Mountain Biking in the Lake District, UK

England’s Lake District is gifted with some stunning scenery and it’s also home to some of the UK’s best mountain bike adventures—ex-pat Pom Steve Thomas gives us the lowdown.

They always say that ‘the last of the summer wine’ is the best, and if the weather was anything to go by on my parting Lakeland ride, this saying certainly seemed to hold some truth. With the milder weather waning, hoards of hopeful mountain bikers had similar ideas, congregating on mass in the Lake District to make the most of what could well be their final sun-blessed ride of the season.

It was late September and Britain had just endured its wettest summer in a whole century, and that’s saying something in this green and often moist land. The season long blanket of clouds had finally parted to reveal a scene of lush greens mixed with vibrant and crisp oranges. It’s a brief seasonal transition and it doesn’t last for too long, but is truly the most special time—a time when the region is seen in all of its majestic glory.

This region sees just a handful of ‘good weather’ weekends each year and the snow-clad winter months loomed large, so it was no wonder that every mountain biker within a day’s drive had ventured out to make the most it. This was my third visit in a month but the clear blue skies, crisp colours and a slight chill to the air added a whole different flavour.

After a number of years living outside of the UK, I’d almost forgotten how genuinely epic and stunning the riding and scenery really is. People are often surprised by the volume of superb riding on offer in the UK, and it seems that the Lake District is home to a large portion of the best of British trails.

Year round, tourists from all over the world flock to the Lake District; come rain, shine or snow, every season shows the beauty of the Lakes in a different light. Most come to see the famous lakes, naturally, but from a mountain bikers perspective these are merely great abysses to peer down into from the surrounding mountains, of which there’s no shortage.

In fact, the Lake District is perhaps more about its mountains than the lakes, which may sound strange unless you’ve been there. England’s biggest, highest and most concentrated mass of mountains are crammed into this tiny corner of the country. There’s very little in the way of flat land once you enter this region.

Although the highest peaks top out at a shade under 1,000 meters, don’t be fooled; these are serious mountains. Wild, craggy and rugged, there are no gentle rolling hills—not within the true core of the region anyway. When venturing out on the near endless network of trails, the mountains command a good deal of respect, not only for the terrain they present but also for the ever changing and often harsh weather conditions that you may encounter.

Finding a great route is not a tough call. There are numerous ‘hubs’ for riding around the Lakes, with Kentmere, Ambleside and Keswick springing to mind as the most obvious choices. Each is well facilitated and has route information available. You can right straight out of town and find yourself on near deserted trails within minutes, as most visitors rarely go further than a few minutes stroll from the parking areas that are dotted around the lakes.

Coming in by road from the south had made the tiny outpost of Staveley and the trails of Kentmere an easy choice for my parting shot at the Lakeland trails. On earlier visits I’d managed to cover the northern sections around Keswick and even touch a little on Ambleside’s trail network, thus sampling a little bit of everything region has to offer. 

Top Trails

It’s difficult to throw a water bottle in the Lakes without it landing on an epic trail. Here’s a selection of the best riding locations.

Kentmere – From the town of Staveley a small road leads north into Kentmere. Then you are straight on to some of the best riding in Britain! There are loads of routes to go at, with the epic Garburn Pass making for a superb and tough day ride. Info and hardcopy route maps are available from Wheelbase (www.wheelbase.co.uk). 

Grizedale – Grizedale Forest is in the south eastern corner of the Lakes and it is well set up for day rides. There are loads of high fell (mountain) trails as well as the 16km long North Face Trail—a MTB specific singletrack with jumps, berms and your regular ‘bike park’ style trail features. You’ll also find Grizedale Mountain Bikes, a good bike shop/trail centre: www.grizedalemountainbikes.co.uk 

Ambleside – Perhaps the most touristy town in the Lakes, Ambleside is also a great base for riding. You’ll find some really good half day and full day rides in the area as well at the epic 828 metre high traverse of ‘High Street’ fell—one of the most challenging rides in the Lakes. Drop into Biketreks for info and to check the current trail conditions (www.bike-treks.co.uk). 

Keswick – Another bustling market town and the gateway to the trails of the northern end of the Lake District. From here you can take on the spectacular Catbells Fell loop, plus the super-tough Skiddaw and so much more! Check your route information at Keswick Mountain Bikes: www.keswickmountainbikes.co.uk 

Whinlatter – Promoted as England’s only ‘mountain forest’, the Whinlatter Mountain Forest Park is located just out of Keswick. Here you’ll find some awesome man-made MTB singletracks with everything from berms and jumps to skinnies and cork screws. The most famous trail is the Altura and you’ll also find a number of older ‘natural’ routes through the moors. For basic access info have a look at www.forestry.gov.uk 

From big mountain epics and jaw rattling descents with rocks the size of babies (not their heads), right through to man-made forestry trails and gentle lakeside singletrack, you’ll find it all in the Lake District—and sometimes all in the same ride! I only wish I’d had more time there as I hadn’t even scratched the surface. If you’re ever traveling to the UK, take your MTB to the Lake District and you won’t be disappointed!

