Rides, routes, singletrack or dh etc. close to York??

nikobe

Hi,

I live in York and am looking for some fun spots to go on some short blasts when I have a couple of spare hours. I’m not that far from Dalby Forest (which I love), the Yorkshire moors or even Wharncliffe nr Sheffield and the Yorkshire Dales, but they involve too much driving to reach if I just want to ride for a hour or so due to time constraints. So, what I’m wondering is, does anyone know of anywhere within 30 minutes drive from York where I can find decent cross country trails or singletrack or even any downhill? Looking at maps, I can see some forest around the Howardian Hills (Yearsley Moor), but I have no idea if its rideable or even whether it is allowed. I really hope there is somewhere! Cheers

N

teacherman

Hah! Yeah I live in York as well - flat, flat, flat. DH - dream on!

But, Yearsley is ok - if you like slogging your way up fire roads - don't expect anything technical! :roll:

There's plenty of bridleway and riding around Sutton Bank apparently but i haven't been up there yet.

I head in Leeds direction sometimes. Just through Collingham there's a little loop I do that can be linked up with other bridleways. I'm still investigating and expanding it. There's also Harewood House but again fireroad mostly.

If you want regular rides join that Clifton Ridng club (or something like that) they go redularly i think. Hope that is any help at all!

nikobe

Cheers teacherman,

I've been to Harewood and quite enjoyed some of it. There were a few fun DH esque type bits in some of the forest areas. Was a varied ride for sure.

I've been finding out about loads more places to ride in the area, but not that close by. Going to check out Langdale Forest today and also Silton DH near northallerton at some point.

Slogging up fireroads doesn't sound too good unless there's a reward at the top, so I think I'l skip Yearsley.

Cheers

N

teacherman

Varied riding in Harewood sounds good fella! Where? has someone been trailbuilding 'cos the only bits that i've seen around the woods are private no entry jobs :roll: - more details would be much appreciated!

Similarly at yearsley there was one or two bits of decent singletrack but a) don't know if i could find ithem again b) don't know how extensive it is but if i get up there sometime soon and find anything decent i'll post a thread. Maybe taking a map would help :oops:

nikobe

Varied riding around Harehood does sound good doesn't it?! But not true as far as I know. I was lying when I said that before. I meant Castle Howard, sorry for the confusion. There's only a small amount of singltrack around castle howard but if you want something that has loads of different aspects to it, its ok. There were some short dh ish forest parts, some bridleway some narrow tracks down the side of fields, up and down, all sorts.

Harewood house was a nice easy route, but I didn't find any singletrack or proper bike trails.

I went to Langdale forest yesterday cos there are a couple of routes in a bike route book that I have. It turned out to be pretty rubbish. Hard to navigate and nothing interesting. The whole forest is fireroads used for 4x4s and motorbikes. So we stayed for an hour and went to Dalby red run instead.

I'm going to check out Yearsley at some point.

birchy

castle howard is my local woods you can get a good hours riding in the woods its where i normally go on weekday when i have not got time to go to dalby or the moors just get a map and you will soon find some nice loops or just go up and follow the tyre marks

nikobe

Birchy, where do you start from?

teacherman

No worries! i did find some singletrack at harewood the other day - got really excited as it twisted through the trees, went over a drop off...and that was it-back to the footpath that I walked along (honest :twisted: ).

If we keep this thread alive I'll keep you posted on anything remotely interesting I find. i tend to ride alone but could hook up to ride something in the future if you're up for it. School hols is best for me (teacherman - see?) I do my term time riding while I'm at work - Heh! free's are great!

