Buy the OS Route Map and instructions for this route

The North York Moors have a reputation for being fairly muddy this time of year, but they do have a secret weapon in their armoury — kilometre after kilometre of disused railway tracks that criss-cross the moors providing plenty of bog-free mtb’ing for those that want to brave the bleak North Yorkshire weather and go looking for them.
Purists needn’t stop reading at this stage. This may not be the sinuous singletrack that mtb dreams are made of, but neither is it sterile gravel or compacted forest track. It is, in fact, mainly a mixture of rough stony twin-ply interspersed with the odd sandy section. Sure, it’s not going to test most of your technical skills; at over 60 kilometres from start to finish, you might not want to work that hard all the way around.
In addition to the distance — which when combined with 1,000m of ascent, is no mean feat in the middle of winter — the main highlight of the ride is the views, which really are quite stunning on a clear day, spanning from Roseberry Topping all the way down to the Hambledon Hills and Sutton Bank.
From a riding perspective, you’re looking at two pretty hefty climbs and two long descents, supplemented all the way around by plenty of small ups and downs that won’t allow your pulse to drop too low. The pièce de résistance is the final descent from Greenhow Bank, which is steep and stony with plenty of small drop-offs. It comes as something of a shock after the more sedate nature of the rest of the route, but it’s guaranteed to put a smile on even the most saddle-weary face.