The Most Adventurous Bike Rides Around Ambleside

The Lake District National Park is one of the most beautiful and atmospheric biking destinations in Europe, and the riding it contains is exceptional. The weather isn't always perfect (to put it mildly!) but on a sunny day, it's hard to beat the ambience of "the Lakes" (as the region is affectionately known). The largest town in the northern part of the National Park is Keswick (/discover/guidebook/7089) but Ambleside is the capital of the southern part of the range and therefore has all of the amenities and infrastructure you'll need to pass a fun and productive week of riding.

The majority of rides in this guidebook are intermediate or advanced rides and only 2 of them - Loughrigg Terrace and Fell & Iron Keld and Loughrigg - actually begin in Ambleside itself, so this is definitely a collection of rides for the more adventurous biker. 3 of the rides go over the summit of Helvellyn and we make no apology for sending you over it so many times - it's one of the most famous mountains in the UK and there's so much good riding to be had on it that 3 trips is definitely the minimum required to do it justice! Elsewhere in here you'll find a long and stunning loop - Sty Head and Stake Pass - at the end of the Langdale Valley and a shorter loop which is ideal for a quick blast on a damp day.

Ambleside is also the starting point for some of the best hiking in the UK, so once you've completed this list, swap bikes for boots and get started on your next set of Lake District adventures!