We here at Derbyshire County Council have just laid a great base layer for all you budding people of the tarmac laying persuasion to submit your quotes for covering the Roman Road on Stanage.

We’re so chuffed with the base layer ….. !!!! It’s smoother than most of the roads in the city of Sheffield. Pot holes on your city streets? Who cares? We must eradicate all fun out of the bye ways.

Prime Strava territory now 😉

I give it a winter before it all washes away (I hope!) At least they’ve left the horsepack trail

that looks about ready for some pavé 🙂

you jest, but i’m not kidding; i’d be happy if the roads in Sheffield were that good.

did i say that i wasn’t kidding?

stefanp – Member

I give it a winter before it all washes away…

that would be 1 more winter than most of the ‘repairs’ carried out by Sheffield Council.

Take a shovel, mix in some soil and build tabletops all the way down. If anyone asks they’re just for drainage.

Looks like Rowan Sorrells latest project. Sorry for your loss.

I wish the roads in Sheffield were that good too? I am jealous. So much effort and money into this and for what?

Are they trying to bore the off road vehicles?

Just means they’ll drive faster now. Was thinking about putting a national speed limit sign on this trail for a laugh.

Just means they’ll drive faster now. Was thinking about putting a national speed limit sign on this trail for a laugh.

If you stick up some closely-spaced streetlights, it will keep everyone below 30.

That looks really shit. There is another BW off the edge towards the plantation that’s more fun though, isn’t there?

there is, but let’s be honest, the area is a desert as far as mountain biking goes. Any ride involving Stanage is basically a road* ride.

(*edit: even more so, now…)

Bugger. There goes my kom and my 3 Peaks CX training route.

Wtf are they thinking.

Wtf are they thinking.

Possibly about accessibility for all users and sustainability not just about myopic mountainbikers?

Such a shame. Also more dangerous I think. If they put in those drainage channels, which they surely will, one moment of inattention at speed can be nasty (from experience!)

But my anger would be suppressed if they made High Neb a permissive BW like Froggatt. The perfect gateway to WLT and Ladybower.

they’re certainly not thinking all the way through then, making something flat and smooth when it’s already a route used by cyclist will only engender user conflict as it will inevitably lead to higher speeds from cyclists and perception of danger from other users

nor are they thinking about the essential character of the route – it’s supposed to be a cobbled (at best) packhorse route, not the road to the local chippy

as it will inevitably lead to higher speeds from cyclists and perception of danger from other users

That would be the fault of the cyclist though, that’s also the excuse motorists use for speeding (its a nice straight safe road so 60 is fine). Again it’s a myopic narcissist view and a failure to look at the bigger picture, if it’s better for walkers and horses then it’s a success, can you still ride up and down it and share it with other users? Yes you can.
The fact you no longer enjoy it as a challenge is irrelevant.

I’m sure it’s to do with health and safety risk assessments and scared of being sued. Should a walker twist their ankle and break it / inexperienced cyclist fall and break their arm etc..
I may be wrong as I was never there so have no idea hoe it was previously

it’s supposed to be a cobbled (at best) packhorse route

Can you imagine how much resurfacing in cobbles would cost?

The fact you no longer enjoy it as a challenge is irrelevant.

What? Why do you ride? I ride in the countryside for enjoyment. The fact that the enjoyment is diminished is totally relevant.

I’m with MrSmith on this. Give it a year or two and you can have your playground back, if you want bike only trails there are trail centres for that sort of thing.

We had a similar event at the Corrieyairack. It was made clear that the new, smooth layer was put down to protect the historic road below from more erosion.

What? Why do you ride? I ride in the countryside for enjoyment. The fact that the enjoyment is diminished is totally relevant.

what i ride is irrelevant. your insular self centred view is also irrelevant regarding that bridleway, or do YOU think they should change it back for YOU?

I was going to phrase it slightly more delicately, but I’m still with MrSmith.

These threads tend to show some posters/mountain bikers in a very self centred light, which probably doesn’t endear them to the local RoW officers and landowners when they get involved in local access forums and consultations.

Assuming that they are involved etc etc

this is a known issue amongst those who work with cycle trails, sadly those who do know about such issues are not always involved in work like this. Consideration MUST be given at design time to issues such as this. Lack of consideration is why you get shittily designed “bike lanes” everywhere

Yes I can. Not nearly as much as laying tarmac, hence the chosen option

Just wait until there’s been a heavy winter and lots of freeze thaw cycles. Nice one council. Why don’t you go on strike again.

my HQ is in Sheffield and I empathise with the OP. When I watched le Tour I was amazed that thee was actually smooth roads in the city. I can only presume Sheffield has spunked up it’s three year budget on tarmac on a route that will be ridden once in a lifetime…

Possibly about accessibility for all users and sustainability not just about myopic mountainbikers?

Maybe but they certainly weren’t thinking about the appropriateness of the surface for the environment and type of track.

I don’t have a lot of sympathy the “don’t maintain the trail because it’s more fun that way” arguement. Before this the road was a mess and something needed to be done, but not this. The reason something needed to be done was due to the aftermath of previous attempts to re-surface ending up on the road below after some rain and this is exactly what will happen to this shite.

And the surface is not appropriate for anyone, it will encourage off roaders, MX bikes and Quads to travel way too fast for a mixed us trail, bikes will be hard to control on the squilley loose surface and it won’t be pleasant to walk on.

Either DCC need to stump up the cash to maintain to the standard required of a BOAT that will last more than one winter and be appropriate to the the traffic or give up and close/downgrade the right of way.

