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Vaguely thinking about doing the Vertebrate LoTL ride tomorrow and have just been looking at maps. Fair enough that part of the Peak is notorious for being tricky to stitch together the best bits in the best directions...
But surely Cut Gate is best from North to South. Where else in the UK do you have such an enormous piece of singletrack (7km?) which is damnably exciting and beautifully continuous but possible to do with only a couple of dabs? (fair enough south to north is good too, but not all rideable for mortals)
Shooting Cabins by Hayfield... Up that glorious rutted singletrack then down that tedious LRT to the gate at Hayfield.... Surely better done the other way - south to North?
Ditto WhitestoneLee Tor bit to the east of Ladybower. North to south gives you one of the alltime classic ascents up the slabs to hit the gate without dabbbing. Then another lovely uphill past the trees. Then the great descent to the pub. Not done it in the other direction, but can't see it being as good.
Fair enough, Cavedale is done the right way, but surely a bit of juggling would give that as a descent too.
Views?
Have you done it either way. Which one is bestest?
We did it the right way a few years ago, seemed fine. The descent off Wlt towards the end was great. Wouldn't fancy the slabs on a looking day ride.
Cut Gate from Langsett end would be my starting point and by the time I got to Castleton I would divert back via Hope and up on to Whin Hill and pick up some other stuff to get me back to Cut Gate. I think that makes a better ride for me.
I have a feeling down Cavedale may be bad tomorrow with walkers.
I saw a video of Langsett yesterday and the parking both on road and anywhere else was as bad as I have ever seen it, more like a sunny bank holiday crowd.
Wouldn’t fancy the slabs on a
lookinglong day ride
Good point actually. I love uphills and tend to put loads of effort into cleaning them. If I do that on a tonne loop then I'll be gubbed by half way.
Note to self: Must push up hills
Are you mad! Clearly the best way to ride Cut Gate is South to North! But then I always do it as an out and back so get the best of both worlds. I would imagine it’s riding superbly at the moment..
Why Timbog?
I can't get up the climb from the south, and conversely the decent to the south is also betterer.
I'm with timbog on this. S-N is better but both are superb.
Although I can ride N-S with no dabs (never managed it the other way although almost have once) and also N- S descent is more fun in a technical way, going S-N the climb is over quicker and the descent is just the right gradient to be able to get up to warp speed on some sections and also lasts ages and ages. Turn right to North America FTW.
PS as I understand it, some of that has been resurfaced... anyone know how it's bedding in?
Oh and I'll be steering clear of the peaks honeypots at busy times. I might try to get out over cut gate one evening next week tho 😬
It's got some bits the right way. The Southern end of it, Hayfield to Fairholmes is fine. The Northern half (Fairholmes to Glossop) is the wrong way, the whole lot of that is better going Glossop -> Fairholmes.