Gravel routes Yorkshire Dales

[Dnlm]

Heading up to the dales at the end of the month when self catering holidays become legal.

Keen to hear of any recommendations for areas and routes. We've got 4 nights, starting and ending around Skipton, furthest night is near the famous Bernard Castle. Stops are close together (40-50 miles on road) but hoping to add time and distance off road.

I normally bastardise other people's routes on ridewithgps, but not much there at all.

Cheers!

[Dave.]

You could jump on the canal at Skipton and head west.

Not sure what the path is like now, it’s been a while since I’ve been on there.

[PeteinSQ]

Go to Swaledale and visit the Dales Bike Centre. They know lots of great routes for mtb (or is this specifically on a gravel bike?) and they've got a great cafe and car parking etc.

[Harpoon]

PeteinSQ said:

Go to Swaledale and visit the Dales Bike Centre. They know lots of great routes for mtb (or is this specifically on a gravel bike?) and they've got a great cafe and car parking etc.

Another vote for a stop at DBC - cracking cake and hot chocolate.

There's the Swale Trail which is easily accessed from DBC. It has some road sections (very quiet lanes), gravel doubletrack and a bit of grass. A gravel bike would probably be spot on. I rode it on a MTB hired from DBC which was a bit of a drag climbing up from Gunnerside towards Muker but I could hammer the section coming back Keld to Muker.

Oh, there was a short section of hike-a-bike on the first off-road section after leaving Reeth/Grinton - the floods had trashed the river path and left some big bomb-holes.

[Dnlm]

Ah great, that Swale trail looks just the ticket . We have a night nearby.

Using gravel bikes, with light gear in saddlebags. 35mm GK tyres

Are the Skipton canal ways busy ? Canal's have become a bit of a bugbear since lockdown. Too full of walkers to enjoy cycling, bikes a bloody pain when on foot!

[JontyR]

Try this map. You will need to click on the legends section to remove the Purple footpath lines. But this will give you all the byways etc.

https://maps.northyorks.gov.uk/connect/analyst/mob...

[leyorkie]

Skipton to Gargrave is hard packed recently surfaced. Walkers near Skipton and at Gargrave but light traffic in between just ring your bell or shout out no issues at all. From Gargrave you can head north into the Dales or circle round back to Skipton but head up to Malham then over to settle and off you go

[Castrol for a knave]

Mastiles Lane would be ideal.

A run up Wharfedale from Skipton, and just before the Tennants Arms (after the trout farm) at Kilnsey, take the left. It leads to Mastiles, which is an old drovers' road. It's doable on a gravel bike (I used to do it from my house at Skipton on the cross bike).

From there, you follow your nose to Malham Tarn, and can then drop down into Malham, out the other side (tea cabin by the bridge on Gordale Rd) up Hawthorne Lane and a right turn at the top of the hill takes you back onto tracks. Numerous tracks lead off from there and then back over into Wharfdale.

The link below does not do the drop into Malham, but it is worth it.

https://pedalnorth.com/mastiles-lane/

You can link into quit a lot of trackways once around there.

[Dnlm]

This looks perfect, thank you. First night is in Malhamdale so will probably do exactly this route as part of the way there

[Castrol for a knave]

Dnlm said:

This looks perfect, thank you. First night is in Malhamdale so will probably do exactly this route as part of the way there

Good place to start.

There are loads of trails that run along Malham Moor. If you can get a copy of Mountain Biking in the Dales, it has quite a few around there. Most of the MTB routes are doable on a gravel bike - the Dales tends to be dry given the limestone.

If you need anything bike wise, Stu is your man. He knows every blade of grass in the Dales.


https://riderscyclecentre.com/

[chris7676]

I found this a while ago: https://cyclethedales.org.uk/route_type/road/

[gazza285]

This was a rather splendid route.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1330704855

Cafe stop at Kettlewell...

[austinsmirk]

Appreciate you have yr route planned but the Yorkshire dales cycle way is a cracking ride. It is all road but some of the roads are so remote and minor bigger and more robust wheels/tyres are often welcome.

Canals up here are only usually busy around the town. Eg skipton. Once yr a mile away there’s no one about.

[leyorkie]

This weekend or next week ?
You have the weather for it

[Chicken Chaser]

There's a old railway path from Barnard Castle up to Middleton in Teesdale (you could visit High Force). It's over 40 mile there and back

[Hugo Stiglitz]

I've literally just bought the Vgraphics Yorkshire Dale's mtb book. It says mtb routes but to be honest most Dale's routes are more Gravel...

I'd recommend their books. Very good. It got me into a lot of routes in the Peak District that enabled me to find all the hidden stuff and cross routes.

[Dnlm]

I was there Sunday to Sunday. Absolutely great trip given the perfect weather, and Dales weren't too bad either. Probably the best combination of beauty, accessibility, and relatively unspoilt by tourists.

We started doing a lot of gravel where possible but by the end were mostly road with a few detours as they came up. Roads as mentioned were incredibly quiet with good passing from the few cars - which were often sports cars waiting for us to get out of the way at scenic spots!

Struggled a little with the gravel due (i think) to the hillyness. Plenty of tracks that started pleasant got rockier as steepness picked up, after a few falls ended up walking a lot of the ups (no traction/momentum) and downs (safety). We did join the Pennine Way a few times which was one of the best long sections - particularly down from tan hill toward the actual Pennines.

Also struggled a little with the road climbs haha. They are fantastic and just keep coming. Buttertubs was easier than expected, final part of Tan Hill one of the toughest, but many many 20-30% gradients with fantastic views that doesnt quite distract from the pain - up to Malham Tarn one of the best if you can see over the walls.

Chicken Chaser said:

There's a old railway path from Barnard Castle up to Middleton in Teesdale (you could visit High Force). It's over 40 mile there and back

We did this with dawn rising - fantastic.

austinsmirk said:

Appreciate you have yr route planned but the Yorkshire dales cycle way is a cracking ride. It is all road but some of the roads are so remote and minor bigger and more robust wheels/tyres are often welcome.

Not sure i agree - some of the highest quality tarmac for huge stretches. looking forward to going back on the road bike and really riding some of the downhills that 1x and bags kept us cautious on.

[Chicken Chaser]

Brilliant, sounds like you had an epic week. I think some Dales stuff is definitely more than gravel but there are plenty roads in which to test the legs!