[Closed] Wanted: Riders, South Lakes or Peak[s 👿] Weekend or Midweek

If I'd not have moved I'd be well up for that

iirc you're based near me (South Manchester?) - would be happy to meet up for a wee ride at some point, either to give you practice or just for a social spin. Will struggle in the short term - miniptb2 appeared two weeks ago, so I think I'd be in trouble if I swanned off on a jolly any time soon.

If it's BC L2 you're training for, I've a nice faffy route starting at Hayfield to help test your nav if you'd like.

I’m south lakes. Where you going to take me?

Hi poltheball. Yes indeed. Based in Timperley. If you can get a free evening or early weekend half day then I'd be up for that. Back to Manc for 1pm sort of thing.

Lesgrande..
I'll PM you. Depends how much you've done previously and what you'd like to do. If you have any "would love be to do" routes then tell me. Alternatively what cycling you've done and enjoyed, and what you've done and not enjoyed so much... too far? too tech? too hilly? too dull.

I'm in the Peak (Disley), navigationally competent, but technically dreadful. Happy to give you some practice in guiding people who can read a map but can't ride for shit, if that's any use 🙂

I'm near ihn. I can double check your navigation as i know most of the local trails like the back of my hand 😉

I'm seemingly a (just outside of) Congleton version of IHN apparently! Just returning to mtb, used to be very fast uphill and fairly average downhill. Now I'm fairly slow uphill and very slow downhill!

I can read a map and use a compass fairly well though and have hiked the vast majority of the White Peak. Would love to do some Dark Peak stuff, I'm free Tuesday and Wednesday evenings (although would take me until about 7 to get to Dark Peak on a Wednesday) could also negotiate a pass on a Thursday I guess.

Are you looking for a group, or does that get more complicated?
I'm just down the road from Disley in New Mills, so if you want a small group, I may be able to tag along. I'm pretty handy at navigating, but just getting back into riding after a break, so a little rusty.

Also New Mills - happy to be a Guide Test Dummy if required.
Fairly flexible with work too so can often get a morning or afternoon off to go play in the hills.

Please note that I only ride in the dry - any hint of having to ride through mud and your ride leader abilities in dealing with tantrums (while I walk through the offending boggy bits) will be tested to the max!

any hint of having to ride through mud and your ride leader abilities in dealing with tantrums (while I walk through the offending boggy bits)

can confirm

checks weather forecast to schedule for rainy day to check @thegeneralist's personality hndling skills

I have a MTB leader qualification and would be happy to help out for a ride in the Peaks.

I've got some time off during the next few weeks. Either happy to be "shown" around my own patch (Peak) or shown new stuff in the Lakes.

Tend to like the more techy side of things.

I'm Manc based too (Prestwich) and usually ride Thursday & Saturday in the Peak or Lakes, I'd be happy to join a group or go solo. I know the Peak fairly well, but beyond Grizedale I'm not that familiar with much of the Lakes.

Disley here too! Maybe we can organise a ride out?

I'm currently South Lakes based, usually ride alone so would be keen to get involved.

If you want someone more newcomer based, my housemate is an inexperienced but enthusiastic gravel rider.

Awesome. I'm thinking a trip to the Lakes is needed, and a few Peak District rides. I'll try to get in contact with the first responders and base something around that.

( Once I've checked with swmbo, natch)

Many thanks.

I’ll try to get in contact with the first responders

That's a little pessimistic isn't it?

I'm up in the lakes for a few days in mid-May if your free.

P.

I'm based in timperley too, waves 👋, up for a midweek ride

I'll be staying in buxton during May sussing it out as a possible relocation, er, location and would be interested in being shown a route or two. Will need to check which day(s) I'm not booked to do something else but could be free for an evening blast too. Thanks and sorry if I end up being flaky in advance!

OK. Anyone up for a ride out of Staveley this Saturday at around 10:30 for 11am departure?

