UK Guided day rides and e-bike rides

Always fancied riding some of the trails you've read about in the magazines or seen on social media, but not had the people to ride with, or felt confident enough to tackle them alone in an area you don’t know?

Helvellyn, High Street, the Eastern Passes, Cut Gate, Jacob's Ladder, Gunnerside Gill... there are a lifetime's worth of "Big Days Out" you can have on a bike throughout the North of England.

Perhaps you're simply looking to enjoy some of these awesome adventures with a group of friends and without the stress of having to navigate as you go? We can help! We’ll plan a great day out for you, taking in the best routes, mid-ride cafe stops, swim spots, pubs, or whatever it is you are after from a day on the bikes. All you need to do is get to our meeting point and we’ll take care of the rest.

All of these rides can be arranged for e-bikers! We can modify the day to suit your group’s level and battery levels! Give us a shout to discuss options.

We've pitched these rides at various different levels to try and cater for everyone, but if you'd like to come on a particular one, and aren't sure about the level, then get in touch for a chat, as we may have others in the same situation and can arrange a ride for a few like-minded folk!

Alternatively, if you'd like a day's private guiding for yourself or a group of friends on any of these trips then get in touch to see what days are available.

As always, the good old British weather can sometimes put paid to the best laid plans, so we'll always have an alternate route for another great day out in the same area if conditions mean we cannot tackle our "plan A".

Each of these days will be a fully guided ride, but no transport or other services will be included so you'll need to make your own way to/from the start and finish point, and bring sustenance for a big day out! (Sandwiches, snacks, water).

All rides will meet at 9 am unless otherwise stated, aiming to return no later than 4 pm, so you should come with the fitness necessary to spend 6-7 hours out on your bike.

Bike hire can be arranged from local shops for you if you get in touch early enough.

current group trip dates: [Group trip price £70 pp]

Friday 29th March 2024: The Four Passes, Lake District (Advanced) - 4 places available

dates and rides:

Snowdon Classic big day out (Intermediate plus) - A guided day on one of North Wales’ most iconic routes. You’ll need to engage your climbing legs and lungs to summit Wales’ highest mountain, before descending down a long rough, rocky, technical trail which is quieter than the normal walkers routes up/down. Faster flowy trails lead back around to your starting point and the reward of tea and cake in one of the many lovely cafes found in this bit of Wales! Strong riding skills and a good level of fitness are needed for this ride. If the weather means the route needs to be amended then there are plenty of fantastic riding options for a great day out in the area regardless of conditions!

Dates available: Contact us for further dates

The Eastern Passes (Intermediate plus) - A big day out from Staveley in the South Lakes, taking in beautiful singletrack in the Kentmere valley, as well as the tough but rewarding climbs and descents of Gatesgarth and Nan Bield passes. This is a tough ride with a lot of Hike-a-bike climbs, and some loose and technical descending. but also some of the best natural trails in the UK. An excellent level of fitness is important on this ride, and strong riding skills. Start/finish point: Staveley Mill Yard

Dates available: Sunday 2nd April 2023

Helvellyn for first timers - (Intermediate plus) - or another full day ride in the Ullswater area if the weather doesn't allow! The highest mountain you can legally summit with a mountain bike in England! Helvellyn is criss-crossed by some great, but also highly technical bridleways, as well as some fantastic flowing rocky singletrack. When the weather is good and the views are great there is no better place to be! It's a tough climb to the top, but we'll show you the best way to carry your bike, and make sure everyone moves at a pace that means you can save enough energy to enjoy the descent. If you are comfortable on ALL red and some black graded trail centre routes and have done a good amount of natural rocky technical riding already then this ride is for you. It's a big day even though the distance isn't huge, so you'll need a very good level of fitness. There are some steeper rocky sections on our descent (and it's no problem if you don't want to ride these, some people will and some won't!) but the majority of the route is rideable. We use the easiest way we can to climb and descend, but this ride is NOT for novice/beginner riders! Start/finish point: Glenridding main public car park

Dates available:  Saturday 1st April 2023

Grizedale Singletrack Mash-up (Intermediate plus) - Grizedale forest is home to the North Face Trail marked trail…but did you know that there is an enormous amount of fantastic natural singletrack and off-piste riding there too?! In fact it’s so good that once you’ve explored some of it we have no doubt you’ll be back for more! On this full day ride we’ll explore some of the best descents in and around the forest. The trails are rocky and stand up to wet weather well so this makes a great ride at any time of year. You should be prepared for a big day or climbing and descending on a variety of trails.

Dates available: Contact us for 2023 dates

Duddon Valley singletrack & Walna Scar (Intermediate plus) - This quiet little corner of the Lakes is one of our favourite spots to ride. Sublime singletrack, technical climbs, and fabulous descents make this a great day out for anyone wanting to explore a beautiful part of the Lake district they might not have visited before. As ever, it's a full day out with lots of climbing and descending so you'll need a good level of fitness, be comfortable riding on red graded trail centre routes and have experienced some natural trails too.

