A beautiful morning saw a group of seven of us enjoy a pre-ride cuppa in the naked Man before embarking on the long and steep road climb out of Settle, initially along the route of the Way of the Roses.
However it is all worth it as the series of bridle tracks that run south for 4½ miles from near Scaleber Bridge to Otterburn has almost everything that all but the most hardcore mountain biker could wish for. It starts off as a good stone-based track as far as a house called Bookilber Barn. It then becomes a grassy track before breaking out into open moorland for about half a mile. Another track is then reached before a superb grassy descent. The last mile is then on another with slightly tricky, at times loose surface that leads down to the tarmac at Otterburn. 

Here we were confronted with a major decision. Do we have an early lunch at the Airton Farm shop or push on the extra three or four miles to Malham. It was an easy decision to stop at both – for a drink at Airton and lunch at Malham. Well, it was a very hot day!
From Malham we went up the road on the east side of the Cove that I said is easier -no it isn’t! – before making a circuit of the Tarn. We then took a little used bridle path that runs from the junction of the road from Arncliffe with the road to Langcliffe. It is fairly indistinct on the ground but with good map reading and the unfailing art of following your nose we eventually reached the superb track that is Gorebeck Lane. From here it was a fast ride back to the start at Settle
Thanks to Anne and Laurie, Dave, Sol, John H and of course Jane for your excellent company. As I’m sure Brian Parkinson would have said had he been there, what a lovely day! 

Neville Cohen{gallery}/media/jw_sigpro/users/0000000365/Not the Settle Loop{/gallery}