Big ask – going for a ride tomorrow afternoon with a mate who’s new to biking. Trying to think of somewhere that’ll be straightforward for him, not too boring for me, and preferably not a massive puddle of mud. Any ideas?

Good luck with the amount of rain that’s been coming down in the last day. VP dry route it normally a good bet but not been out for ages. Google for it.

head to the peaks and get some rocks underneath your wheels.

Google hasn’t helped…

I suspect you’re looking for this

https://www.v-publishing.co.uk/blog/v-publishing-blog/2014-01-20—free-download-kinder-all-weather-circuit.html

But its been hammering it down for pretty much 24 hours and it wasn’t particularly dry before that so everywhere will be wet.

Ah. I did that the other day and it was pretty dry, but Jacob’s ladder + beginner friend=lol no.

Parkwood is mostly dry at the min, good for beginners too.

Nice one, that’s definitely a possibility. Is there anything easy at greno? I’ve never got round to checking it out.

no mud? 😕 & easy?
round ladybower? and some ncn stuff.

A bit of a drive (50 minutes) but Sherwood Pines fits the bill fairly well, it’s a great place for beginners. A decent length ride too, Parkwood will be over and done in 15 minutes unless you do many boring laps.

I’d not go to Grenoside, my memory of it is that it’s a mud fest.

New to biking? The Eastern Moors Tour will be perfect for a beginner. The “edges” are quite spectacular!

Brown Edge will be rather boggy, no doubt, but the rest of it should be okay.

Did the good bits of the eastern tour the other day. Curbar edge was horrible – all the decent lines were flooded and just sapped your speed as soon as you want anywhere near them.

Sherwood pines might be the place. Has it changed at all in the last five years since I’ve been there or is it still the red that’s not really a red and the little skills course?

Hi, I ride Pines 3 times a week (training) and I can assure you
That it will be absolutely full of deep puddles and gloopy mud on the open sections.

How far can he manage?

Hunters Bar, Endcliffe Park, Porters Clough, road to Ringinglow, possible pub stop at Norfolk Arms then over Houndkirk and down Blacka. Road back through Dore to Hunters Bar – or up through the edge of Whirlowbrook, over Ringinglow Road and down through the parks again.

Reasonably well surfaced, drained, good views, Blacka will be fun for you, tech for him, filthy but on the homeward straight…

Start at Forge Dam to shorten the loop.

Pines will have some easily avoidable spots of gloop but compared to what it was even last year they’ve done a decent amount of work to make it more all weather. It’s a red that’s really a blue and some nice swoopy short descents at one end of the wood.

Hunters Bar, Endcliffe Park, Porters Clough, road to Ringinglow, possible pub stop at Norfolk Arms then over Houndkirk and down Blacka.

I do need to introduce him to blacka but it was pretty wet up there at the weekend so now might not be the best time.

Parkwood + 1 great intro for a beginner with features to session and show off your gnar, and built to be weather hardened

Is there anything easy at greno? I’ve never got round to checking it out.

everything at greno is rollable (or can easily be skirted round) and ok for beginners (it’s not that technicle) if they take it easy and you can still enjoy it by pushing it a bit harder. the trails stand up pretty well to the weather, will be a little muddy in places after the snow and todays down pour, but worth a go. only 3 tracks, but all easy to find and every newish rider i’ve taken on them has got a real buzz from them.

wharncliffe (on the other side of the road) will be a slippy, muddy death-fest and much more technical so best avoided for a beginer

I like Parkwood but after 3 laps I’m bored

Pines is great when dry 🙂

Cannock chase is brilliant for a blast even when it’s raining!

Sherwood Pines is absolutely bogging at the moment, was there at the weekend, spent most of the ride wincing at the sound of the grinding paste in my gears!

Agreed Momo, they have tried to improve things of late by filling in the huge deep trough at the end of the 1st open section but it’s still absolutely awful!