Cicerone Cycling The Pennine Bridleway - The Dales Stages

Cycling the Pennine Bridleway - The Dales stages

The northern stages of the Pennine Bridleway, from the Mary Towneley Loop in northern Lancashire through to Ravenstonedale in Cumbria, offer exceptional off-road riding in one of the most beautiful and unspoilt areas of Britain, on dedicated, waymarked trails. Classic trails rejuvenated, newly-built river crossings and, most exciting of all, sections of specially-developed bridleway are all out there, just waiting to be discovered!

This guidebook describes over 200km of the Bridleway, from Summit, near Rochdale, up to Ravenstonedale, through the rugged landscape of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, as well as 11 exciting, graded MTB loops based on the Bridleway but taking in other, less well-known stretches of trail, making a total of 415km of unrivalled mountain biking.

There's something new here from everyone - from the novice rider to the trail-hardened pro and from cyclists trying the Yorkshire Dales for the first time to those who think they know them well.

• routes clearly described and illustrated with profiles and OS mapping extracts
• data on distance, ascent, grading, timing and percentage of route off-road at the start of every description for quick selection
• full information about local facilities, useful contacts, accommodation and bike shops
• Seasons
  perfect in spring and summer when the Dales are at their most attractive; winter conditions offer a new adventure but the Pennines can be tough in bad weather.
• Centres
  Littleborough, Burnley, Barnoldswick, Long Preston, Settle, Horton-in-Ribblesdale, Dentdale, Garsdale Head, Ravenstonedale, Kirkby Stephen
• Difficulty
  graded routes from easy, family rides for beginners through to tough challenges for experienced riders; routes can be linked for longer days
• Must See
  classic limestone country, including the Yorkshire Three Peaks - Ingleborough, Pen-y-ghent, Whernside; Ribblehead, Garsdale, Ravenstonedale, Mallerstang