Re: Touring in Lakes District (UK)?

in message <[email hidden]>, Michael

MacClancy (') said:

Quoted message said:

My wife and I are going to be in the Cumbria area this coming June.
We've never been to the UK before and were hoping to get some cycling
in, especially now that we've seen some photos of the Lakes District
(gorgeous). Can anyone point us to (a) good cycling routes (50-100km)
or (b) somewhere we can rent good touring bikes?

uk.rec.cycling is probably a better place for your query so I've
crossposted it there.

How steep do you like your climbs? There's lots of excellent cycling in
the lake district, but it tends to clog up with tourists in the summer
(the roads are /very/ narrow and twisty, and there are a lot of
tourists); and many of the passes are decidedly steep. There's excellent
off road cycling, too, and frankly it may be better than the on-road
because the density of motor traffic even on the most minor of metalled
roads in high summer isn't fun.

Keswick Mountain Bikes do hires (and I'd trust them), but not as far as I
know of road bikes: <URL:http://www.keswickmountainbikes.co.uk/>

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

:: Wisdom is better than weapons of war ::
:: Ecclesiastes 9:18 ::

"Michael MacClancy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

My wife and I are going to be in the Cumbria area this coming June.
We've never been to the UK before and were hoping to get some cycling
in, especially now that we've seen some photos of the Lakes District
(gorgeous). Can anyone point us to (a) good cycling routes (50-100km)
or (b) somewhere we can rent good touring bikes?

Thanks!

-JR

uk.rec.cycling is probably a better place for your query so I've
crossposted it there.
--
Michael MacClancy

Sigma Leisure
1 South Oak Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 6AR
Tele 01625 531035
Published a book by John Wood called cycling in The Lake District .
I have a copy from 1994 it may still be available?
You can try www.ctc.org.uk for lots of touring info
PK

I like to get the train to Windermere and mosey down to the ferry,
overtaking the queue of cars. At the other side, just wait for them to
drive off and you know you've got many minutes before the next lot is
disgorged, and the roads on that side are generally quiet (because most
motorists don't bother.) with easy gradients.

Overtaking the queue is not popular, though. One motorist once got out
of hs car and waddled down to the boat to berate us for queue-jumping!
(I like to think he lost his place in the process.)

Elsewhere, it can be not much fun. The A591 on the east of Windermere
is often a traffic jam, though much of the pavement has been made into
a cycleway.The B-road up Great Langdale is narrow and busy - if level -
and Hardknott and Wrynose passes are long walks for mere mortals like
me.

However, if you can get to the west side by whatever means, those roads
are quieter - and that's true of the far north (a bit unexciting
though)

First of all, decide whether you like cycling up hills. The passes in
the LD are short but brutal - nothing much over 1000ft but with
gradients up to 33%. As well as taking you into some spectacular
scenery they also allow you to link up two or more valley rides to make
a circuit. For flatter rides, many lakes have quiet roads along one
shoreline. This route takes in a high pass and a lake:
<URL:http://www.bikeit.eclipse.co.uk/localrides/ride1/index.htm>

I do not think you can hire 'touring' bikes. However, there are
numerous mountain bike hire firms - ask in the local tourist
information centre. There is also a mountain bike centre in Grizedale
Forest, between the lakes of Coniston Water and Windermere.

Traffic isn't really a problem - just make sure you avoid the central
tourist belt (roughly speaking, the area circling Grasmere, Coniston
and Windermere) on bank holidays and summer weekends.

Hardknott and Wrynose passes are long walks for mere mortals like
me.

I went up with a 30inch gear but had to give up and walk because it did
not seem reasonable to expct the cars to wait while I crawled along.
TerryJ

Thanks for all the responses!

We'll be in Ambleside from June 6-10: mainly weekdays. I did find a
website that describes walking/cycling routes
(http://www.golakes.co.uk/map/walks.asp). I notice most routes are in
the northwest part of the district.

I love cycling up hills, but 33% -- gulp! I'd be tempted to try it
just to see what 33% is really like, but not as part of a long ride. I
prefer road/touring bikes, but mountain bikes are versatile, so I could
be happy with either. In a scenic location, mountain biking is often
more fun anyway.

-JR

Quoted message said:

I love cycling up hills, but 33% -- gulp! I'd be tempted to try it
just to see what 33% is really like, but not as part of a long ride.

Give it a go - the really steep bits are short enough to be walked up
if you run out of steam.

<[email hidden]> wrote

[snip]

Quoted message said:

I love cycling up hills, but 33% -- gulp! I'd be tempted to try it
just to see what 33% is really like, but not as part of a long

ride.

[snip]

Actually, a signed 33% may not really be exactly that. It's just a
translation of the old system of 1 in 3, (1:3). These were usually
quoted in whole numbers, to a road was either 1 in 4 (25%) or 1 in 3
(33%). I seem to recall that supposedly there is a road somewhere in
Britain 1 in 2 1/2 (40%), but I don't know where that is.

The roads date back to when the main mode of freight transport was by
pack horse, not wheeled vehicle. British roads can be narrow, as
well as steep. It always amuses me that the standard width for a
good many country lanes round here is exactly the same as for
Washington DC's bike paths. I have only met a tractor-trailer coming
towards me on such a road once, and it turned off onto some private
property before we actually did meet.

Hertfordshire, where I live, has 10' wide roads, but the first law
about minimum design standards, back in the days of Queen Elizabeth
1st, specified minimum widths of 8' on main roads and 5' on local
roads.

