Founded in 2015, Cold Dark North is a collaboration between two friends and passionate road cyclists in the North West of England.
We're a brand not a business and we seek to promote the amazing places we’re lucky enough to be surrounded by in the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks and in the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Wave goodbye to the budget flight, lengthy transfer, bike box battle, cliché-riddled rides of the European appellations and embrace the challenge on your doorstep. Ditch the Dolomites, visit Caton not Calpe and ride in Mallerstang not Majorca.
Originally focused on promoting cyclotourism in region, we quickly branched out into curating exciting adventures, putting on top-notch races (including both the Men’s and Women’s National Masters Road Races and the prestigious elite-level Capernwray Road Race), planning and supplying routes and leading group rides in the #ColdDarkNorth. We consider our "patch" of true expertise to be from Preston to Penrith and the Atlantic to Aysgarth (and everything in between).
“Cold Dark North” is a playful, positive and popular brand. We've taken pride in resurrecting the dormant National Masters Championship for Men in 2019 after a two year hiatus. We attracted riders from all over the country to come and race on a notoriously challenging course in what proved to be tough conditions. After numerous editions of the Masters, in 2022 we decided to launch the Proper Northern Race Series bringing regular National B races to the top courses the North West has to offer.
We're not about rapid growth or untapped revenue streams. We're about doing what we do well and promoting cycling in the beautiful part of the country we live in. Increasingly, we're looking for ways to offer inclusive events and experiences - sometimes by working with experts in diversity and inclusion and otherwise by just learning to be better humans.
You can find out more and keep up with us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter all @colddarknorth.
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Sign up to our newsletter and have a look on our Road Gauge blog for routes, tips and fun things. If you would like any help with a route, a tour, an event or anything else vaguely relevant, get in touch.
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Thanks for dropping by. And safe miles out there.
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