Done and liked Jacobs, Cavedale, Beast, Cutgate Haggs etc etc.

Are there any other exciting routes to recommend? What is it like around Hayfield etc?

I doubt it would be exciting enough. Best stay more central, most of the trails around Hayfield are pretty dull, I often find myself heading away to find some decent riding. Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings. Try Doctor's Gate, you'll like that, runs from Snake Summit down into Old Glossop and is easily reached by a short, easy spin up the road from Ladybower.

Hayfield is great – across the moor from the shooting cabin down to the A624 is one of my faves

Or try this Mark:

http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/penninebridleway/uploads/Hayfield%20MTB%20Route1(1).pdf

Doctors Gate…hello 🙂

..so you can avoid the tarmac to get to it?

Ooh that BWD is a sarcy one 🙂

Doctors Gate has alot of road onto it?

No, you need to ride up the A57 to reach it unless you fancy riding the footpath parallel to Ashop Clough up to Mill Hill then riding across the slabbed section of Pennine Way :-/

chapel gate is a good dh run if you havent already done that?

You edited your **** post. You can't legally reach the top of Doctor's Gate without riding up the A57. Have a look at a map, it'll explain things. You know the things with red dashes on them…

Chapel Gate- done.

unless you fancy riding the footpath parallel to Ashop Clough up to Mill Hill then riding across the slabbed section of Pennine Way :

Ah so an early start? 😉

Like I said, have a look at a map… you could always do it as a big loop with Cut Gate. MBR ran that as a route a few years back and for a few months, Glossop was overrun with lost mountain bikers incapable of working out how to get from the bottom of Doctor's Gate back to their cars.

Longdendale Trail / Langsett / Cut Gate / Ladybower – add bits – short spin up road / Doctor's Gate / wander around Old Glossop looking lost.

explains all. From most good bookshops or bikeshops.

Ah so an early start?

You won't be riding much of it unless you're a very, very talented rider. Honestly, I'd just spin up the A57 unless you truly enjoy pushing a bike through gorse. It's really not that bad unless someone drives over you.

Longdendale Trail / Langsett / Cut Gate / Ladybower – add bits – short spin up road / Doctor's Gate / wander around Old Glossop looking lost.

We did a route for ST years ago, a massive 100km loop of Cut Gate, Chapel Gate and Doctors Gate. But we didn't look lost at any point cos we're not MBR readers… 😉

I've heard drs gate is dull, or at least not worth the tarmac to get you there

I can't really recommend Doctor's Gate unless you like a) riding a mountain bike up a busy road b) mostly carrying it back down the off-road bit 🙂

I have enjoyed BWD's withering sarcasm here almost as much as I enjoy Doctor's Gate.

One of my favourite tracks that one. I like the bit when you really can't see anything other than the valley, and the path skirting round it. 🙂

I've heard drs gate is dull, or at least not worth the tarmac to get you there

It'll be OK in this weather but it's not the best track in the world. Only about 75% rideable at the best of times, a massive long tarmac climb to get you to the start of it and, to cap it all off, it ends in Glossop – you have to negotiate your way out of there avoiding all the knuckle-dragging locals… 😉

Last time I did it the Snake was closed to cars for a week and it was OK – you certainly get a real wilderness feeling coming back on Doctor's

Doctor's Gate, where one stormy night a doctor in his horse drawn buggy raced the devil and won. Some **** buggy he must have had.

The hard bit after the gate is crazy with interesting consequences of failure, but after that it's a bit of a wash out I think?

The tarmac bit almost killed it for me but then someone mentioned 75% rideable? So its that technical?! VGraphics book doesnt mention that bit at all.

It doesn't mention the buggy either, doesn't mean it didn't happen. You can still see the wheel marks you know.

Try it and see what you think. Glossop's v quick to get to from Manchester. You just ride about 8 miles uphill on the Snake Pass, and maybe the drivers might stop and encourage you on a bit. Then turn left just after the road starts to descend after it's summit. After a bit of a bimble about, it's downhill all the way back to Glossop. Doesn't take long.

Oh, and in all seriousness, Doctor's Gate seems to be one of those trails that people either love or don't particularly enjoy. It's not really my cup of tea, but then I'm a lamentably poor technical rider and quite slow, which may have something to do with it 😉

And it's only about five miles from Glossop to the top of the Snake, I ran up it in knee-deep snow over the winter.

Between Buxton and Macclesfield – Cat and Fiddle, Three Shires Head/ Cumberland Clough/ Wild boar Clough.
Winner every time

30mins. I might give it a go after work tomorrow.

There's only a small amount of technical stuff on it, but it's mega hard. I'd love to see someone nail those switchbacks after the gate. I reckon you'd need trails bike skills?

