Big thanks to Roadsweeper for posting this route and Garmin file. 
Thought I'd give it a try the other week, June 8th I think. Couldn't get any coont interested off the Blackbird site I frequent, "it's cold/it's wet/it's far too early for a Sunday" left me as Billy No-Mates. ( Didn't offer this ride on here as I'm "new" and don't know anyone enough to lead a ride)
So, it was up 05.00 and away just before for 06.00. A cold grey morning so kitted up in my winter warmers confident that by mid morning it would be hot enough to get them off and stuff them in the GS panniers.
A steady blatt up the M1 and A1 then across to Ripon for about 7 and not a soul about.
From Ripon to Masham it's gently undulating brisk roads but the bloody drizzle started halfway there.
Masham to Leyburn is a cracking stretch of road but still "soft" English rural countryside.
This place had a lovely smell about it. Absolutely wonderful
Heading north west the winds started to pick up and the drizzle turned to rain.
It was also bloody cold as I got higher up the Dales.From Leyburn it was over the moors past the MOD shooting ranges...
and down to Reeth.
Never been up here before. Reeth is a lovely Dales village.
Bit of fluff knocking about early too. Always one isn't there...gagging for it
From Reeth I rode up Arkengarthdale, up onto the high moors to Tan Hill.
There were a few brave souls camping at the pub. Crackers.
Fantastic views over open moorlands up here after I'd left the dale. Still I hadn't passed one car since leaving the A1.
But bloody hell was it cold and grim up here .Couldn't have been any further away from home on this route so
I had to grit this one out..
From Tan Hill it was down towards Thwaite, single track road still but nice and smooth.
I thought that the weather was starting to pick up but once I was on Buttertubs Pass it got bloody worse again.
Great scenery , stunning views but my fingers were frozen.
By then I had decided to get some breakfast at Hawes, abandon the route and then either fekk off straight home or call in at a mates in Todmorden
for free warmth and a cuppa.
Spent about an hour at Hawes, warming myself up, eating bacon sarnies and drinking hot tea whilst looking up at the sky and watching the dark clouds scudding in from the east.
That's when I decided carry on but to cut out the middle loop of this route which was down to Aysgarth,over to Buckden and up Oughtershaw before dropping back down to Hawes again.
Heading west towards Garsdale I turned off the main drag, a great, tight, twisty single track road and climbed up past Garsdale Station up and over the tops.
The views up here were breathtaking and the weather seemed to be easing off with the winds dropping and temperature picking up.
Halfway down I came across Dent Station...another beautiful old station on the Settler Carlisle railway.
I have promised myself that one day I will take a train ride along this beautiful part of the country.
Down the valley I rode. This was about the steepest section I'd encountered along with one below Tan Hill earlier. Not one for the faint hearted. A bit like Hardknott, but not as long ! Reaching the village of Dent which was a good couple of miles below the station, I stopped for a few pics and a look around. What a beautiful little village this is.
The roads were very narrow and all cobbled . I half expected some bugger to say I wasn't allowed on them ! From Dent it was another climb and descent down to Devils Bridge.
By now it was drying off and warming up nicely but still not enough to discard my winter woolies though.
Usual Power Rangers were out but always some interesting stuff too and today was no exception.
Half a dozen scooterists pulled up and this one had the most mirrors I've ever seen on one.
The owner's obviously as passionate about their scoots as we are about the bikes.
This bloke really "knocked me out" His was the red scooter and boy did he look the part. He really was the original Mod. The Dogs Bollox...hair, winkle pickers, shirt, coat , the lot. Boy did he look Cool.
Once warmed up I headed East on the A66 I turned off at Ingleton and rode up to the Ribblehead Viaduct, always a photo opportunity, but this time from the other side.
By now it was pissing down nicely so the ride down to Settle was anything but brisk and generally vertical ! At Settle a sharp left turn took me up a steep single track again high above Settle towards Malham
Always stunning to stand and stare at the limestone landscapes up here, almost like another planet.
Over the tops again, down a beautiful valley to Arncliffe and back on to familiar roads to Grassington.
The weather was now perfect and I had dried off enough to enjoy this fast, fast stretch back to Pateley Bridge. From here I headed back towards Harrogate
... and onto the A1, stopping off at Squires .
Had a good hour "mingling" and looking at the bikes, bloody hundreds had turned out by now. A final 40 minute spurt down the M1 had me arriving home in Sheffield at 6....12 hours for bang on 300 miles.
Being Billy No Mates meant no restrictions on when and where I could stop or how many pics I could take. Took a hunnerd and fookin ten when I looked.
Most, if not all are shite, and I wont post all of them, just some sorry 
A great little route this thanks, even better in glorious weather!!!
