Never was a fan. Loved it today. Especially N.America. Thoughts and pics?

fantastic in right conditions
hell in wrong conditions

its always good, from quick ride out on a warm sunny evening to a mad epic in winter weather. i love it.

I think it’s crap but I went with you.

Those sharks-teeth type white rocks on N.America and dodging them at speed 8)

One of my favorites. Has been for years. Expect it may feel a little flat when we get back from Verbier. Got loads of pics from over the years but cant post any for a while.

It’s absolutely bloody brilliant for at least 2 days out of every year!

We do it on an evening now and then and it’s brilliant. Really nice climb with so.e techy bits and a great descent back to the top end of Langsett with a bit of cheeky in the woods back to the car…

The downhill going north to Langsett is one of my favourites in the UK.

Makes for a decent night ride from Fairholmes, pretty much guarantees no walkers and likely very few MTB’ers too.

Go when it’s dry or frozen, when it’s wet it’s proper draggy

The first climb up from the ford is a push-up, but rideable to the cairn from the last LH hairpin. Love all of it, just a shame North America has gotten so wide. Looked like some ‘surfacing’ had been done lags time I was up there, doesn’t quite have the flow it used to. Nice steady climb heading south and a great descent from the cairn back to the ford.

Gets a thumbs up from me.

North America was better before they “improved” the surface IMO. Preferred the baby heads of about 5 to 10 years ago. Faster now though.

Went today. It was totally amazing. Did the South->North route, then back via Doctor’s Gate.

With today’s weather, it was sublime!

Love it.

Cheeky in the woods…I did point this out

Rode Langsett > Howden > Langsett yesterday. Was horrible riding out of Langsett into a really strong headwind, but it made the climb back up really easy. N America was an awesome decent with a huge tailwind. So much potential for a massive crash if you get your line wrong at high speed, but get your line choice right and you can fly down there.

Love it, been riding it for 20 years now and will continue to for as long as I can ride, North Ameica descent is quick and the polkodot cafe sells great bacon butties, it can be linked into al manner of loops and different permutations to increase the length of a ride, I’ve never done it in the dark though ?

That would be interesting

In dry conditions I think it’s one of the best rides in the Peak. As others have said, I try and avoid it in the wet as it is very draggy and easily eroded. Been over twice in the last month and it’s been brilliant both times!

It’s ungodly brilliant under hard packed snow, solo, at night, on ice tyres. But as a lot of people have said already, it’s one of those trails that’s fantastic when frozen or bone dry and after a line has developed through the chunkier and heartbreakingly frustrating when sloppy and wet, though that does have a discrete charm of its own.

Also one of the few trails in the Peak where surface restoration has been done with some degree of sympathy/empathy/common sense.

I’ve only done it with the Retrobike boys and the conditions were good. Really enjoyed

Singletrack by ritcheyp20, on Flickr

Also one of the few trails in the Peak where surface restoration has been done with some degree of sympathy/empathy/common sense.

Yes! They’ve done a terrific job with this one. Should be a model for others.

Dark, frozen, full moon is a real treat (not only because of the celestial alignment required to get it all on one night).

I’ve only ridden it once in May 2013 and that was in really awful conditions, where most of the trail was like a shallow river. Even more annoying because it followed a long dry spell where it was dusty and ideal to ride, but I couldn’t get up there.

That said and despite seeing off both sets of brake pads on both of our bikes and a face plant into the water where the front wheel sank up to the axle in mud, it was an amazing ride and I’d certainly do it again even in those conditions.

I can only dream of what it must be like after a dry spell. Utter perfection I imagine!