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CLASSICS
A quick blast after work, a night loop you can finish before your lights die or a ride to squeeze in when you’re short of time. That’s a classic. Relatively low on mileage and never taking you too far from the start, these are good, solid rides. Short but not necessarily easy! |
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Blawith Loop
A mountain biking route that takes in quiet Lanes, farm tracks and great singletrack. Fantastic descent off Woodland Fell. A good route for avoiding the hot spots of the Lake District.
Route Route Grade: medium. Distance: 12km
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Claife Heights
An ideal introduction to Lakes riding: a ferry ride on Lake Windermere, a tolly along the scenic shore of the Lake and then steady climbing on wide tracks with some good climbs and superb downs. The run down from Claife is one of these: fantastic rolling downhills through open land.
Route Route Grade: medium. Distance: 15km |
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Cartmell Fell
A hidden gem of a route taking in the tracks and trails around Cartmell Fell area and the forest of Chapel House Plantation
Route Grade: medium. Distance: 18km |
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Garburn Pass
The route crosses one of the classic Lakeland passes. There is some seriously technical climbing and some fast, fun descent. It is a route for experienced riders crossing high mountain country.
Route Grade: extreme. Distance 15km. |
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Black Combe
This route starts at Townend Hall, goes onto Wickham and then uphill to Black Combe and hopeful weather permitting some great views, then its downhill to Hall Foss and then along back to Townend Hall.
Route Grade: medium / hard. Distance: 13km. |
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Grizedale Loop
This will thrill you with the descents and have you reaching for the lowest gears on the climbs. A short but cracking route, ideal for an evening, night ride or just a quick blast when time is limited.
Route Grade: hard. Distance: 15km. |
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Lonscale Fell Loop
Steep road work gets most of the climbing out of the way before a track runs up into the hills. Things get technical on a descent to Glendettera beck. Then technical singletrack back down the valley and onto Keswick
Route Grade: hard. Distance: 19.5km. |
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Skiddaw
Carry/push/ride – whatever you can manage and then it’s time to tackle the loose stone descent at whatever speed you feel happy with!
Route Grade: hard. Distance: 16.5km. |
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Ullswater Singletrack
An awesome little route for the technically able mountain biker.
Route Grade: extreme. Distance: 18km. |
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Seathwaite-Dunnerdale
Superb undulating terrain. Rewards for hard climbing are a great downhill through the quarries a superb technical downhill section of singletrack and later more singletrack leading to the Dunnerdale Valley
Route Grade: hard. Distance: 18km. |
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EPICS
Getting longer now – these mountain biking loops will take a bit more time and effort. Not rides to be scared of, but definitely rides to be respected. Rather large hills and plenty of technical ground to cover mean that firstly, you’re going to be out for a few hours and secondly, you’re going to have a really good time. |
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Kentmere & Longsleddale
This is a great route for the novice biker looking to become a bit more adventurous or for those wanting to start and end their ride at a great café.
Route Grade: hard. Distance: 23km |
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Whitbarrow Scar
A route that passes through some beautiful semi-natural woodland. It throws up a few surprises that will have you screaming for more!
Route Grade: hard. Distance: 21km |
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Troutbeck & Jenkin Scar
Set around Ambleside this is a varied and surprisingly technical route.
Route Grade: medium. Distance 20km |
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Ings & Winster
If you prefer country lanes and bridleways to rocky slopes then this is the route for you. A great introduction to ‘proper’ Lake District mountain biking if you’ve just come off the family trails at Grizedale and want a long ride.
Route Grade: medium. Distance: 23km |
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Broughton Moor & Seathwaite
This route packs everything for the experienced rider, good singletrack, technical climbs and storming descents.
Route Grade: hard. Distance: 21km |
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Iron Keld & Loughrigg
A great route in the heart of the South Lakes travelling among great mountain scenery without having to gain a lot of height!
Route Grade: hard. Distance: 24km |
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Mitterdale & Eskdale
Again this is a route that offers everything for the enthusiastic mountain biker. It is also an area where you will find solitude ‘far from the madding crowd’
Route Grade: extreme. Distance: 26km |
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ENDUROS
Now we’re talking, Pack your sarnies and your chain lube. These are big, tough mountain biking rides that’ll probably take you all day. They are challenging routes for fit and experienced mountain bikers. Riding where you might describe the route as a bit of a beast! |
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Helvellyn
This route gives you the option of three descents: a relatively easy track, a mainly-singletrack-with-a-couple-of-steep-bits option and a ridiculously rocky descent that will test just about everyone.
Route Grade: hard / extreme. Distance 22.5 |
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Grizedale & Parkamoor Loop
Don’t make the mistake of thinking Grizedale is just the North Face Trail and a few forest tracks. This route is quite a day out and with over 900 metres of ascent is not for the faint hearted.
Route Grade: Hard. Distance: 27km . |
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Borrowdale Bash
Fairly easy road work and some easy trails to start with then working up towards the end of the route with some serious descents, massive road climbs and some technical bits of singletrack.
Route Grade: extreme. Distance: 27km.
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Grizedale & Esthwaite
If you want technical climbs, singletrack and technical downhill then you will not be disappointed. With 1100 metres of ascent be prepared for tired legs at the end of it.
Route Grade: Hard. Distance 30km. |
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Skiddaw Loop
The bridleways around Skiddaw have long been popular for mountain biking as they strike a nice balance between being too hard for the less experienced and too boring for the pros.
Route Grade: hard . Distance: 44km. |
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High Street North
A big day out in the hills. This route involves some pushing/carrying, undulating terrain, fantastic views and a descent that is seriously fast in places and features some flat-out singletrack.
Route Grade: extreme. Distance: 30km. |
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Walna Scar
This route is for experienced mountain bikers, as it involves crossing high mountain country on very difficult technical ascents and descents.
Route Grade: extreme . Distance: 21km |
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KILLERS
Character building… We wouldn’t go so far as say these routes could kill you, but they won’t be much fun if you’re not prepared. Allow plenty of time; stock up well on the calories and make sure you’re firing on all cyclinders. |
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Parkamoor & Tilberthwaite
This route never has a dull moment, stunning views of Parkamoor, the remoteness of Blawith Fells, the exhilaration of descending Walna Scar road, the shock of civilisation at Coniston, the landscape of Tilberthwaite quarries and the sheer beauty of Tarn Hows.
Route Grade: extreme. Distance: 40km |
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Big Day Out
This is one of the best mountain biking routes in the Lake District taking in many of the best bridleways – some easy, some technical, making it a hard day.
Grade|: extreme. Distance: 50km |
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High Street & Swindale
This is a tough route over high mountain terrain. Although not technically demanding riders undertaking this route should be used to a long day.
Route Grade: extreme. Distance 60km. |
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Also includes lists of top ten singletracks, downhills and hill climbs . |
