Lake District

[patchb]

Right I’ve got a last minute work trip to hand over a boat on lake Windermere, heading up tomorrow and back Saturday. I will happen to have my Tuono with me and a couple of spare evenings and nice weather.
Anyone got any loops they can recommend from Windermere area, about 1-2hrs??

I live in Bournemouth so I never venture that far oop north really so got no idea whats about!?

[Jazoli]

Yup, be aware its really busy up here at the minute but I'll post a couple up on laptop in a min.

1st one



https://goo.gl/maps/LUR9Morg7PfJAJbp8

should take a just over an hour, taking in Kirkstone Pass, a mix of roads, the A591 to Keswick is great in an evening, and you can safely ignore the 40 signs past Thirlmere

Next incoming...

This one is good in an evening when the traffic has thinned, some great roads, some slower stuff too, you can also visit where Donald Cambell met his untimely end and take the ferry across Windermere



https://goo.gl/maps/2nEioRp8eeGgUrKf9

This one is longer but has some of the best roads in the country (not county)

Its well worth taking the time to ride it



https://goo.gl/maps/fo5p9Uss5cY8dCWJA

Hope this helps

Edited by Jazoli on Wednesday 9th June 20:13

[HughiusMaximus]

Have a look through an old thread i started.

Different starting point but might be of some use to you.

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

Edit to add, actually it was Jazoli who was giving me advice so you are in safe hands!

Edited by HughiusMaximus on Wednesday 9th June 20:08

[patchb]

Thanks, I’ll try and give both of those a go, I’m in no rush back on Saturday so might do the longer one Saturday morning.

Although the weather may not be as good as I thought, forecast down here is glorious, looks like it’s gonna rain in the lakes though typically!

[marky911]

Jazoli has it covered there, but I’d urge anyone to do the Hartside pass over to Alston, as per his last pic.

Yes it’s often policed and can be too busy, but it really is a great stretch of road. To be so close to it and not do it would be almost criminal.

Have fun.

[Catnapper]

Jazoli said:

Yup, be aware its really busy up here at the minute but I'll post a couple up on laptop in a min.

1st one



https://goo.gl/maps/LUR9Morg7PfJAJbp8

should take a just over an hour, taking in Kirkstone Pass, a mix of roads, the A591 to Keswick is great in an evening, and you can safely ignore the 40 signs past Thirlmere

Next incoming...

This one is good in an evening when the traffic has thinned, some great roads, some slower stuff too, you can also visit where Donald Cambell met his untimely end and take the ferry across Windermere



https://goo.gl/maps/2nEioRp8eeGgUrKf9

This one is longer but has some of the best roads in the country (not county)

Its well worth taking the time to ride it



https://goo.gl/maps/fo5p9Uss5cY8dCWJA

Hope this helps

Edited by Jazoli on Wednesday 9th June 20:13

Absolutely perfect!
Maybe even worth an early rise?

[OCD-Dan]

Jazoli said:

Yup, be aware its really busy up here at the minute but I'll post a couple up on laptop in a min.

1st one



https://goo.gl/maps/LUR9Morg7PfJAJbp8

should take a just over an hour, taking in Kirkstone Pass, a mix of roads, the A591 to Keswick is great in an evening, and you can safely ignore the 40 signs past Thirlmere

Next incoming...

This one is good in an evening when the traffic has thinned, some great roads, some slower stuff too, you can also visit where Donald Cambell met his untimely end and take the ferry across Windermere



https://goo.gl/maps/2nEioRp8eeGgUrKf9

This one is longer but has some of the best roads in the country (not county)

Its well worth taking the time to ride it



https://goo.gl/maps/fo5p9Uss5cY8dCWJA

Hope this helps

Edited by Jazoli on Wednesday 9th June 20:13

Nothing to add in terms of routes, however this is bob on for what I need with planning a weekend in the lakes in the coming month. Bookmarked.

Tah muchly Jazoli

[Jazoli]

Just to add to my earlier posts there are no real bad roads around here but you really need to do the two routes around Windermere in an evening, there will be much frustration during the day as we have record visitor numbers here and the roads are clogged with clueless drivers who have never driven on a 'b' or 'c' road, plus motorhomes and caravans, I'd recommend heading up the A595 at weekends up the west coast of the Lakes if you must ride through the day.

Anything to the north/northeast of Kendal towards North Yorkshire is usually great at any time as you are away from the tourist hellhole, although again they can be busy, particularly around Hawes, the A6 out of Kendal over Shap is an amazing and very fast road (as some PH BB'ers will attest )
Sedbergh to Kirkby Stephen and the roads around the area are brilliant, there is something for everyone there.

To the east of Lancaster you have the Trough of Bowland which has some nice roads.

There are no fixed speed camera's anywhere on the routes posted and policing is usually fairly light, just watch out for talivans on the A66 and A65 and anywhere with 10 miles of Hawes.

Edited by Jazoli on Thursday 10th June 11:26

[SteelerSE]

This is great advice - thank you Jazoli.