There's probably loads of riders from York but they obv. dont use this forum!

birchy

i live in malton so i ride up but if you look on the map and find easthorpe their is a resovoir (resr on map) you could maybe park up here, if you carry on east for about a mile you will see on the map to the right a place callled park house turn off here and onto the bridleway from there is so many different options as you can see on the map i could go on for ages. if it's any help to you i could meet you at the resrvoir and show you some of the loops sometime

Father Faff

Well, just a tad further than Harewood House is Stainburn Forest, north of Otley, which has loads of technical singletrack built by Singletraction - see their website for more details. Some body armour might be advisable on the tougher sections, particularly the Black "Boulder Trail". However there are also normal forest tracks you can ride round the same woods.

teacherman

Bless you father and thanks birchy - that Blubberhouses and Otley area was somewhere i was going to explore - looks like there should be plenty of riding there. Body armour's for girls (personally I'd get off and walk :oops:) My poor old hardtail can't take too much of a battering!

birchy-may well take you up on that offer although I go riding at times when most people are at work - mid week and during the day. family commitments :roll: This thumb print on top of my head was earned!

birchy

i'm in the same boat teacherman i work shifts and have a family thumb print so i have to fit my riding in when i can

teacherman

I am going to Stainburn next available opportunity - probably in Oct sometime - I had no idea it was there! I thought Dalby and Wharncliffe were the only maintained trails in the area.

I'm quite excited - God I'm sad

birchy

we are hoping to get up to glentress somtime in the near future when i can a spare weekend which are few and far between

nikobe

Cheers guys,

Just got back from a sweet Dalby session. Went round most of the red. I did know about stainburn but haven't got round to going yet. It is on my list.

Birchy, I might take you up on the offer of a pointer or 2 around castle howard sometime, cheers!

have you guys heard about the Silton downhill run? i 'm thinking of trying that out too.

Check out http://www.moredirt.co.uk it has a few ride in the area.

teacherman

Anyone who is interested I'm in the process of sorting out what is shaping up to be a good loop on the trails near where i work. I don't really want to publicise it because they're not my local trails and i don't want to pee people off, plus I think access might be a little dodgy in places.

It's the best riding I've done outside Dalby even though It's only a small area. Oct half term i would be happy to show people round though.

If you're interested let me know and we'll organise something. :P

jazzfm28

Just reading through a few of these replies, and would add the following.

There is a good ride from Spofforth, to Kirkby Overblow, down to the Wharf, into Harewood Estate, exit near the road to Wike, past lofthouse farm, along the ridge bridleway into Rington Grange, East Keswick, Collingham, get back onto the old railway line to Spofforth. About 26miles and varies from back roads, fields, bridlepaths, harewood fire roads. Excellent ride, and the ridge is good fun.

I live in Church Fenton, and I can do a 28 miler without many main roads, so mostly on bridelpaths or country park lanes. Head North out of CF towards the Grimston Park, through the park, main road into Saxton, bridle paths to Hazlewood Castle, then through woods to Aberford. Take the old railway line from Aberford to Barwick in Elmet, through the tunnels, accross Garforth Golf course, left to Scoles, then head back towards Barwick on a really rough track, but downhill and good fun, then back out towards Potterton, get on a bridlepath here back towards Aberford. Into Aberford, under the motorway, and then up towards Woodhouse Grange, and bridleway back onto main road. At the crocket Billet turn right onto bridleway heading into the back of Saxton, then back past scarthingwell golf club, and bridlepath back to Church Fenton. Fairly flat route, but good mix of surfaces with a few downhill sections.

I have all these routes on Memory Map, so can forward them on, or drop me a line and meet up for a blast.

Oh and Castle Howard has a great ridge ride, but summer only as it gets really muddy in winter.

Mike

teacherman

jazz - yeah think i have ridden a part of this arond east keswick & collingham. Would be cool if you fancied a blast. In return have you tried the woods around Adel, Meanwood etc. The more i ride around there the bigger it seems to get - i don't use a map - just follow my nose.

I'm on half term in a week & half if you fancy a ride let me know. Be warned the seeking ability isn't a joke - i'm not all that fit, fast or good despite fact i've been riding on and off for years - probably 'cos i ride on my own.

If you pick up this thread again let me know.

nikobe

Hi guys, I've been out of forum land for a bit and haven't kept in touch with this thread, but seeing as a few of us (you) keep repeat posting in here, I thought why don't we get together for a ride sometime?