Trails like this are a huge asset to the area and having them buldozed by DDC does nobody any favours.

We had a similar event at the Corrieyairack. It was made clear that the new, smooth layer was put down to protect the historic road below from more erosion.

So protect it by burying it for ever?

As with all other DCC work, it’s bloody ugly and totally out of character with the area. They know this too. It’s got naff all to do with whether it’s more fun for mountain bikers or not.

And of course, as is fashionable lately, along comes Mr Smith (who doesn’t live anywhere near here, if I recall correctly) and his bunch of DCC apologists.

who doesn’t live anywhere near here, if I recall correctly

[quote]

i could live in Timbuktu, where live is irrelevant to the point i was making.

Given that I live, work and ride in Derbyshire, not sure I’ll agree with the tone of Browns remarks there.

What my wife’s employers do with our council tax money is actually of interest to us. It is just feasibly be possible that other people hold valid opinions that are different to yours

🙄

Wtf are they thinking.
Possibly about accessibility for all users and sustainability not just about myopic mountainbikers?

Once the gravel is down I would like to see you push a wheelchair up there.
It’s the countryside it’s supposed to be dirty.
Edit the tracks near me that were “improved” are deteriorating nicely. Goes to show what a waste of money this all is ,especially when they want to close our local hospital.

Given that I live, work and ride in Derbyshire, not sure I’ll agree with the tone of Browns remarks there.

What my wife’s employers do with our council tax money is actually of interest to us. It is just feasibly be possible that other people hold valid opinions that are different to yours

People have different views? No sh1t! What’s done with my council tax is important? Blimey, who knew?

My point is that they’re not really taking much into consideration, other than what’s cheapest and easiest. I believe the PDNPA are also concerned about the character of the area. I’m not sure what’s wrong with wanting that.

It seems fashionable lately to knock down anybody who suggests that maybe not all tracks should be gravel-topped roads that wouldn’t look out of place in Hyde Park.

I wasn’t defending the cost, design or suitability of the work that gets done, I was criticising some on here who approach these topics as though mountain bikers are the be all and end all of the outdoor community, and end up sounding like whiney children, which I don’t think helps us carry much weight with those who are in charge of this kind of work.

I wasn’t defending the cost, design or suitability of the work that gets done, I was criticising some on here who approach these topics as though mountain bikers are the be all and end all of the outdoor community, and end up sounding like whiney children, which I don’t think helps us carry much weight with those who are in charge of this kind of work.

So not what I said then? 🙂

It’s got naff all to do with whether it’s more fun for mountain bikers or not.

In case you hadn’t noticed, I wasn’t having a go at you other than your assertion that MrSmith and his apologists had no connection to the area.

However, the sun is shining, my work is up to data, there are 19 miles of riverside and canalside paths calling for me to take the long way home 8)

zippykona – Member

Once the gravel is down I would like to see you push a wheelchair up there.

I have to agree, sadly my wife is now in a wheelchair & she’s a light build & I’m your classic 2nd row build yet its bloody hard work pushing up anything more than tarmac on a reasonable incline.

Introduce the slightest amount of irregularity and it becomes a horrible experience for the wheelchair passenger as well.

Sure you could probably drive a decent mobility scooter up it but how many people with them have transport big enough to cart the thing up to the Stanage car parks & TBH there are better views with easy access.

Waste of money IMO

So protect it by burying it for ever?
[/quote]Yep. Many historical sites are partially excavated and then reburied. The original Wade road of the Corrieyairack was being steadily damaged by a combination of walkers, cyclists, off-road vehicles (despite attempts to ban them) and weather. The best way of preserving it is to cover it with a new surface and to control water damage by the use of some water bars. Of course all of this will, eventually, wear away under the same pressures the original road suffered but it will, until then, be better protected than it was.

JCB up by the revetment this morning. Heading up tomorrow morning to see if DCC & PDNPA have been spinning us a yarn about the preservation of features. Not hopeful from the look of the pic.

Finally managed to get out and ride up & down the Long Causeway.

What is being done is somewhat different to what we had been assured would happen by PDNPA and DCC. We are a little annoyed at having been misled.

There are a few bits of stone poking through the flat surface, but nothing to challenging. The full width has been flattened.

There are drainage gulleys crossing the trail which are similar to those on Chapel Gate and could catch out anyone making use of the new, fast surface. They can be jumped if you have sufficient speed but the downslope sides are quite steep if you clip them.

We have tried to engage with DCC and PDNPA, the latter are pretty useless when DDC are involved as DCC just ignore them, DCC tell us one thing and do another.

So, if you have not joined either RS or PDNPA – head on over and sign up, join both, then we can look at stepping up what we do and have a bit more clout.

I rode up it with tears at lunch time. Or it might have been perspiration either way its unrecognizable and devoid of anything.

Agree that the drainage channel, think its the first one up from the gate posts where the rough stuff used to start, is going to collect someone. Too steep on the far side. Can easy clear but when someone gets it wrong it won’t be good.

Time for a longest skid competition methinks!
But seriously, it’s awful. It’s a quite regular walk for me and the missus and now holds very little interest beyond it being a bit quicker to the glorious Stanage edge. By using the access argument are they going to “improve” the drop down to the plantation with a winding ramp and bulldoze a path through the weather-beaten boulders on the Edge. Of course not! Four by fours have already been banned, but I’m sure many would like to see them back to make it a bit more interesting again.