 

Getting There

The Lake District is in Cumbria, which is the north-western most county in England—it sits just below the Scottish border. The best bases for riding are Ambleside and Keswick. Both are about two hours north of Manchester airport, three hours south of Glasgow Airport or five hours from London.

To get to the region you may choose to rent a car. All of the major operators have desks at the airports and rental costs are low in the UK. It will cost around $25 per day but fuel is quite expensive in the UK. Alternately you can take a train or even go by bus. The best rail access is via Windermere which is also a good base for riding and it’s just a few kilometres south of Ambleside. For rail details go to www.nationalrail.co.uk and be sure to check in advance as there’s limited bike space on the trains. For bus options go to www.nationalexpress.com  

When to Go

The Lake District is one of the UK’s most popular tourist destinations, so it can get really busy in peak holiday times. It can be difficult to find accommodation and even the back-roads can get seriously busy. Try to avoid bank holidays; that’s Easter, the first and last weekend in May as well as the last weekend in August.

Weather wise the region does get its fair share of rain—that’s what keeps it so green and fresh faced! The best times for riding are between April and late September, although October does offer some beautiful autumn colours. Outside of this time it’ll probably be wet and chilly but it’s still do-able. With a snowy frosting it can be stunning, although the smaller roads may be iced over. 

Where to Stay

There is absolutely no shortage of accommodation in and around the main Lake District towns, although at busy times it can be hard to find a bed. Keswick and Ambleside have great selections of all kinds of B&B’s. Expect to pay $75 per person upwards.

There are also some really nice campsites dotted around the area, which are ideal if the weather is good—expect to pay $15-25 per night. There are also loads of discount outdoors shops in the Lakes (especially in Keswick), so you could pick up adequate camping gear for a long stay for the cost of one night in a B&B.

Contact the local tourist information centres for listings:

www.amblesideonline.co.uk

www.keswick.org

www.lakedistrict.gov.uk

There are also some good youth hostels in the region, especially the ones at Ambleside and Windermere. For details go to www.yha.org.uk

You’ll also find good accommodation info at www.golakes.co.uk 

Food & Drink

The Lakes are famous for their teashops as well as their cycling friendly cafes—there’s no shortage of options.

In Ambleside there are loads of great eateries; Zefirellis (www.zeffirellis.com) is a favourite for fine coffee and vegetarian food, while Pippins is great for bacon butties and tea.

If you’re in Keswick then drop in at the Lakeland Pedlar (www.lakelandpedlar.co.uk), it’s a great bike friendly joint in the centre of town.

Another cyclist’s favourite is Wilfs. It’s located next to Wheelbase bike shop in Staveley and is also a great base for riding in Kentmere. Check out www.wilfs-café.co.uk 

Bike Shops

Biketreks (www.bike-treks.co.uk) in Ambleside is a great place for everything from top-notch kit to repairs and local ride info.

Wheelbase is in Staveley (close to Kendal) is a huge and well-stocked shop www.wheelbase.org.uk and you’ll find Wilf’s Café situated next door.

Keswick Mountain Bikes (www.keswickmountainbikes.co.uk) is located just out of Keswick on an industrial estate.

Most shops also organise weekend and weekday rides and all of these shops open on Sundays. 

Rights of Passage

The English and Welsh rights of way system can be a little confusing at first – but as long as you can read a map then it’s pretty straightforward.

Ordnance survey maps are superb and I would never venture out on a new trail without one. The best maps for mountain biking are the Landranger 1:50,000 (pink cover) series. The Adventure 1:25,000 (orange cover) series is even more detailed but mightn’t cover a broad enough area.

Two Landranger to four Adventure Series maps will cover most of the Lakeland riding, and have all trails marked on them. The listed bike shops also carry highly detailed trail maps and sell a wide selection of trail guidebooks, so it’s hard to go wrong.

You aren’t allowed to ride on footpaths unless they have permissive bike usage status. Bridleways and any trail with status above this – ‘roads used as public paths’ or RUPP’s – are all fare game unless they carry specific restrictions. Most trails are well signed and any permissive status should be marked on the ground.

There are huge numbers of walkers in the Lakes, so stick to legal routes and be courteous on the trail.

For more trail information check out: www.mountain-bike-cumbria.co.uk