Pateley Bridge Moor and River Loop

A short half-day loop that packs in a lot. It opens with a steep climb out of town onto open moor, drops into a famous river valley of stone villages and wooded banks, and then crosses a broad, empty stretch of high moor before coming home down a quiet valley.

The first climb is the hardest riding, with a steep gradient and a drop over the top, and everything after it is two-lane and straightforward. The river section is scenic but popular, so allow for walkers, cyclists and slow traffic on summer weekends. Fuel is thin in the second half. It rewards a weekday or an early start between spring and autumn.