Dates available: Contact us for 2023 dates

Helvellyn highs (Advanced) - On this big day out we'll tackle not one but two of our favourite ways up and down the famous Lakeland giant. It's a rocky, stepped descent to start once we leave the (hopefully) breathtaking summit views, where concentration on the technical terrain is vital. The second time up feels hard but is always worth it, and doesn’t take us all the way back to the summit thankfully. The riding down soon becomes fast and flowing, and will lead us swooping and whooping back to the bottom for celebratory tea and cake in one of the local cafes. The climbing is tough and you will need to be fit as well as used to riding technical and steep trails to get the most out of this day.

Dates Available: No dates currently planned - enquire for details or private bookings

Borrowdale Bash (Intermediate) - A northern Lake District classic and rite of passage for any mountain biker. Great views, flowing trails, as well as some big descents, technical bits of singletrack, and a tough road climb mean this ride has a little bit of everything (including a mid way cafe!). Taken at a steady pace it's a good ride for strong intermediate level riders with a good level of fitness, with shorter technical sections to try if you feel up to it, but easy enough to push down if you don't! One of our favourite days out in the Lakes, whatever the season and the weather, and no matter how many times you've ridden it before, it's always good fun and especially in a group.

Dates Available: Enquire for details

Highs and lows of High Street (Intermediate) - An absolute Lakeland classic with incredible 360 degree views (if the weather allows!), a big climb, flat-out swoopy singletrack descending, and a technical rocky lakeside trail to finish. A day which is all about getting "out there" in the hills. Suitable for anyone with a very good level of fitness and intermediate riding skills (i.e. comfortable on trail centre red routes and experience of some natural terrain).

Dates available: Contact us for dates

Skiddaw Skeddadle (Intermediate) - The bridleways around Skiddaw have always been popular, and for good reason! We'll use some of the classics, and some lesser used trails to form a loop with great views, fun riding, and a proper wilderness feel to the day. It'll be a full day out with over 1000m climbing and descending, on rutted bridleways, rocky singletrack, and fast grassy trails. Suitable for intermediate riders with a very good level of fitness.

Dates available: Enquire for details

The Western Four Passes (Advanced) - A beast of a ride, but oh what a magnificent one! The distance of 20 miles might sound short, but there is almost as much hike-a-bike on this ride as there is riding. Why bother then? Because each and every one of the four descents will ensure you forget instantly about the climb to reach them, and finish giggling and whooping for more! Spectacular views and a real mountain journey. This is a serious ride with highly technical descents suitable only for experienced riders. You should be comfortable and used to riding all kinds of steep, technical, natural mountain terrain in the UK and abroad (otherwise you will find yourself walking the descents as well as the climbs), and have an excellent level of fitness to enjoy a full-on day of riding. Once committed there are no options for bailing out half way round if your legs are tired!

Dates available: Friday 29th March 2024

The Darker side of the Peak (Intermediate plus) - A big day out on some great gritstone trails. We head out of the Hope Valley towards some quieter, more wild feeling trails. Challenging climbs and rocky descents including the famous Jacob's Ladder as well as some other lesser-known local classics, make this a perfect day to escape the crowds and find some solitude on the wilder side of the Peak. The climbs on this route certainly pack a punch, and so you'll need a very good level of fitness to enjoy this ride as we'll be out riding for 6-7 hours. Technically the trails are rocky but not super steep for the most part, but you'll want to be a confident red grade trail centre rider to get the most out of this day.

Dates Available: Contact us for dates

Cut Gate Classic (Intermediate plus) - One of our favourite routes in the Peak District, taking you out onto the wild moorland beyond the busy shores of the Derwent Valley reservoirs. The trail has seen some recent work thanks to the BMC Mend our Mountains campaign and the work of volunteers from various groups including Peak District MTB and Ride Sheffield. This has made the previously notorious “Bog of Doom” a much more weatherproof and pleasant section of trail! The riding is rough, rocky and challenging and the climbs are tough, but the grin you’ll have after the descending will make it all worthwhile we promise! Depending on the fatigue levels of the group there are various options for extending the ride too, but it normally feels like a big enough day for most! This is definitely a ride where you’ll need a very good level of fitness to enjoy the day.

Dates Available: Contact us for future dates

A Grand Day Out int’ Dales! (Intermediate) - A beautiful day’s ride in the lovely Yorkshire Dales. Starting from Ingleton and taking in classic Limestone scenery of dry stone walls, waterfalls, rocky outcrops, caves, and pretty stone villages. Never overly technical, there are delightful sections of flowing singletrack, rocky farm tracks, fast grassy moorland trails, and even some tunnels! With plenty of options for cafe stops, this ride is a perfect introduction to the natural riding in the Dales, and suitable for those with a good level of fitness and comfortable on easier red graded trails. The distance covered is about 38km, with 800m climbing and descending. Still a big day out, but less intimidating than some of our Lake District and Peak District rides.

Dates Available: Enquire for details