Kentmere Special 22.5km 680m looks good.

Could be adapted with a drop over to Sadgill for an 8km extension.

I keep thinking that Garburn might be an add on

I’ll be staying in buxton during May sussing it out as a possible relocation, er, location and would be interested in being shown a route or two

Excellent. We'll do that.

Nicely, appreciate that! Let me get the bike on the packing list and work out when is possible!

I’ll be staying in buxton during May sussing it out as a possible relocation, er, location

Without wishing to go off topic too much, but you should know that it is never, and I mean never, warm in Buxton.

Ah Buxton, the only place ever to see a county cricket match snowed off. In June.

Hahaha yeah it is always cold in Buxton innit! I've played some seriously crazy gigs there....the locals are very 'local' 😳

I'll raise my head above the parapet as another South Mancs based rider - Urmston for me. Can't do Saturday in the Lakes, but half day in the Peaks next week is a distinct possibility..

Hoping to finish work prompt today and head out to the peak. Any of you Manc/Disley mob got free time this evening?

Sorry, not me, Scouts tonight. Dib dib dib.

Would do but its run club on Thursday!

@thegeneralist - I was planning on a road ride but could be persuaded to do a ride over Chinley Churn or Twenty Trees. Or both!

I reckon I can be out the door by about 4.30.

@Crazy-legs

Awesome. Alas I'm quite a bit further away from there ( Altrincham), and can't finish till 4pm

I'll PM you my number.

If anyone else fancies it then I guess we'll be meeting around 5:30 somewhere in the New Mills area.

@thegeneralist despite having ridden the peaks a fair bit and both being pretty competent/experienced, me and a mate have never done cut gate and thinking of it this Saturday AM.

Argh would've been well up for this but ridden in to work so won't be back in time to get over for 5:30.

I should be free by 5:30-ish.
If you want one more, can you PM me?

To add to the New Mills / Disley based folk, I'm in Buxworth. Always up for being shown around stuff as it's often me that has to come up with suitable routes for mates when we head out.

Slightly OT but if the other localish folk fancy an after work or weekend ride then I'd be interested....

Si

Had a nice ride round a short Hayfield loop with @thegeneralist earlier.

He was kind enough not to fall about laughing at my retro (read: ancient) Cove hardtail and also nice enough not to drop me like a stone on every descent. Only about 10 miles / 90 mins but nice out - was good to look over at the rain pouring over Manchester way and enjoy the dry trails and nice weather!

Apologies again samhay. I didn't think I'd be able to get out today, but then it came together all in a rush and I didn't manage it properly.

[img] [/img]
That was indeed a great ride C-Legs Predictably enough in your Manor there was sod all guiding for me to do, but at least I found some more excellent future bridleways. And thanks for not dropping me on all the uphills 🙂 Nipped up Lantern Pike after, which was nice.

I've got one definite so far, so can confirm the plan is Saturday morning 1 May from Wheelbase carpark in Staveley. Base plan is Kentmere Special which does bit on each side of the valley. 22.5km 680m. However if everyone that shows up is in favour ( the one confirmee so far is ) then we may do Garburn and then possibly Sadgill. Or if we're feeling fit then we might do Garburn afterwards.
Please note that I can't commit to Garburn at this stage so please bear that in mind if you're set on that specific route.

Meet at the carpark at 10:30 for a 11:00 departure. I'll be the ugly one with the light blue Occam, red ruksack, black helmet. Or if I've not yet got my shit together then I'll be rummaging around in the Doss Bus.

Please PM me your phone number if you're coming.

Crazylegs - where is that trail?

Regarding The Pekes next week, weather forecast looks a bit mediocre. I suggest Wednesday or Thursday evening as the two options, and we decide based on the forecast closer to the time. Is that ok?

Looks like most of you Disleyites have probably covered everything round Hayfield many many times.

How would a loop round Calver/Froggat sound?
Is meeting at 5:30 too early?