I'd like to suggest maybe sometime in the new year as I'm sure people are pretty booked up until Christmas (I am).

What do you think?

Route can be decided after people have shown interest!

robpape

Hi guys i live in York and would be interested in getting out for a ride sometime.Just recovering from a broken leg so should be fit again by the new year, had a blast around Dalby red route at the weekend and cant wait to get back into it.

David Lund

I live in Driffield (15 miles north of beverley) and can't get to any of the places mentioned without transport and was wondering if anyone knew of any trails towards my way? its obviously fairly flat out towards hornsea and hull but getting up onto the wolds is easy for me however there isn't anythin remotly trail shaped. since i can only get to dalby every 3 weeks at the most im getting desperate, especialy as iv recently bought a new bike
can anyone give me any pointers? thanks
David

easyg

Hi guys, me and my pal live just south of Leeds (Dewsbury) and are also looking for some new trail. Wharncliffe Woods is our local and we have done Dalby a couple of times too. Wharncliffe is really good but everyone feels like a change; Dalby Red is brilliant but its an hour and a half one way which, as I have seen others saying, is a long way to go every saturday morn!

We would be interested in meeting up and maybe checking out some new stuff. We like the tight singletrack type stuff one gets at Dalby and Wharncliffe with technical downhill sections thrown in and ride agressive XC/ light AM. What do you guys prefer? also hardtail or full sussers?

PS - its good to find people nearby who are into this like us

firestarter4075

hi fellas have you any memory map routes around the east leeds area? shadwell, bramham, bardsey, thorner boston, scarcroft eccup ect

if so could they be mailed to me if you wouldnt mind ;-) at firestarter4075ATntlworldDOTcom many thanks mick

teacherman

I'd like to suggest maybe sometime in the new year as I'm sure people are pretty booked up until Christmas (I am).

Yep a ride in the New year sounds good to me. If people are talking about riding style I never know how to answer that. I like to think I ride aggressive XC, prefer to keep the ground touching my wheels, enjoy a techy climb or two but TBH prefer it when gravity is on my side.

I ride a stock Kona Caldera. What do you guys ride?

nikobe

I know what you mean when you say you find it hard to charactarise your riding style. I tend to ride whatever is there, but again, if I had to chose, I'd say also aggressive XC, light all mountain and light DH. I too definitely prefer it when gravity is on my side. I also like to get a little bit of air (nothing that impressive though).

Up until now I've been riding a Scott MX1 hardtail (and various other rented hardtails and full sussers when travelling far), but I am now the proud owner of a 2007 Commencal Meta 5.5.3. It will be getting its maiden outing this coming weekend! I'm excited!

teacherman

Niiiiiiiice. Like the Commencal bikes - they're getting a really good rep. Hope you have a great time. Break her in gently! Or not!

robpape

Nikobe wrote
but I am now the proud owner of a 2007 Commencal Meta 5.5.3. It will be getting its maiden outing this coming weekend! I'm excited!

how did you get on with your new commencal ive just ordered a custom build meta 5 have to wait till dec to get it.

ahsatb

What are the trails like around Castle Howard etc at the moment? I'll be heading home to the parents for xmas/new year and last time I was down I spent most of my time in stinging nettle patches around Easthorpe and Terrrington! Not fun!

Any other suggestions of rides from Bulmer/Welburn would be appreciated. I did find this link the other day which looks really good: http://www.mtb-routes.co.uk/northyorkmoors/

birchy

I'm off for ride this week so i'll let you know, was going to go today but had way to much to drink last night :roll:

NikB

Sorry to dredge this thread back up but I wonder if people want to meet up for a ride at some point. I'm trying to get back into xc riding after years of absence. I want to get enough riding done to justify getting a full susser. I did the black run at Dalby on Friday and it pointed out how unfit I am - and that trying such runs without suspension isn't a good idea.

I currently ride solo and think it would help mentally to ride with a few like minded individuals. I'm not looking at going for speed records but I'm no slouch either. I'm free in a couple of weekends' time maybe for a blast at Dalby?