Does anyone know someone that's cleaned them?

I reckon you'd need trails bike skills

Ah yes, me and those long travel fork washouts 😆

Stanage Edge / Houndkirk Moor / Blackamoor?

The V Graphics Dark Peak Book (as pictured above) is well worth buying, not just for the set routes, but can be useful for the descriptions so you can get an idea as to what odd bits might be/are like if you're trying to make something up of your own

"I've heard drs gate is dull, or at least not worth the tarmac to get you there"
I wouln't say it was dull, but there is a lot there are a few too many 'unrideable' or just tight/techy enough that you can't seem to ride it all (or at least I couldn't). If you look at a map, most of the good bits have finished by the time you get to the footbridge
I had a go in mid march, there was still some snow drifts on it so I wasn't able to see/ride it all

I rode it as part of:
(Barber Booth Start)
up Jaggers Clough
down Blackley Hey
Up A57 (with a walked* detour into the woods just past the pub for a spot of lunch by the river, and to avoid riding on the A57 as much):




up the b.way from the A57

Down Doctors Gate:

Up the f.path (walked*) past shire hill
Along the road that follows the circular peak park boundary (through moorfield)
Up A624
Down A624
Up b.way onto middlemoor
Down b.way to kinder res.:

Up b.way across broad clough
Up Oaken Clough to Edale Cross

Down Jacobs Ladder

*Its not sheffield council so not explicitly not allowed

It's the drop to the right that gets me walking every time

I always fall to the left so I'd be ok…. the clifftop trail at Arnside- I can never ride it with the cliff on my left but always on the way towards the caravans 😆

'Sniggers' @ BWD.

Hora – you should try Macc forest. When I'm fitter I'll take you on a route around there.

It's the drop to the right that gets me walking every time

Yep, straying to the right is always bad news……………..

Cat and Fiddle, Danebower Hollow, 3 Shires Head, Cumberland clough, Macc Forest etc.

The same few routes in the Peak get posted about time and time again.

Have a GOOD look at the Peak District OS maps – there are plenty of other options.

In this dry weather the White Peak should be good going too.

Hora – you should try Macc Forest.

Indeed.

Hollinsclough near Longnor in the White Peak has some tricky rocky descents.

Hora, you really do leave me speechless at times.

+1 for Macc forest area, go for the bikemaps maps rather than any of the guide books. To get the most from three shires head I'd suggest:

In from the north off the A54 at Holt, down to the bridge, cross over to East bank and head south and round to Hawks nest, knotbury and loop back round on minor road then UCR then track mark as footpath, brings you in at the metal gate next to bridge, cross over and go south on the west bank to Cut-thorn, back up to A54, SE to heald end farm (down hill), UCR to Burntcliff Top (Eagle and Child), loop back up to Cut-thorn on minor road, retrace route on west bank back up to Holt then continue on down cumberland brook.

If you want to go for the full knotbury problem route and do even more double up and back then:

at Knotbury, up and over Hill Top to Dove Head, UCR climb to Brand Top, back towards A54 then take bridleway on South side of Leap Edge to Fairthorn, minor road it round to Booth Farm, left fork (bridleway) past Fough to Holinsclough, climb via UCR then minor road to trig on Hollinsclough Moor, UCR it down through Coatestown to Hollinsclough, cross valley on footpath (now legal as now Byway) to Stannery**, climb up past Dowal Hall and loop back round to Booth Farm, right fork (UCR) to Tenterhill, round to Moorside and then back in to the ford and climb out to Tenterhill again (that slabs stil there isnt it?), up and over to Knotbury.

** make it longer here by going right and round Underhill to Earl Sterndale then track (marked footpath) to bridleway running above quarry, over Hind Low and back via minor roads to Booth Farm.

you really do leave me speechless at times.

❓

Mark I'm leading the Hayfield route from the Dark Peak book (or very similar) with http://www.natsmtb.com on 20th June. Get it in your diary!

There's some great cheeky at Chinley Churn, but I won't risk taking a big group on that (so pray for bad weather and a low turnout).

And you'll definitely like the stuff around Cat & Fiddle and 3 Shires Head / Macc Forest.

Don't write off the White Peak either when the trails are dry like now. Curbar – Baslow – Pilsley – Rowland is a good little blast. Darley Dale – Beeley – Chatsworth – Pilsley – Bakewell is also good.

Simon, in the diary. I will also be fitter by then as the mileage racks up 😀

Splendid – the NATS rides are probably a smidge faster than Pook's pootles, but nothing to worry about fitness-wise. I haven't updated the calendar on the homepage recently – we've only just sorted the rides list for the next 4 months… Watch out for it, I'll do it soon.

You'll get away with riding with us 3 or 4 times before anyone demands that you pay subs 😉