Awwww look at the ickle narrow xc racer handlebars... 😉

If there's no traffic then I'd probably be able to get to the meeting point for 5:30....then another 10 minutes to get ready to ride. As you say though, forecast looks fairly gash for the next week!

6pm would be a more realistic start time for me though.

Edit. Only just had a notification of your PM sorry @thegeneralist!

Crazylegs – where is that trail?

053879

Ooh, flashy old me. 😝 Don't ask for the letters bit though. Can never find them.

Rather more descriptively: short section of BW that takes you from (the bottom of the grassy alternative descent from half way down the easy side of Jacob's) to the very start of the cobbled BW up the side of Kinder Reservoir damn.

Campsite descent, just above the split?

Ah you edited to clarify. I know where you mean, not ridden that for some time

How would a loop round Calver/Froggat sound?
Is meeting at 5:30 too early?

Sounds good, I can do Wednesday, like Tom-B said 6pm is probably a bit more realistic for me too though.

Could this be the first RUCKUS ride?

Just a reminder that the rule of 6 still applies

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-coronavirus-restrictions-what-you-can-and-cannot-do#exercise-sport-and-physical-activity

@scc999

Slightly OT but if the other localish folk fancy an after work or weekend ride then I’d be interested…

I'm trying to do a couple of mid-week rides, mostly from the front door, that works for me.
Feel free to PM me.

@thegeneralist No worries. Will have to try again some point. I got around Lantern Pike yesterday, but I think I beat you by an hour or too. It was much more pleasant than Tuesday.

Just a reminder that the rule of 6 still applies

Is a very good point, wot I had forgotted.

Unfortunately I don't think I can join you tomorrow but I'll keep an eye here as "Happy to give you some practice in guiding people who can read a map but can’t ride for shit, if that’s any use 🙂" sounds very much my sort of thing if I'm able to make it.

Righto. 11 am departure from Staveley Mill Yard Saturday .
Garburn first, then wherever the notion takes us

Join us if you fancy it.

Damn, that was good.
Weirdly enough, the key lesson learned from Thursday: "make a plan, put it out there and stick to it so people know where they stand" actually made things a bit weird for yesterday. Couple of people dropped out at the last minute and it turned out that Garburn & Nan Bield was one of the few Lakes rides that Mark (sole attendee) had actually done.
But that was pretty much it on the down sides. Just two of us meant that there was lots of riding done and minimal faffing. More importantly we could target the ride perfectly without having some people bored or some people too stretched*. We did the scenic route to Garburn which Mark hadn't done before so that was a win. The Garburn up was brilliant as ever, and the down was superb as usual. I'd been a bit concerned about route choice before we met, but Mark's response to "tell me about a difficult or challenging route you have done" was "4 passes, on my own, just before Christmas" gave me confidence that Garburn would be fine.
As it turned out, I needn't have worried. He shot off down at a tremendous pace and styled it all with zero effort.
[img] [/img]
[img] [/img]

Quick confab at Kentmere deemed that Nan Bield was a good option for part 2, but Gatesgarth is a bit pisch. Given that Harter Fell is a rocky, techy, scary horrorfest, it seemed the obvious option to give Mark a proper run out. As we chatted it transpired that he spent 2 months in Morzine honing his skills last summer, which explained a lot.

Quick hop over to Sadgill, rode past a set of pissed scousers wandering unsteadily up Gatesgarth drinking cans of Corona, then saw a load of wetsuits, helmets etc laid out by a landrover at the start of the canyon proper. The driver looked quite stressed, probably wondering if his clients were sober enough to jump into the correct part of the plunge pool or whether it was all about to go wrong.

Anyway, up Gatesgarth sucked a bit, but nothing that couldn't be made better by the liberal application of Chicken Satay sandwiches, Irn Bru and Caramel wafers. Mark had his trail mix and then sat there politely waiting for me to finish my 3 courses.
During lunch we got talking to some bloke [with a Scott bike], to whom I suggested that Gategarth North side wasn't that much fun, but he was keen to do the proper route, so off he went.

