Yorkshire Dales

Found this site in a search looking for rides in the Dales
http://www.mtbthedales.org.uk/
anyone used the site or have any advice for riding in the dales Retro-MTB style?

Good find, lots of train station starts perfect for me. Most rides look to have escape routes aswell.

I've done quite a lot of walking in that area and it can get boggy in some areas.

Will have a go at some of them in my hols and report back.

Wow, not seen that before and many of the rides are on my front door. All the ones round Malham take in rides me and my pals pound often

Cheers Fluffy.

nice one

I did the tour of Pen-Y-Ghent in around 1992 - when they say boggy in the route description they aren't wrong - seem to remember going over my knees in it in places :shock:

orange71":1twny6v8 said:

I did the tour of Pen-Y-Ghent in around 1992 - when they say boggy in the route description they aren't wrong - seem to remember going over my knees in it in places :shock:

Click to expand...

Just a shallow puddle to us Yorkshire folk!

Funny. Saw this last year and forgot about it. :roll:

My first ever proper mountain bike ride was in the Dales back in November 1986. It almost put me off for life.
Inspired by the guvnors adventure on his Raleigh last month I'm planning on doing the route again (without the camping or the night on a bench in York Station) in November next year- 25 years on. I have the bike sorted already, an identical Cannondale SM600 that even wears the same Turbo saddle from that ride.

FluffyChicken":2j4kwmg5 said:

http://www.mtbthedales.org.uk/
anyone used the site or have any advice for riding in the dales Retro-MTB style?

Click to expand...

Hi all, did one of the rides today, this , it nearly finished me off. A real toughie, more so because of the severity of the climbs than any real technicality.



from ml5 to ml7 it was pushing the bike, a combination of steepness and shiny wet rocks and mud. ml16 - ml18 was steepness, ruts and galeforce head wind. ml21 - ml22 had been 4x4d and completey rutted.

Modern alert photo - that is Penyghent in the background and this was the end of the first push.



The downhills and other sections where good to v good. Only one that I would call real technical - It is the first time i have smelt my brake pads and it was steep and really rocky ml11 - ml12.

As aid to retrobikers I did it all with 2" fork travel and it was comfy enough. All I would say is good brakes and as many gears as possible required.

It wasn't the bike that was the limit, it was the rider!

Some more photos here

Nice one. Certainly an area that we have not explored since the forming of the Area Groups. Something that we should rectify next year. Maybe make a weekend of it?

Can anyone recommend a nice little town to use as a base? Somewhere with reasonable B&B, a Youth Hostel, cafe and a few pubs?