Yorkshire Dales Route help please - Scar House Reservoir

[Boopop]

Afternoon all,

Just double checking my planned route and going over details ready for my Blackpool to Newcastle tour starting Good Friday. Strava appears to have had one of its moments and has picked a section of road that isn't suitable for cars (according to Google Maps at least). Both Google Maps and Strava think it'll work for me though, but I just wanted to check what those who were familiar thought. Is it legal and comfortable for a road bike with 25c tyres to go the following route from How Stean Gorge to Arkleside?

Cheers

 

[Venod]

Both the routes are MTB only IMO, I haven't been up for a few years but have ridden the grey route from Lofthouse and back down the Blue route as far as Middlesmoor and remember it being pretty rough in places, I was on a MTB I wouldn't attempt it on anything less.

 

[Pale Rider]

Just out of interest, why are you going north west from How Stean Gorge/Lofthouse?

Newcastle is north east, so it would make sense to leave Lofthouse on the minor - and ludicrously steep - road to Masham.

Mind, cycling in any direction around there is ludicrously steep.

 

[Sea of vapours]

Short answer: no.

That's not a road. It's a footpath beyond Middlesmoor; a track at first.

In contrast, the road heading NE from Lofthouse is a rather fine route, imo, though as @Pale Rider says, it's a tad steep for the first kilometre. I don't know where your route goes beyond that, but basically the nicest route is head up the road and then turn left off it to get yourself across to Leyburn or Bedale or wherever you're heading for next. Crossing into Coverdale - as you route does - at that point would be a bit of a strange choice, to say the least.

 

[kynikos]

Grey route, according to Komoot:

WAYTYPES
Singletrack: 3.40 mi
Path: 167 yd
Street: 0.31 mi
Road: 4.63 mi

SURFACES
Unpaved: 3.50 mi
Paved: 4.41 mi
Asphalt: 0.53 mi

 

[Skuhravy]

No chance on a road bike - you'd be pushing the whole way from Coverdale to Lofthouse.

I'd just carry on up Coverdale towards Leyburn (or, more likely from Blackpool, cross at Garsdale, Mallerstang, Brough, Middleton in Teesdale and onwards).

 

[Joffey]

And stop at Johnny Baghdad's in Masham for some food

 

[Boopop]

Evening, thanks for the replies. I say "Blackpool to Newcastle", it's more "Blackpool to Newcastle via the Yorkshire Dales and Pennines". I wanted to go up some hills, as that's usually the part of a tour I enjoy the most. It's rather hilly! Days 2, 3 and 4 will be interesting but then I've got all day and a triple chainset and 30 tooth cassette. Gently does it! Here's the entire route (ignoring the club routes):

Thanks for the info, I've edited day 3 now to reflect Strava's mishap.

 

[Venod]

I've got all day and a triple chainset and 30 tooth cassette.

Well you're prepared for Trapping Hill out of Lofthouse, I been up it several times,its a tester.

 

[Boopop]

Well you're prepared for Trapping Hill out of Lofthouse, I been up it several times,its a tester.

I hope so! I considered switching to a compact a while back but decided I couldn't be bothered getting a new shifter (or using a triple shifter on a double). A few weeks later I realised with a simple change of cassette I could have a mountain goat of a climbing bike. Very helpful for touring

 

[Sea of vapours]

Looks like rather a good route overall; suitably meandering and covering nearly all the good bits. The bit I'd query is going around the Forest of Bowland, that being very much a 'good bit'. Since you don't seem to be avoiding hills especially, I suggest considering a route which goes through Slaidburn from the south, then over the Cross of Greet (road northward to High Bentham from Slaidburn), before turning right along Mewith Lane to reach Austwick (I live in Clapham, just up the road, so I know these roads rather well). Equally, you could come over Bowland Knotts, but the Cross of Greet is probably the nicer route from that direction.

 

[Boopop]

Looks like rather a good route overall; suitably meandering and covering nearly all the good bits. The bit I'd query is going around the Forest of Bowland, that being very much a 'good bit'. Since you don't seem to be avoiding hills especially, I suggest considering a route which goes through Slaidburn from the south, then over the Cross of Greet (road northward to High Bentham from Slaidburn), before turning right along Mewith Lane to reach Austwick (I live in Clapham, just up the road, so I know these roads rather well). Equally, you could come over Bowland Knotts, but the Cross of Greet is probably the nicer route from that direction.

Originally the route did go through Bowland, but I've been through Bowland plenty of times before (and can again easily from where my mum lives in Blackpool). I came to the conclusion I'd rather do 3 days of lots of climbing rather than 4, I'm not sure my legs could survive 4! Thanks for the suggestion though, I do agree - Bowland is beautiful