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The Lake District- Essential Trails
Mountain Bike Routes Guide


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Read all about the routes below.



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ISBN: 978-1-906148-12-2
Written by Chris Gore & Richard Stanton
224 pages
Book Size is a compact 12cm x 17.5cm

Second Edition

 

Quick Glance

The second edition of the best selling guide to mountain biking in the Lake District.

The authors have been mountain biking in the Lake District for over a decade to provide them with the extensive knowledge required to put together the 27 bike routes in this guide (see below). Each route includes a summary of what to expect, clear directions, a route profile and Harvey mapping.

Explore classic mountain bike rides around Walna Scar, High Street and Borrowdale and discover several lesser-known gems.

Ride moorland singletrack, tackle massive climbs and rattle along some of the rockiest trails you’ll ever encounter on two wheels.

Enjoy lakeside cruises, picturesque valleys and 360° panoramas.

Lake District Mountain Biking includes Ordnance Survey Landranger map extracts.

EXPLORE DOWN THE PAGE FOR ROUTE DETAILS.

Related Maps & Guides

Lake District Mountain Biking Maps

Off Road Trails and Quiet Lanes in Lake District and Yorkshire Dales

The Good Mountain Biking Guide England & Wales

The Mountain Biking Routes in the Lake District Mountain Biking Guide

Use the control on the map to zoom in, grab and move to pan around,
(or press and twirl different parts of your mouse when hovering over the map!)
Click on a marker for route information. The markers mark the approximate recommended starting points for each route as indicated in the book.

 

  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!

 

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

  Claife Heights
An ideal introduction to Lakes riding: a ferry ride on Lake Windermere, a dolly 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

  Cartmell Fell
A hidden gem of a bike route taking in the tracks and trails around Cartmell Fell area and the forest of Chapel House Plantation
Route Grade: medium. Distance: 18km

  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 mountain bike route for experienced riders crossing high mountain country.
Route Grade: extreme. Distance 15km

  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

  Grizedale Loop
This will thrill you with the descents and have you reaching for the lowest gears on the climbs. A short but cracking bike route, ideal for an evening, night ride or just a quick blast when time is limited.
Route Grade: hard. Distance: 15km

  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

  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

  Ullswater Singletrack
An awesome little bike route for the technically able mountain biker.
Route Grade: extreme. Distance: 18km
  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
 
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.

  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

  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

  Troutbeck & Jenkin Scar
Set around Ambleside this is a varied and surprisingly technical route.
Route Grade: medium. Distance 20km

  Ings & Winster
If you prefer country lanes and bridleways to rocky slopes then this is the bike 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

 

mountain biking Broughton

Broughton Moor & Seathwaite
This route packs everything for the experienced rider, good singletrack, technical climbs and storming descents.
Route Grade: hard. Distance: 21km

  Iron Keld & Loughrigg
A great bike 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

 

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

  ENDUROS
Now we’re talking, Pack your sarnies and your chain lube. These are big, tough mountain bike 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!
Mountain Bike enduros
  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 22.5km

  Grizedale & Parkamoor Loop
Don’t make the mistake of thinking Grizedale is just the North Face Trail and a few forest tracks. This bike route is quite a day out and with over 900 metres of ascent is not for the faint hearted.
Route Grade: Hard. Distance: 27km
  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

  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.

  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.

  High Street North
A big day out in the hills. This mountain bike 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.

  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
 
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 cylinders.

  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

  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

  High Street & Swindale
This is a tough bike 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.

 

Also includes lists of top ten singletracks, downhills and hill climbs.

Plus Information on Whinlatter and Grizedale Mountain Bike Trail Centres

 

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