[Iamnotkloot]

Jazoli said:

Just to add to my earlier posts there are no real bad roads around here but you really need to do the two routes around Windermere in an evening, there will be much frustration during the day as we have record visitor numbers here and the roads are clogged with clueless drivers who have never driven on a 'b' or 'c' road, plus motorhomes and caravans, I'd recommend heading up the A595 at weekends up the west coast of the Lakes if you must ride through the day.

Anything to the north/northeast of Kendal towards North Yorkshire is usually great at any time as you are away from the tourist hellhole, although again they can be busy, particularly around Hawes, the A6 out of Kendal over Shap is an amazing and very fast road (as some PH BB'ers will attest )
Sedbergh to Kirkby Stephen and the roads around the area are brilliant, there is something for everyone there.

To the east of Lancaster you have the Trough of Bowland which has some nice roads.

There are no fixed speed camera's anywhere on the routes posted and policing is usually fairly light, just watch out for talivans on the A66 and A65 and anywhere with 10 miles of Hawes.

Edited by Jazoli on Thursday 10th June 11:26

Some great info here - one question, I've got a trip to Pooley Bridge in the near future and a new bike to explore on. If I start and end in Pooley Bridge and take in Kendal, Sedbergh, Kirkby Stephen, Alston etc - is it best to go clockwise or counterclockwise or is it the same either way?

Edited by Iamnotkloot on Thursday 10th June 13:29

[Jazoli]

Iamnotkloot said:

Some great info here - one question, I've got a trip to Pooley Bridge in the near future and a new bike to explore on. If I start and end in Pooley Bridge and take in Kendal, Sedbergh, Kirkby Stephen, Alston etc - is it best to go clockwise or counterclockwise or is it the same either way?

I'd say clockwise would be best as you'd go straight to Penrith - Alston, but it doesn't really make a difference.

[StreetDragster]

I would also like to show my appreciation for this post, i regularly ride the Lakes but tend to do the same roads over and over, some new ground to cover.

Thanks
Matt

[HughiusMaximus]

StreetDragster said:

i regularly ride the Lakes but tend to do the same roads over and over, some new ground to cover.

Might be an idea for a thread - members post their road recommendations for their local area so that others visiting the area have a ready supply of ideas, or others in the area might find some gems they werent aware of.

That said, its probably something similar what already exists on the bestbikingroads website!

[patchb]

I was planning on doing one of the shorter routes this evening as I was up here by 5 but unfortunately it’s pissing down now so I’m sat in the pub and trying to find somewhere good to eat in Bowness!

Tomorrow eve looks dry and it looks as if I’ll have done working by about 2:30 so fingers crossed I’ll get to do the longer route Jazoli has posted.

Then I’m going to get out early on Saturday as I’ve got no commitments at home and who knows I might even stay up here an extra night as I’m here with my bike sat in the van and it’s a long old slog up here so may as well make the most of riding somewhere different!

Thanks for the recommendations!

[Blakeatron]

I live in windermere! But cant get away for a ride sorry- as mentioned the routes above are all decent

[Iminquarantine]

Make a trip to Barrow at some stage and eat some pies

[Jazoli]

Blakeatron said:

I live in windermere!

I used to for 20 years, now in Kendal but work in Bowness, I'm busy moving FIL these next 2 weeks and would have been up for a ride with the OP.

[hiccy18]

Having come back from an overnighter in Bowness can I just say:

1) Jazoli nailed it.

2) YES the roads are fkING BUSY!!! We were two up sight seeing and were still tripping over the relentless stream of pensioners & bloody staycation tourists! *ahem*

3) Getting east of Kendal was an incredible relief, the roads were far, far quieter.

[patchb]

So I finished work about 2 and the sun came out so I set out with the intention of riding the second route that Jazoli posted above.
I’m very unorganised and don’t have any kind of phone holder on my bike and I also stupidly brought a race 1 piece with no pockets so I ended up with my phone tucked between my leathers and chest protector. This meant I couldn’t really be arsed to stop and get it out all the time so the route went to st a little bit but I still had a cracking afternoon on some cracking roads.

I set out on the A592 Kirkstone pass and ended up following it all the way to ullswater and pooley bridge as i was having a great time. Unfortunately by this point I needed fuel and the station that I found just after pooley didn’t have a working card reader so I had to head into Penrith which was a mistake!




Once I’d battled my way through the horrendous traffic I decided to head to the A66 and quickly get back to some better roads.
Turned off the A66 onto the A5091 which turned out to be a pretty fun bit of road and brought me back to the A592 in the opposite direction which was actually better.
Carried on and went down into Ambleside via ‘the struggle’



Then went down the side of coniston and the B5286 and back into Bowness via the chain ferry.



Now relaxing with a beer in my hotel before dinner and to decide what route to do in the morning before heading home.
The Tuono was a great bike for it, loads of grunt out of the corners and the lack of wind protection doesn’t really matter on these roads. It reminds me why I’ve had it for over 5 years and plenty of bikes have come and gone in that time.

[vindaloo79]

fantastic pictures, thanks for sharing