Roman roads supposedly have a maximum grade of about 8%. Whether
that applies to the one over Hardknott Pass in the Lake District -
you can still see its remains - I doubt.

It would be interesting to watch Hardknott Pass being resurfaced, the
next it happens. I wonder how they do it.

Jeremy Parker

Jeremy Parker said:

Roman roads supposedly have a maximum grade of about 8%. Whether
that applies to the one over Hardknott Pass in the Lake District -
you can still see its remains - I doubt.

Doesn't account for High Street in the Lakes either.

--
Tony

"The best way I know of to win an argument is to start by being in the
right."
- Lord Hailsham

in message <[email hidden]>, Tony Raven

(') said:

Jeremy Parker said:

Roman roads supposedly have a maximum grade of about 8%. Whether
that applies to the one over Hardknott Pass in the Lake District -
you can still see its remains - I doubt.

Doesn't account for High Street in the Lakes either.

High Street was over a thousand years (I think several thousand, BICBW)
old when Julius Caesar landed. You can't blame the Romans for that.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
;; This email may contain confidential or otherwise privileged
;; information, though, quite frankly, if you're not the intended
;; recipient and you've got nothing better to do than read other
;; folks' emails then I'm glad to have brightened up your sad little
;; life a tiny bit.

Simon Brooke said:

in message <[email hidden]>, Tony Raven

(') said:

Jeremy Parker said:

Roman roads supposedly have a maximum grade of about 8%. Whether
that applies to the one over Hardknott Pass in the Lake District -
you can still see its remains - I doubt.

Doesn't account for High Street in the Lakes either.

High Street was over a thousand years (I think several thousand, BICBW)
old when Julius Caesar landed. You can't blame the Romans for that.

But given the alternatives, why did they route their Roman road along it
if their maximum grade was supposed to be 8%. It must be well over 40%
in parts.

--
Tony

"The best way I know of to win an argument is to start by being in the
right."
- Lord Hailsham

The UK Lake District is a fantastic place, we (my wife and I) spend a number
of weekends there and a full week every year. (It is only a two hour drive
away).

June is not the busiest time and I am always amazed that it never appears
crowded even in July and August. Saying that I do prefer Spring and Autumn
because of the colours and the extra water in the Gylls but if you are
coming on holiday the long June days and hopefully warm weather is a bonus.
Don't expect to get away without getting wet even in June.

As many have said there are an number of hills to choose from, they vary
from the tough to the ridiculous (Hardknot Pass)
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/bridgwatarian/passes.htm it is actually worse
that it looks in the photos.

There is very little in the way of flat roads and Mountain Bikes would
probably be more suitable even on a lot of the roads. If you spent a week in
The Lakes doing 50-100k per day you would cover all available roads at least
once. I would recommend staying in Ambleside and hire road bikes for part
of your stay and mountain bikes for part of your stay and if like me you
like walking also try to do the two highest peaks on foot (Scar Fell and
Helvellyn).

There are two cycle shops in Ambleside that hire out bikes of all kinds even
tandems Bike Treks is the biggest and provide the most services. see link
http://www.lakedistrictoutdoors.co.uk/outdoor_activities/cycling/cycling_services.cfm#ambleside

There are loads of books and booklets giving routes both on and off road
available in the shops in all the larger towns around The Lakes.

If you are set on only riding on road I would suggest maybe having a base a
Ambleside and when you have covered the roads around there then venture a
little to the east into the Pennines and Dales for a night or two.

What type of accommodation were you thinking about? There is a full spread
from wild camping to five star hotels. A good thing about The Lakes is the
people are laid back and always willing to oblige if they can. So leaving
some gear at one place whilst you take an overnight excursion to another
would not be a problem to most hoteliers or guest house owners.

I am going to The Lakes in March for a few days, if you want me to get you
anything or do a 'Reccy' of anywhere let me know direct I will be pleased to
help.

I look forward to hearing from you

You will need to remove 'bra' from my return address to e-mail me.

Regards

Cliff

Keep the wind on your back, the sun on your face and cast all your shadows
behind you.

Jeremy Parker said:

I seem to recall that supposedly there is a road somewhere in
Britain 1 in 2 1/2 (40%), but I don't know where that is.

Harlech.

--
Keith Willoughby http://flat222.org/keith/
"If any question why we died,
Tell them, because our fathers lied."

SW said:

First of all, decide whether you like cycling up hills. The passes in
the LD are short but brutal - nothing much over 1000ft but with
gradients up to 33%. As well as taking you into some spectacular
scenery they also allow you to link up two or more valley rides to
make a circuit. For flatter rides, many lakes have quiet roads along
one shoreline. This route takes in a high pass and a lake:
<URL:http://www.bikeit.eclipse.co.uk/localrides/ride1/index.htm>

I do not think you can hire 'touring' bikes. However, there are
numerous mountain bike hire firms - ask in the local tourist
information centre. There is also a mountain bike centre in Grizedale
Forest, between the lakes of Coniston Water and Windermere.

Traffic isn't really a problem - just make sure you avoid the central
tourist belt (roughly speaking, the area circling Grasmere, Coniston
and Windermere) on bank holidays and summer weekends.

For hiring road bikes, you could try Gill Cycles in Ulverston. They changed
hands recently, but I'm pretty sure they used to hire bikes.

T/A Gill Cycles
1 The Gill
Ulverston
Cumbria LA12 7BJ
Phone: 01229 581116
Fax: 01229 581116

Cheers... Allan.
~~~
http://www.bikeit.eclipse.co.uk/index.htm
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