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I've got a rare day alone with a bike on Friday, will be in south Manchester needing to get back to Stratford (works) before about 5. Any suggestions for riders/routes?
- Reckon about 4ish hours max on the trails
- Will have a 130mm bike without a motor.
- Love natural woodsy, rooty singletrack, jumps of medium size.
- Like techy, rocky descents.
- Never ridden in the Peak
- Don't want to spend hours bridleway bashing, or worse, lose elevation on fire roads.
- My navigation isn't always the best
- I don't want to ride slop all day, so something that would fare well in the weather would be nice
Default choice is Llandegla, but I'd like something new.
Farmer John's looks a bit more big bike territory, and that's in bits right now.
I don't know The Peak at all, so unfortunately tales of 'yeah, go up the path by Georgina's Muff, turn left at the Lairy Curtain, and then follow the decent down to Ruffalo's Fendangle' didn't mean much to me! I've got a Garmin 820 so that may help with a GP.X.
Any suggestions much appreciated!
Ta
- Never ridden in the Peak
- Don't want to spend hours bridleway bashing,
You kind of have to spend hours plodding round bridleways to link up the fun rocky bits in the Peak.
But my suggestion on a 130mm bike is head to Langsett and do Cut Gate as an out-and-back. Four hours would give you time to repeat the descent at the south end, if you wished.
cutgate or the ladybower classic would be my suggestion for au naturele
Or if you want more groomed trails & jumps then lady cannings followed by greno woods could keep you busy for 4 hours.
What about Cannock Chase? Easy to follow the marked trails and it’ll suit that kind of bike.
Stratford Greenway.
Thanks all! Will check out those suggestions. Was looking at the Sheffield ones and trying to decide if worth the trip over, and my gut says absolutely yes
Don't get me wrong, I'm not averse to a long day of beautiful scenery but bland trails with occasional good bits, but to me they work better with mates, and I'm solo tomorrow.
Looking at more stuff about Farmer John's I may make the effort to just put the bloody brakes back on my 'big' bike and go there, especially as it's a few miles from where I'll be in the morning.
Cannock is kind of my 'local' trail centre so I'd prefer somewhere a bit different.
I'm not sure I can handle the gnar of The Greenway. That bit where you have to cross a road, go through a gate, and then sit down at the train carriage café with a cake can get pretty techy.
I'm not sure I can handle the gnar of The Greenway. That bit where you have to cross a road, go through a gate, and then sit down at the train carriage café with a cake can get pretty techy.
😂👍
.....
In case you missed it, Farmer John's is strictly full face helmet. They won't let you ride without one.
cutgate or the ladybower classic would be my suggestion for au naturele
I'd second this ...
Either of these two options. The longer ride, you'd need to be fairly on it to get it done in 4 hours. The slightly shorter option is doable so long as you don't fart about too much.
Check out this route on Strava: https://strava.app.link/SJPOuOGYWTb — Not Scotland. But Primo Peak 👌
Check out this route on Strava: https://strava.app.link/qgBVi3IYWTb — Cut Gate. Not shit.
Or, just do Cut Gate out and back (Langsett to Slippery Stones) which is around 20km ish and 2.5 hours ish.
So, the weather has taken a turn for the shite. How do Farmer John's/Cut Gate/Greno hold up in the wet?
I've been arsed and have a 160/150 bike and a full face with me if needed.
Cut Gate is a good all-weather option, but is open the whole way. Still take the smaller bike if you do that though.
If you have the big bike, you could pop to Wharncliffe as well as Greno in the space of four hours.
Enough to go at on Trailforks.
Farmer John's is on a fairly big hill, being a DH track. Not sure how that or Grenowill hold up in the rain. I'd advise against Cut Gate in the wet, can get awfu over the top.
The route I linked to above is fairly weather proof, as is this
https://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/159218803
https://flattyres-mtb.co.uk/route-guides/peak-district-mtb-routes/hayfield-jacobs-ladder-long/
I'd advise against Cut Gate in the wet, can get awfu over the top.
The bog of doom was fixed about five years ago, thanks to Ride Sheffield, PDMTB and others.
And I reckon it'll just be soaking up any rain at the mo anyway, after the long dry spell we've had.
Thanks all! Did a few hours at Farmer John's.
Very quiet, but lovely vibe, trails running pretty fast. Escalates quickly in places though! Rooty woods kept me on my toes, that bit is a maze!