Thought I'd give it a try the other week, June 8th I think. Couldn't get any coont interested off the Blackbird site I frequent, "it's cold/it's wet/it's far too early for a Sunday" left me as Billy No-Mates. ( Didn't offer this ride on here as I'm "new" and don't know anyone enough to lead a ride)
So, it was up 05.00 and away just before for 06.00. A cold grey morning so kitted up in my winter warmers confident that by mid morning it would be hot enough to get them off and stuff them in the GS panniers.
A steady blatt up the M1 and A1 then across to Ripon for about 7 and not a soul about.
From Ripon to Masham it's gently undulating brisk roads but the bloody drizzle started halfway there.
Masham to Leyburn is a cracking stretch of road but still "soft" English rural countryside.
This place had a lovely smell about it. Absolutely wonderful
Heading north west the winds started to pick up and the drizzle turned to rain.
It was also bloody cold as I got higher up the Dales.From Leyburn it was over the moors past the MOD shooting ranges...
and down to Reeth.
Never been up here before. Reeth is a lovely Dales village.
Bit of fluff knocking about early too. Always one isn't there...gagging for it
From Reeth I rode up Arkengarthdale, up onto the high moors to Tan Hill.
There were a few brave souls camping at the pub. Crackers.
Fantastic views over open moorlands up here after I'd left the dale. Still I hadn't passed one car since leaving the A1.
But bloody hell was it cold and grim up here .Couldn't have been any further away from home on this route so
I had to grit this one out..
From Tan Hill it was down towards Thwaite, single track road still but nice and smooth.
I thought that the weather was starting to pick up but once I was on Buttertubs Pass it got bloody worse again.
Great scenery , stunning views but my fingers were frozen.
By then I had decided to get some breakfast at Hawes, abandon the route and then either fekk off straight home or call in at a mates in Todmorden
for free warmth and a cuppa.
Spent about an hour at Hawes, warming myself up, eating bacon sarnies and drinking hot tea whilst looking up at the sky and watching the dark clouds scudding in from the east.
That's when I decided carry on but to cut out the middle loop of this route which was down to Aysgarth,over to Buckden and up Oughtershaw before dropping back down to Hawes again.
Heading west towards Garsdale I turned off the main drag, a great, tight, twisty single track road and climbed up past Garsdale Station up and over the tops.
The views up here were breathtaking and the weather seemed to be easing off with the winds dropping and temperature picking up.
Halfway down I came across Dent Station...another beautiful old station on the Settler Carlisle railway.
I have promised myself that one day I will take a train ride along this beautiful part of the country.
Down the valley I rode. This was about the steepest section I'd encountered along with one below Tan Hill earlier. Not one for the faint hearted. A bit like Hardknott, but not as long ! Reaching the village of Dent which was a good couple of miles below the station, I stopped for a few pics and a look around. What a beautiful little village this is.
The roads were very narrow and all cobbled . I half expected some bugger to say I wasn't allowed on them ! From Dent it was another climb and descent down to Devils Bridge.
By now it was drying off and warming up nicely but still not enough to discard my winter woolies though.
Usual Power Rangers were out but always some interesting stuff too and today was no exception.
Half a dozen scooterists pulled up and this one had the most mirrors I've ever seen on one.
The owner's obviously as passionate about their scoots as we are about the bikes.
This bloke really "knocked me out" His was the red scooter and boy did he look the part. He really was the original Mod. The Dogs Bollox...hair, winkle pickers, shirt, coat , the lot. Boy did he look Cool.
Once warmed up I headed East on the A66 I turned off at Ingleton and rode up to the Ribblehead Viaduct, always a photo opportunity, but this time from the other side.
By now it was pissing down nicely so the ride down to Settle was anything but brisk and generally vertical ! At Settle a sharp left turn took me up a steep single track again high above Settle towards Malham
Always stunning to stand and stare at the limestone landscapes up here, almost like another planet.
Over the tops again, down a beautiful valley to Arncliffe and back on to familiar roads to Grassington.
The weather was now perfect and I had dried off enough to enjoy this fast, fast stretch back to Pateley Bridge. From here I headed back towards Harrogate
... and onto the A1, stopping off at Squires .
Had a good hour "mingling" and looking at the bikes, bloody hundreds had turned out by now. A final 40 minute spurt down the M1 had me arriving home in Sheffield at 6....12 hours for bang on 300 miles.
Being Billy No Mates meant no restrictions on when and where I could stop or how many pics I could take. Took a hunnerd and fookin ten when I looked.
Most, if not all are shite, and I wont post all of them, just some sorry A great little route this thanks, even better in glorious weather!!!
