Shap Summit (426 m.)
Ride round the Dales and North Pennines in the fabulous spring weather. Firstly Shap Summit (426 m.), for that top of the world feeling; the A6 is also one of the great biking roads in Cumbria, big rides up and down and round.
Turning off to the pretty little roads around the River Mint between Kendal and Sedburgh, the Ninja Z250SL is good on these as well as holding its own on the big sweeping old-style A roads. Through Sedbergh to Garsdale and Garsdale Head (324 m.) then down Wensleydale, more and more bikers on the A684, another wonderful biking road that keeps on throwing thrills at the rider.
Hawes in the Yorkshire Dales was packed with bikers and classy bikes, understandably on the first Sunday of 2025 with really good weather biking. Home via Mallerstang Common, following the River Eden down to Kirkby Stephen, then up to Shap again.
Brilliant day’s riding, chilly up high but still pleasantly warm when I arrived back in Keswick.
Lune Viaduct
Hawes
Hawes
River Eden