Trail over Harter fell was fairly rideable then the bit down towards Nan Bield pass...
[img] [/img]
It was absolutely amazing. I'd done it years ago with the Boggies and thought it was rubbish, but with a decent bike I figured I would manage more of it and Mark would at least find it interesting. I wasn't wrong, whilst I did a mix of riding, dabbing and walking, he just set off from the top and absolutely styled it.
[img] [/img]
I can do a semi reasonable track stand on tech trails, but the way he balanced the bike and then hopped sideways above some significant rocks to get position for the next section was amazing to see.
[img] [/img]
[img] [/img]

On the few sections that he didn't do first time, or even if he did it first time but wanted to try a different line, he'd nip back up and send it again.

I was deeply impressed by his hairpin technique. I know the theory of getting up on the front wheel and spinning the back end round, but never seen it on such consequential terrain.
[img] [/img]
As usual, the pictures don't really do it justice.

Nan Bield [south side] descent was as amazing as ever. My arms were knackered by this point so I only managed it in overlapping sections, but Mark did the whole lot no problem.
[img] [/img] Then the excellent flatter bits, nice dry grass/mossy sections and then the valley floor trail.

We met the chap on the Scott again, who confirmed that Gatesgarth had been "shit" 🙂

At Kentmere again we took a right and did a nice rising Bridleway traverse which lead easily back up the west side of Kentmere then took a pleasant easy track back down, with one diversion down an excellent loamy section at one point. Very strange trail to find in amongst all the rocky gnarr.

I think we did around 44km and around 1700m of ascent in all. Felt like a long day, even though we were moving quite steadily.

* (Apart from me on Harter)

Seemed to be a few people up for a 6pm ride either Wednesday or Thursday this week. Anyone got strong preference for either of them? or just choose the one it's snowing less...!

Also, happy to do something new (for me) around Calver area or is it better to be further west to make the commute easier?

Great write-up and pictures @thegeneralist. Don't think we saw you but did see those scousers gyll scrambling up Gatesgarth. Respect to anyone fit enough to clear that climb. I quite enjoyed the northern side of Gatesgarth, yes it loses height quickly and it doesn't flow as such but I still found it a challenge. Perversely, the climb/carry back up to Nan Bield was enjoyable...in a way🙃

Is the second picture Garburn?

Knowing how flat anything steepish I’ve ridden looks in photos, I bet that’s bloody steep - great riding from your guidee! One day I’ll get up to The Lakes with a bike, I haven’t ridden there since maybe 1993...

Is the second picture Garburn?

Yep. Same bit as this car is doing on the Garburn thread

https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/hows-garburn-running-these-days/

Lakes pics look amazing! I know the area well from hiking....would have to walk a lot of those descents 😳

This week is looking fairly hectic for me unfortunately....I could probably do Thursday though.

However, my number one rule is always.....I don't ride in the rain. Forecast looks like an absolute shocker! Tomorrow is my only day off since last Monday until next sunday 😭

Making me blush @thegeneralist. Thanks for a great ride, hopefully get out again soon.

hopefully get out again soon.

Yep. I'll be in Duddon valley from 28 May to 4 June. I reckon we should do the big old Duddon circuit or something. Are you free on Sunday 30 May?

Have also WAp'd you about a peak ride once it dries out.

Sounds good, I can do Wednesday, like Tom-B said 6pm is probably a bit more realistic for me too though.

@tom-b, @ihn, @samhay, @poltheball [ and indeed anyone else]
Looks like some preference for Wednesday and some for Thursday. Thursday weather forecast looks a bit better.

My suggestion would be a 6pm Thursday start from the carpark above Curbar edge. I expect the route to be much easier than some of the main Peak District stuff (and nothing like that nonsense pictured above). 20km with the option of a nightine extension if anyone is keen.

