Where's your favourite off-road ride and why?

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hoppy58
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Joined: 9 Mar 2011, 3:07pm

Where's your favourite off-road ride and why?

Post by hoppy58 »

That's easy for me...I'm within close riding distance of the Berwyn Mountains which is criss-crossed with dozens of old drovers roads and trails. I think if I were pushed I would choose between Glyn Ceiriog and Llanarmon DC, possibly taking in the Wayfarer.. Why? first of all the solitude - while everyone is zooming along the A5 to Snowdonia or Llandegla, the Berwyns get completely over-looked, which leaves the trails empty. You rarely see another soul particularly in the week. Second, the peace - it's just so quiet up there with just the bird song and sheep...third the trails. Ok whilst not the most technically challenging there are still some challenging climbs and fast down hills..
hamster
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Re: Where's your favourite off-road ride and why?

Post by hamster »

I've only ridden in the Berwyns once and thoroughly enjoyed it (Wayfarer).
Another similar place that people ignore on their way to somewhere else is the Southern Uplands - again, a wonderful network of drove roads in the middle of nowhere.
Cyril Haearn
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Re: Where's your favourite off-road ride and why?

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Third vote for the Berwyns
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hoppy58
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Re: Where's your favourite off-road ride and why?

Post by hoppy58 »

Another similar place that people ignore on their way to somewhere else is the Southern Uplands


Where's that? Is that southern Scotland? (Excuse my Ignorance!)
hamster
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Re: Where's your favourite off-road ride and why?

Post by hamster »

Yes, that bit between Carlisle and Lanark, essentially the hills along the borders.
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Si
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Re: Where's your favourite off-road ride and why?

Post by Si »

Berwyns are great.
As long as wayfarers isnt full of 4wds and motorcycles, like it was the last time or two i was there. Some excellent pubs too.

I also have a lovely loop around lynn briane (or however you spell it). Not overly technical but includes some wonderful views plus the (allegedly) longest natural single track in Wales.

And also my 25mile loop round where i used to live on the staffs/shrops border.....nothing especially outstanding about it, its just the land i grew up in.
EddieJ
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Re: Where's your favourite off-road ride and why?

Post by EddieJ »

I'll expand upon this a little later, but for me, my yearly trip to the Swiss Alps provide easily the best riding.

The ride below is 10.4 miles of climbing with an elevation gain of 8,721ft. I do this climb every year, and have yet to get bored of it.


Image

And this shows some of the other peaks that I have reached. Each superb to do in their own right. The Eiger is shrouded in cloud, behind the arrow on the top row, right hand side. The arrow bottom right showing a cable car station, is the ride above to Birg from the Lauterbrunnen valley.

Image
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squeaker
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Re: Where's your favourite off-road ride and why?

Post by squeaker »

Bramber to Chanctonbury Ring via South Downs Way, South to Cissbury Ring, then East to Coombes (lovely church) and up the Downslink to home.
Why? Gets me out of the house for a couple of hours exercise in the fresh air with lovely (albeit not alpine) views 8) :lol:
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Paulatic
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Re: Where's your favourite off-road ride and why?

Post by Paulatic »

With nearly 30yrs of off road routes in my memory bank I can’t find an ultimate favourite.
I was in at the start of the off road organised tours which sprang up in the nineties. Tour of the Northern
Pennines originally based in Alston. Tour of the Yorkshire Dales based in Aysgarth, and the Tour of the Peaks.
Of those 3 the Dales would be my favourite area for scenery and riding experiences. The Peak District has always been my least favourite, I think simply because every climb seems so long.
I enjoy the Shropshire hills and the Mynd I think because it’s pocket sized and not as extreme as you grow older.
My own area as someone has mentioned, Southern Scotland, is full of gems which are often hard to discover by simply looking at a map. Maps satellite view have been a great boon for planning routes
Most riders nowadays seem to flock towards any of the 7 Stanes centres and ride on forest roads surrounded by trees. I boast you can take a map and look at any hill top within 20 mls of Moffat and I’ve had a bike on the top of it. Further beyond too but not every one :)
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