Lake District Road routes

brettjmcc

I'm off to the Lakes on holiday and thought I would takemy bike with me to make use of the hills that aren't very aabundant in Essex. Any route suggestions from anyone.

I'll be based in Ambleside, but will have to do loops, as the wife will need the car for the baby. Thanks

Mad Roadie

take the chain ferry across to hawkshead and there is a very quiet valley trapped between Connistion and windermere

or if you can make the climb theres a cirulare up thru windermere village, and INGS then due south to crook, through to Gummers Howe and back up the lakeside, the only issue is the main road back up the lake is busy with traffic

also check out routes to Kentmere - a nice quiet road and very scenic

friso

Hi

I spent a week in the lakes in April with my family and coming from Norfolk i to don't have a lot of climbing expierience

I did the Lakeland loop sportive that goes close to Ambleside, its a great ride and takes you up Whinlater pass and round to the awesome Hardnott pass and Wynrose pass

Look up the Lakeland Loop website and print off the route map

This is a challenging ride for any rider but so rewarding

Hope you have a great break andwould be good to hear about your ride

rolf_f

A nice route would be up Great Langdale and round to the bottom of Wrynose pass and back via Little Langdale to Ambleside. Hilly but not in the league of the big climbs and fantastic scenery all around.

Jaydoubleyou

You want hills - pick a road, any road......
While you are up in our neck of the woods, a ride out to Staveley (about 10 miles from Ambleside, just off the A591) is always worthwhile.
Wilf's cafe is a cyclists mecca, mostly mountain bikers but also loads of roadies too, and Wheelbase cycles is just accross the yard. The shop is massive and there are much worse ways to spend a rest break.
There are tons of great quiet roads round Staveley (Kentmere Valley) and always plently of other cyclists around to give route advice.
If you get to Staveley, just follow all the cyclists to find Wilf's/Wheelbase.
Have a good break, in the safe knowledge you WILL return fitter!

inseine

Well you have to ride Wrynose and Hartnott, just to say you've done them, but you'll need a compact and big sprocket on the back. Wouldn't say they were 'nice' climbs and the decents are frighteneing but once over Harnott there are nice quite roads especcially if you turn left and come back over the fells. There's pretty much only one road and it brings you back to the foot of Wrynose from teh other side. Not such a hard climb back.
Straight up Kirkstone from Ambleside is a great climb (warm up first!) and then turn left at the top for a good decent down to Ullswater or right and an equally good decent to Windamere.

cyclingmev

soooo many places...cycling towards Coniston is great - you could head towards Broughton in Furness - lovely cafe ((Broughton Village Bakery) and pubs (The Manor)...get the train from Foxfield (good pub there, by the way - Prince of Wales) up north, say St Bees then head into Wasdale for a look-see and bimble back out again - probably best to go into Eskdale and up over Hardknott....back via Wrynose..mega day that though.or instead of getting the train from Foxfield, just head out from Broughton, at Duddon bridge, head right to Ulpha, Dunnerdale, Wrynose, Langdales back to Ambleside...there's probably a few different routes you could do, but Coniston / Broughton are worth a visit, and often overlooked...happy days and have much fun...Cumbria is AWESOME!!! =o)

brettjmcc

Thanks all for the suggestions. I may not do the big hills this year. Just coming off a nasty sinus infection that has meant I have done no cardio activity since December last year. I have only done 5 rides this year.... my heart rate is quite astonishing :oops:

cyclingmev

Another one - popped into Biketreks (in Ambleside) at the weekend - they do ride outs every Sunday morning too!

postman

A bit of a cheat here .But go into your local Wterstones or Wh Smith .

And look out for Ordnance Survey Cycle Tours books .The one i have by Nick Cotton has 24 one day rides .in Cumbria and the Lakes .
See if these are any good .And if you plan to go to the lakes on a regular basis over the years .You can have mine free of charge .

I'll never use it .

sagalout

The Lakeland loop is pretty tough if you haven't been doing much riding recently. There's also the Cumbian Xmas Cracker Sportive route that is much easier.....I did it in December and the route was nice then, so should be great at this time of year

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2518937

Either that or head to Windermere > Kirkstone pass then back down 'the struggle' -a few circuits of that and you'll be fit in no time,!

milleman

Even better- go UP the struggle and round!

Brian B

Here is a good route. Start in Patterdale and go over Kirkstone and drop into Amberlside. From there down to Grasmere and over Red Bank into the Langdales. Over Bleatarn then over Wrynose and then Hardknott. From this valley make you way over birker fell, stickle pike and the last climb up to ulpha. From there back over kirkstone(or the struggle) and back to patterdale.

Nice scenery and more hills than you can shake a stick at! :twisted:

man2wolf

Brian B wrote:

Here is a good route. Start in Patterdale and go over Kirkstone and drop into Amberlside. From there down to Grasmere and over Red Bank into the Langdales. Over Bleatarn then over Wrynose and then Hardknott. From this valley make you way over birker fell, stickle pike and the last climb up to ulpha. From there back over kirkstone(or the struggle) and back to patterdale.

Nice scenery and more hills than you can shake a stick at! :twisted:

Phew! I'm feeling knackered just reading that route