If people prefer:
* A later start ( with lights)
* Wednesday instead of Thursday
* Somewhere closer to "us" (ie further west)*
* Something more gnarr

Then tell me.
🙂

* I was keen to do Curbar area since I've not done that route before so it'll be more of a navigational challenge. Similarly, I'm hoping that fewer of the Disley massive will already have done it. So it'll be new for them and I won't just be following locals up the hills.
But either way, we have the whole summer ahead, so tell me...

Wotcha. Sam(hay) and I have a half-baked (well, quarter baked at best really) plan about doing something on Wednesday, I can't do Thursday's cos I'm at Scouts.

We were going to go local, but I'm happy to get out to Curbar for a change. I'm easy though.

FWIW, I have no lights, at least not any I could ride off road with.

I'm busy Thursday and my night vision is pants.
Weather forecast has not been super accurate as of late, although it wasn't bad today. Perhaps reassess on Wednesday as if it keeps raining like this until then, it will limit some options.

It's rained solidly in the Peak District all day today and the forecast for most of this week doesn't look great either.

@ihn @samhay anyone else
We on for tomorrow?
Weather's rancid just now, but forecast to improve.
6pm Wednesday in car park above Curbar edge, or prefer to wait for better conditions?

I'm very much a fair weather rider so will wait for better conditions before committing.....I absolutely hate riding in crap weather/conditions so would rather spend my time climbing indoors! (As I'm doing right now!)

Hopefully next week will yield some better weather!

I’d be keen for some Peak District rides at some point - that Lakes route looked epic.

@thegeneralist once all the hail has melted, I think tomorrow should be ok.
I'd prefer something on the western side of the hill, but appreciate you did that last week.

Yep, I'm on for tomorrow. I'm easy as to where (although I'm not sure where the Curbar car park is, but I'll find it), I'll let you and Sam decide/fight it out.

Weather's looking good, so I don't mind driving over the hill.
Are we meeting in the Curbar Gap National Trust carpark?

Perfect

6pm, Wednesday 5 May
Curbar Gap car park. Grid ref SK267747.

Anyone else feel free to join us if you wish. , 🙂

See you later.

Curbar Gap car park. Grid ref SK267747.

Er, do you mean 262747?

Smashing, I'll be in a silver T5.

Curbar Gap car park. Grid ref SK267747.

Er, do you mean 262747

And this is why they use W3W...

TBF, it's only a 50m difference, and the carpark will be pretty ****ing obvious I'd imagine.

Er, do you mean 262747?

Bollocks. Bloody guidebook. Knew I should have checked on the map.🥵

I'd go with 263747.

Smashing, I’ll be in a silver T5.

Natürlich. I will too 😝

To be contrary, the National Trust says it's at: SK 2623 7470 (but that's splitting hairs)
In any case, unless you plan on parking in a field, I think we'll all make it. Bring your National Trust card/sticker if you have one.

TBF, it’s only a 50m difference, and the carpark will be pretty **** obvious I’d imagine.

You'd think, but experience tells me that pay and display machines render carparks invisible to a significant number of people.

You’d think, but experience tells me that pay and display machines render carparks invisible to a significant number of people.

Bring your National Trust card/sticker if you have one.

Ooh, that's a point, is it Pay and Display? I'll have to find some change, I haven't had any for, well, months...

Take evasive maneuvers (or a few coins).

That car park can get pretty full. If it is don’t be tempted to park like this;

https://twitter.com/bakewellsnt/status/1386307141221429249?s=21

Usually spaces on the road down here if it is;

https://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/osmaps/53.2618226902072,-1.5830069105782627,12/pin

Only a few mins road spin up to the car park.

I’d have liked to join you as only 15 min ride from the start out my front door but doubt I can be off work in time. But if you see someone on a Ragley Big Wig puffing up the road at the last minute that’ll be me.