Lake district for touring

[lhudson]

Hi,
I'm looking for a short (2day or so) ride around the UK and was wondering if the lake district is any good? I know the scenery is great but what about the roads?
Thanks
Lee

[djr]

[stinkwheel]

It would be considerably less crowded in Dumfries and Galloway, the Borders or even round Northumberland.

I totally hate riding round the lakes. Full of tourists (the sort with the mentality that think it's perfectly ok to drive a camper van over a single track hill pass at 25mph and never look in their mirrors).

There is also a pervasive head up their own arse attitude you only get from people who have moved up from the south and paid £200k for an ex council house just because it is in the lake district national park and think they own the place.

I live less than 20 minutes from the Lake District national park and I only go there if I want cheap camping gear. I occasionally think I'll go for a nice run through the lakes and always land up angry and frustrated. Partly because the place is so fucking twee but mostly because it's infested with matching fleece clad arseholes driving their spotlessly clean nissan Quashqui or BMW X3 round at no more than 40mph, totally ruining what would have been a nice ride out.

I even tried going on the Enfield which realistically sits at 50mph and I was STILL getting stuck behind meandering tourists.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Alex A]

I do a day trip up there a few times a year usually. There are many tourists, especially around Windermere. If you head out to the coast or around the minor roads though, it's even more spectacular, and you're rarely hindered by cars, especially if you avoid Sundays. Plan it mid-week and it'll be a great ride and well worth the diversion.

Stinkwheel: I'd expect to be more frustrated on a slower bike than a faster bike as it's much more difficult to overtake. I also find that people do tend to get out of the way for me.

Couple of photos from my last trip (Hardknott Pass):

https://i512.photobucket.com/albums/t321/Furyous84/2-15.jpg?t=1315164706

https://i512.photobucket.com/albums/t321/Furyous84/7-4.jpg?t=1315165327

https://i512.photobucket.com/albums/t321/Furyous84/4-10.jpg

[doggone]

[Alex A]

I would agree that there are certainly better riding roads around the Dales/Pennines/South West Scotland and certainly Northern Scotland.

But for touring, if you plan it well and take the minor roads and passes around the lakes, it's difficult to find better scenery South of the Highlands.

If you do choose to explore the Lakes, try to take the A6 from Kendal up over Shap to Penrith at some point. It's about 20 miles of smooth wide, twisting A road that traverses some spectacular mountain side scenery. And there is hardly any traffic anywhere along it as more or less everyone going North South takes the M6 (which is also probably the best motorway stretch in the UK for scenery)

[Skudd]

The Lakes are great if you want to take the back roads or the little side roads. There are plenty of little roads to blast along and will challenge even the most experienced rider, but are still ok for the novice. I love just getting lost on those roads that everyone passes by.
____________________
Famous last words of Humpty Dumpty. " Stop pushing me "
Petty Anarchists look at "1984".............. The Visionary looks at "Animal Farm".

[stinkwheel]

Last time I tried to go up Hardknott, there was some numbnuts stuck halfway up driving a gran vitara with a fucking trailer tent on the back. He'd got himself in a position where he'd effectively jacknifed it so he couldn't go backwards but didn't have enough traction to pull forwards.

Instead of trying to move off slowly in a higher gear, or, heaven forbid, engage the four wheel drive which he clearly had no idea how to use, he was going for putting his hazard lights on and periodically flooring it in a haze of tyre smoke. He alternated this with looking folornly out of his window at the queue of traffic building up behind him as if he expected everyone else to get out of their cars and push him out.

He'd driven right past the following sign:
https://farm1.static.flickr.com/23/39767700_e556d4d244_z.jpg

That is pretty much the mentality of drivers in the Lakes.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[doggone]

This is a real hazard for bikes too, some of the slopes are so steep you can have real problems holding a big bike on one brake and setting off especially if you're not a strapping bloke like Stinky.

On Hardknott/Wrynose I've seen two bikes end up on their sides on separate occasions, one with oil pouring out of crankcase cover - not good news if your 200 miles from home.

If it's quiet, you'll fly up no bother but it can be panic stations if some donk with four fatties in a Nissan Micra starts rolling back towards you having missed 1st gear.

Keep well back from other vehicles, and look well ahead so you can pause in even the tiniest passing place.

[Alex A]

Don't be so soft.

I think you've just been unlucky Stinkwheel. I've been up there three times this year and nobody held me up or drove like a prat (at least, not that I can remember). In fact, I fail to see why so many people become preoccupied with others' driving. Focus on your own effort and get around people who are slower as soon as possible. That's one of the major benefits of motorcycles, especially on narrow, single track roads. Why sit behind someone cursing their useless effort when you could have been past them in 10 seconds and never remembered a thing about the encounter?

The only iffy bits I've found up Hardknott are the 30 degree downhill hairpins, and that's only because I wasn't totally confident that the front tyre would hold on a wet surface at such a steep angle under heavy braking. As it happens, I needn't have worried.

[5H_4UN]

Some amazing yet gravely roads around there.

Found this great road coming out of Kendal that was the English version of the Stelvio Pass but with Ford Mondeos. Going up steep inclines, on gravel, in the damp, on a 125 with digestive biscuit width wheels is an experience!
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[stinkwheel]

[Alex A]

Assuming it's not deliberately blocking the right of the road, there are plenty:

Here

Here

Here

Here

Here

Here

Here

I could continue. It's just a matter of choosing the right moment and very quickly squeezing past.

Even on the really narrow bits, all you have to do is wait for an oncoming vehicle and overtake it when it pulls in to give way (before the other vehicle gets there).

[doggone]

You would need to be very aggressive to attempt passing in most of those unless they pulled in to let you (mind not many campervans go up there anyway!)
You need to bear in mind not everyone - driving or riding - has much experience on roads like that and are sensibly cautious about getting off the edge of the surface.

[Alex A]

In which case, bimble along behind other vehicles on single track roads unless/until they pull over for you, and enjoy the scenery.

There are plenty of quieter roads in spectacular areas of the Lake District (off the beaten tourist track), which aren't quite as narrow/challenging as Hardknott/Wrynose, and make for easier/safer overtaking when necessary. In terms of the more major routes, the A590 and A595 coastal roads aren't (for the most part) infested with clueless drivers and tourists, they cover some pretty impressive scenery and give you a chance to ride some nice, fast, twisty, wide, well surfaced A roads.

Speaking of passes though, the most impressive/challenging one I've ridden/driven was Applecross on the West coast of Scotland. Certainly puts the lakes in perspective, and something I'd recommend anybody interested in touring get to at some point.

[Skudd]

I'm with Alex A on this one. Half the fun is passing sometimes. It is very rare that other vehicles hold you up for long and if hey do ........................ enjoy the view all around.
____________________
Famous last words of Humpty Dumpty. " Stop pushing me "
Petty Anarchists look at "1984".............. The Visionary looks at "Animal Farm".

[Redoko]

[Alex A]

Here's a view of the same spot including the road back over the hills. Not a house in sight

[Dilyan]

Good. I remember the noise this little bastard make. Could still hear you over the hills, a mile or two away.
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