Saddleworth Mountain Bike Trails

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Avg 3.52
Grin Factor
Trail Variety
Skills
Trail Quality
Facilities
Number of Reviews (2)
Saddleworth Mountain Bike Trails
  • Information:
  • Type: Natural Trails
  • Grades: Ungraded
  • Riding: Cross Country
  • Facilities:
  • Distance(s): 11-20km, 21-30km
  • Number:
  • Country: England
  • County: Lancashire
  • Website: Saddleworth
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Phila77:
Avg 4.12
Grin Factor
Trail Variety
Skills
Trail Quality
Facilities

Great area for riding

If you can get out with a local group, plenty in the area.

Good points:

Good riding for the family, amateur or pro rider, 
For family you can ride around the stunning Dovestones or head along the Pennine bridleway and tame valley trail in to Mossely.
For the amateur follow the Pennine bridleway to Denshaw or towards Stalybridge also the diggle jiggle
for the pro youve got some hidden trails.

Bad points:

You need to know the area to get the best out of the riding, If you can find someone to show you around you'll love it, 

Would you recommend?

*Yes*

Date written:

04/06//2016 - almost 8 years ago

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3
Tibbort:
Avg 2.92
Grin Factor
Trail Variety
Skills
Trail Quality
Facilities

Local Knowledge Pays

Saddleworth is a collection of villages on the Lancashire/Yorkshire border. The area is approximately 20 minutes from Manchester or 30 from Huddersfield by train, and ten minutes from the M62 Junctions 21 or 22. The place is hilly with cracking views into Derbyshire and Jodrell Bank in Cheshire if you find yourself in the right place. The main marked trails in Saddleworth are- the Pennine Bridleway which comes into the area at The Rams Head Pub at the top of Denshaw, passing through Castleshaw, Diggle, Uppermill and Greenfield. The trail is a mix of recently built tracks of sandstone chippings which have now bedded in, green lanes, the odd rough track and some minor roads. Later the route joins the old rail track from Diggle which comes out at the top of Greenbridge Lane in Greenfield before leaving Saddleworth towards Mossley. The best part of this trail is the descent from the Brunclough Reservoir at Standege down towards Brun Lane which is probably a red graded descent. I have never tried to ride it in the opposite direction. There can be a lot of sheep to avoid here. One disadvantage of this trail is the number of gates to open en route. The Delph Donkey- another old railway route that starts off Dobcross New Road in Delph and runs into Uppermill This would be a green graded trail as it is mostly flat but can get muddy in Winter The Huddersfield Narrow Canal towpath- this Runs from the Diggle Hotel public house through to Friezland and carries on towards Manchester. Another green graded track with the hazard of the canal running alongside. There are usually many pedestrians on this route, particularly at weekends. Dovestone reservoir- a nice scenic ride off-road, can be made longer by following the track up past Yeoman Hey to Greenfield Reservoir for a bit of solitude. It costs to park at Dovestone but you could park in the village and ride up. There are some lesser known trails of singletrack hidden away up there. Try riding straight down the grass bank of the reservoir. This is the map for the Diggle Jiggle trail (pdf), designed to start at Greenfield Station http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/PennineBridleway/uploads/Diggle%20MTB%20Route3(2).pdf Saddleworth is home to many pubs, some of which feature on this trail- The Railway at Greenfield, The Swan (or Top House as its known locally) at Dobcross, Diggle Hotel at Diggle. Other pubs worth a visit that aren't on this route are The Swan, The White Lion and the Royal Oak in Delph, The Hanging Gate and Navigation at Diggle, The Church Inn and Cross Keys in Uppermill. A couple of descents worth trying are from Lark Hill, at the Dobcross end down towards Delph, steep and loose in places and The Old Bell Inn is at the bottom, or carry on along Harrop Edge to a crossroads and turn right towards Diggle down what is known as Hunters Hill.

Good points:

Many many good pubs serving real ale and food. New bike shop in Greenfield (Bikeanics) Varied terrain with good views

Bad points:

No bike-specific information centre no bike-only trails most routes involve some road riding If you are into your off-road riding then there are places much better equipped, there is nowhere in Saddleworth that has been built for bikers but as a kid growing up here I found it great and I still go back for a ride out.

Would you recommend?

*Yes*

Date written:

21/08//2013 - over 10 years ago

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5