taster ride for the on the opposite side using minor Isle Of Skye starts from Middleton-by- access roads. Distance is 5-10 miles, It’s a long way from anywhere but and heads south to Long Dale along depending on reservoirs visited. this island is bigger than you think minor roads and old walled paths If you want a proper Dark Peak – both in area and altitude. It’s worth lined with trees and wild flowers. mountain bike ride then a good rule the effort. Eerie and ancient, it’s Long Dale itself is a great little ‘pocket of thumb is to try one or more of The mountain biking in what feels like a Lord Of The Rings film set. valley’ – steep grass sides and silence. Gates. The three classic Gates are Exit Long Dale before you join the Cut Gate (north of Derwent Water), The Lake District road by heading down Gratton Dale Chapel Gate (west of Mam Tor) and Like The Beatles’ Sgt Pepper album, on your left. Gratton Dale isn’t quite as Doctor’s Gate (east of Glossop). All the Lake District is always up there special as Long Dale but it’s still a very three together add up to over 50 miles. in people’s Top 10 lists. Justifiably so. pretty and charming place to pass Cut Gate is a popular section with Brilliant trails in exquisite scenery. through. Head back to Middleton on mountain bikers: a sunken moorland Try the west side to avoid crowds. minor roads. It’s about 6 miles total, track with ruts and rocks to test your and referred to as ‘Middleton Circuit’ skills. Chapel Gate is an old ‘attempt’ Shropshire in the Vertebrate Graphics White Peak of a road that is now a hair-raising and No one goes to Shropshire. It’s the keen mountain biker’s secret. The book (see box). unpredictable double-track descent. hills above Church Stretton contain For a longer, more strenuous Doctor’s Gate is one of the trickiest an abundance of incredible, route in the White Peak try the bridleways in . It’s hard work alpine-style, ravine-side singletrack. ‘Chatsworth Circle’, which is about (and hard to get to) and only for the 20 miles. Starting from Bakewell the most committed of riders. Linking The South Downs route passes by two stately homes up a couple of these Gates via the Many a Northerner has been cured (Chatsworth House and Haddon abundance of bridleways in the area of their ‘it’s all flat down South’ Hall) and takes in a variety of trails. will give you the proper Dark Peak prejudices by the huge whaleback The haul up, through and down experience. We’d recommend Cut hills of the South Downs. Gorgeous Manners Wood and Calton Pastures Gate plus Doctor’s Gate. It’s about 36 chalky ribbons of singletrack that never fail to excite and reward. to Chatsworth House is English miles. See www.mountainbikerides. mountain biking at its best. Hard co.uk > Routes > The Peak District. The Scottish Borders Lush green hills with hidden amplitude. Secretly and discreetly massive hills that lure you in and Checklist Peak District before too long you’ve got yourself ROUTES & INFORMATION: Vertebrate Publishing involved in an epic ride. Enter from (www.v-publishing.co.uk) are based in the Peak District and the Selkirk side for the best stuff. no one knows it better. ‘Peak District Mountain Biking - Dark Peak Trails’ (ISBN 9781906148188) and ‘White Peak Mountain Dartmoor Biking – The Pure Trails’ (ISBN 954813146) both by Jon Barton. One of the hidden gems of UK MAPS: OS OL1 Peak District – Dark Peak Area and/or OS OL24 mountain biking, Dartmoor offers a Peak District – White Peak Area. rich but manageable tapestry of GREAT PLACES TO STAY: The Wind In The Willows trails. Ride everything from dappled guesthouse in Glossop. woodland tracks through to whizzy FOOD & DRINK: Eyam Tea Rooms. Woodbine Café in Hope. moorland singletrack.

28 cycle august/september 2010