Lake District weather - Windermere

KaRsKiN

Hi,

Starting from this Sunday coming I'm going to be spending a few days in the lakes with some friends and I was planning on taking the bike along. I was going to hit Winlatter and Grizedale plus a few of the natural trails around Windermere.

However, here in Barnsley it's rained near enough none stop for the last week and if it's been the same up there then I imagine it's going to have made a mess of the trails.

I don't mind riding in crap weather but I can't be arsed battling with sopping wet mud for hours on end, and I can't imagine the trail centres will be happy about people riding if the ground is too soft.

Anyone who lives up there, or who's been there the last few days, what's the conditions on the ground like? Rideable?

stubs

Whinlatter will mostly be fine apart from a few (a lot) of puddles. Grizedale is muddier but I have ridden it in monsoon conditions and it was all rideable. Both trails are pretty weatherproof. The majority of natural trails in the Lakes are rocky, more so the higher you go as long as you keep to the trail.

Just remember when your on natural trails once your above about a thousand feet the weather can get nasty very quickly and you can expect snow/sleet make sure your equipped for it. Take a bivvi bag, food and drink, a torch and I always carry a whistle its easier than shouting. Let someone know where you are going if your away from trail centres we dont want to come across your crow eaten corpse that is unless you have a good bike in which case its finders keepers.

KaRsKiN

Thanks for the reply mate, some useful info there. I'm only riding a Trek 4700 so I doubt it's worth the effort of arranging a 'rescue/scavenging' party!

You got any recommendations for trails around Windermere that would still be pretty ridable at this time of year? I've found a few online but it's always good to get first hand accounts.

Rocketmagnet

Whinlatter is all year, it's steep sided so drains quickly. there is the odd puddle on both north and south descents though they have been sorting a few of them out and in other areas they have been sorted. Only time it's not ride-able is when its fully snowed in. It's not a muddy course but in the wet/damp it can be very slippery, good big grippy tyres help.

Yes it's rained very heavily most of this week up here also and it's due to continue over the weekend (showers forecast). Loads of options around Windermere, if you can get hold of "Mountain Biking in the Lake District" by Ian Boydon. It lists a number of rides in the area and does give an all weather rating... some routes are very exposed though so like said take the right clothing and gear. I was out last weekend and basically rode through every type of weather possible in 4 hours. So if its sunny without a cloud in the sky when you set off it can very quickly change so don't look at the sky and think you won't bother lugging your waterproof jacket etc along .

So much choice it's hard to recommend.. but if your up near Whinlatter then Borrowdale Bash is good... just ask in the Whinlatter bike shop but its not newbie friendly if that's what you require for any of your m8s. As for Windermere I'd recommend out of the above book -route 5 (Hawkshead and Hodge Close) for a shorter route if you've got some newer riders with you its a cracking route.. you can park near Outgate in the big layby if you don't want to pay the obscene parking charges in Hawkshead. It's all weather.

Grizedale Grunt is a good longer route and all weather (Route 15 in the book)... might do this on sat or sun myself...

Kentmere special rides out of Staveley and is pretty good but very exposed in places, some nice reasonably challenging climbs with one massive fast as you dare decent half way round.

Another good book is Lake District Mountain Biking Essential Trails (Chris Gore & Rich Staton) plenty routes in there also.

stubs

These are some of my favourites near Windermere

http://www.gpsies.com/map.do;jsessionid=8D0F6A1D55A2F6F54346A5B36EA8C826?fileId=gxwrfyggbrdhvzwz

http://pedalnorth.com/content/claife-heights
http://pedalnorth.com/content/garburn-pass