Hi all,

MTB to Roadie To CX rider here…. 😯

Having visited Ladybower 20+ years ago on my Muddy Fox, hardtail with fixed fork and riding the hills around Ladybower, I’m going to be in the region again soon for a few days of “adventure” riding on my CX bike with a pal.

And I was wondering if anyone can give advice/thoughts on whether the Ladybower Lite trail would be passable on a Cyclocross bike? It being so long ago I have no clear recollection of the types and quality of surfaces that make up the ride.

Any advice is welcome or suggested alternatives in the same area, around 20 miles in length?

Cheers in advance.

If you mean the road and trail directly round the edges of the dams, then yes. A fella overtook me on a CX one time not so long ago. Right unit he was too. If you mean any of the tastier stuff up the hills, can’t help you I’m afraid.

I think you’d be doing a lot of walking but I’ve never ridden a CX bike so don’t really know what they can cope with. There’s fair bit of that route that has loose rocks covering the trail (parts of hope brink, bottom end of lockerbrook + others) which will be a nightmare with thin tires.

Should be fine IMO.

Depends how good your are on the bike. There’s a couple of guys I see round the peak infrequently on CX bikes and I’m always surprised how quickly they get down stuff. Last I saw them they where heading down Jacobs ladder at what could only be considered a devil may care speed on what, in my eyes at least, were essentially road bikes!

In answer to your question, I’m not sure what route you mean by ladybower lite, but around there I’d of thought you’d be ok apart from a couple of the big rocky decents – the beast, potato alley or telegraph row

20 years ago it was rooty, rocky, bumpy, at least the top section to slippery stones on the north east side.

Recent years it’s been fully resurfaced and is a rough fireroad in most places. I happily take the kids trailer round there and often see CX bikes, families on fully rigid hyrids and all sorts. I’m sure you’d be fine, it’s a lot smoother than it was.

Doing a ‘P’ would minimise the off road, up the tarmac to Fairholmes and carry on to slippery stones, over the bridge and down the off road. If that’s too bumpy, cross under the dam and tarmac back out. If OK, go straight on to pick up more off road.

Again if you mean the route around the Derwent and Howden (Fairholmes – Slippery Stones and back along the east side) then you should be fine on a CX bike. As previously said most of the route has unfortunately been sanitised nowadays so makes easy pickings.

Yes it’s well do’able, nice detour up lockerbrook across to Hag Farm and descend onto A57, this is quite rutted and rocky so the bottom half would be a push, then scoot round the fire road and up that climb on your right, at the top turn right through wooden gate follow up onto Roman Road you can go left to Winn Hill round the back and descend to the res turning left and follow your nose back.

Cheers For all the responses,

I’ve got the route saved in Map My Ride, how do I get a link posted into here?

Cheers for the feedback, here’s the link to the route;

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/1008219749

I’m not too concerned about the capability of the bike. It’s more likely that I will break before it does, it’s had some pretty ruff treatment.

I’m already running 29’s (700c) and can fit to to 40c (1.5 inch) tyres on my frame and run them at lower pressures. I have mechanical discs front and rear and a 46/34 on the front and up to 34 on the back. I know this means I may not be able to ride up some of the hills, but I’m not too proud to get off an push if I have to.

I’m more concerned about the conditions on the trails, can I expect any big rocks that can’t be navigated around, or very rough surfaces that favour a front or full suspension set-up?

I concede that a CX bike is not built for technical, rocky descents (at speed), but I can manage rough and loose with some form of control.

Any feedback welcome.

That’s well do able and a decent enough loop, not sure which way round as I’m looking on an iPad but from fairholmes to 57 and left all standard, leaving the 57 at the Inn and taking that climb could see you pushing bits as that’s a bit loose it flicks up a bit and is a good un, it peters out and hooks left near cut throat bridge, that’s a shallow climb up to win lee tor where there’s a great view over the res, this steady climb will be boggy so expect to push a bit, the descent down with the wall on your left again do able where you turn left through the gate choose your line and stick to it as it crosses over and is rutted, next gate down again steep and wide, next gate could see you pushing as there’s a few rollers over bed rock before the ford, blast down the slabs round the whole Northern loop of the res then it looks like up lockerbrook again rocky at the bottom, it’s a good climb but be mindful of riders descending, across down and back in.

So yes. 85% 90% rideable a few loose rocks might have you pushing the ups more than the downs,

this steady climb will be boggy so expect to push a bit,

Not so if you stick to the gritstone line. Peak District MTB have recently been working on there to begin restoring the line. It’s still a bit of a mess at the bottom but that will come

edit: oh, and this twitter feed might be useful too

Tweets by KoftheP

Pook, that’s good news although I don’t ever remember there being a gritstone path on that bottom bit, baring in mind that bit of trail is probably centuries old that’s hardly surprising. There’s usually some one going over the bars there as I’m climbing up that first bit.

It’s still best after a hard frost, it’s at its best at night in winter frozen solid under a full moon.
So I’ve not ridden that since last year but looking forward to it in the next few weeks

Cheers everyone, really very helpful.

I should’ve mentioned I’m looking at going clockwise. Down from Fairholmes then right, up to Crook Hill etc.. and round the loop that way, will that make any difference? Is it a better ride anti-clockwise?

Just noticed that the climb up the slabs from the East side of the res. is a Cat. 3 climb on MapMyRide and it runs for some distance. That’ll probably be a push-up!!

First time I ever did the classic Win Hill/Ladybower loop in the early 90s I was overtaken on Potato Alley by two blokes on cyclo cross bikes. Uphill, I hasten to add!

Yes, I’ve done it a few times on my CX. It’s a bit slower on the descents than an MTB, a lot faster on the uphills but generally not really “better” or “worse”.

I’ve ridden it on a couple of the Pook’s Pootle rides and people always seem quite surprised at what the bike is capable of.

I rode down The Beast a few years ago. Mostly ridable, albeit quite slowly.

In fact, here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o1GIXuIaTI

will – Member
I rode down The Beast a few years ago. Mostly ridable, albeit quite slowly.

In fact, here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o1GIXuIaTI

CX down The Beast and didn’t bring a pump?? 🙄

Start at Fairholmes, clockwise round Derwent, Howden and Ladybower to the A57.

Cross Ladybower dam and follow the trail at the side of the reservoir to the bottom of The Beast and get back on the A57, turn left.

Turn right up past Rowlee Farm to the cross roads. Go straight over and across the fields to the farm at the end of Fairholmes road, then back to the carpark.

40km, 700m climbing all doable on a CX

Thanks for all your input.

The ride was (almost) all completed on a CX bike, one or two slopes proved to loose or rocky to rdie, so minimal pushing was required.

Will definitely be trying that again at some point in the near future.

Cheers.

😀