reckon i might shelve cut-gate plans and have a mooch to Rivi instead. have not ridden up there for a few years. could probably ride from home but more likely ill drive over. can someone please advise a 3hr loop that takes in all the best bits. will park at Wilderswood, or the barn maybe?

the big question is how i get back from btm of san marino…

Ride back up! It’s not as tough as it looks and more fun than other options involving Tarmac

+1 ride back up

Are you after a GPS track?

ride back up san marino, there’s options if you’re finishing off more towards bolton side but if you want to get back into the rivi trails the alternatives are road and a long way around.

If you are after a 3 hour ride then park at San Marino – ride up to the Belmont Bull pub and turn left going up moor off road rather than on the road (busy with mad bikers etc). From the car park at the top (Horden Stoops) go right and down into Lead Mines Clough, round the ressy (or into Healey Nab) before entering Rivington Village. You can then do whatever you still feel fit for, before riding up to the mast and finishing off down San Marino.

+1 ride back up.

I think parking at SM then starting and finishing with it is the answer! Cheers

If I was after 3 hours then at the bottom of San Marino I would head along the Witton Weavers way permitted bridleway and ride Darwen tower and tockholes as well as Rivi.

When are you riding Jaffejoffer?

If I was after 3 hours then at the bottom of San Marino I would head along the Witton Weavers way permitted bridleway

What’s the best way onto this from bottom of San Marino please?

I have been along end of reservoir and up through a farmyard onto the moor but not sure if that was cheeky or legit.

(suspect cheeky though)

Always took that to be legit CK – the farmer always says hello when I see him

It is legit that BW , you can avoid the road section by heading to here instead- see below – again legit and a BW

Never done any of the paths marked from san marino to there but I have ridden the BW with my kids.

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=369380&y=416205&z=120&sv=369380,416205&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=594&ax=369380&ay=416205&lm=0

Cheers fellas, dunno why I thought it was a footpath. Maybe someone told me wrong.

Anyone been out today or yesterday? Wondering how sloppy it’s got.

Nope but out tomorrow- was dry Tuesday so no help there.

I think it will be good to soft.

Tomorrow, Wilton. 10am

Parking in Belmont means it’s only15 min drive. Been reading some 4yr old rivi threads featuring Junkyard.

Wanna go up SM then either do the shoulder or the kennel run from two lads, then ice cream run, then Christ knows what…. Before finishing with the SM decent…?

I would think that the bottom of the shoulder might be exceptionally wet – might be better with the kennels. Could also do the Shooting Hut descent whilst you are up there…

Ha, ok. Please gimmie a clue?

Pardon me, what’s the shoulder? Is it the steep track off behind the masts?

There’s a chance I may be up there in the morning if my daughter’s well enough to go back to school. Drop me a line if you want to meet up.

Gladly meet up pal if your about. Especially if you can show me round a bit!

I’ve ridden up there a few times but always had the feeling I wanst really scratching the surface…

See here for The Shoulder

For the shooting hut descent, head up the mast road but before you enter the TV compound area there is a cattle grid. Turn right before the grid and follow the stone slabs. After a gate and a few raised timber sections, the track bends to the right and heads down the moor, coming out at the top of Coal Pit Lane. You will need to turn right at the bottom and head back to the mast road.

The shooting hut descent is the blue track rinning through the legend ‘smithills moor’…

Shoulder is where you think chapa- the gulley bit down to Georges lane and it should be OK ish till the bottom whihc will be wet till june.- I assume from there break to Lead mines to do Healey Nab – then back to rivvy to do whatever? ICR – the woods?. I may not head all the way back depending on time or stay round rivvy and share the good bits

jaffe I will meet you there [ San Marino] but we will likely meet half way up /down. The mast is an hour from my house and I can only ride once I drop the kids off.

My mail is in profile so drop me an e-mail and I will CC Chapaking into the reply/ swap phone numbers

EDIT: I know all those routes and a few others that are very cheeky depends what style you ride.

I reckon Chapa means the one running through the masts on the map – only done it when dry/dusty, I expect it’s very entertaining at the moment!

Ok sound I’ll be in touch later. I have to do school run in the morning too then was gonna shoot straight over.

Daughter’s not any better so I’m not gonna be riding tomorrow morning I’m afraid.

Coming down with it myself actually, judging from this afternoon’s lacklustre ride.

🙁

How was the ride? Do you have a strava route from today?

I was out last night – it was wet on top but firm enough!

Double post – sorry!

Great ride. Good little tour round. Would never have found some of them sections on my own. Junk may correct me here but from what I remember, up San Marino, down shooting hut descent, back round to two lads and kennel run. Then over to do Ice cream run, back up Chinese gardens, down the ravine, back up, another one down the ravine, back up then down through Wilderswood. We went our seperate ways then I returned up to the mast and finished with San Mariono.

my front brake fell apart toward the end tho which meant I had to do the San Marino descent without it! Gutted

San marino is better without brakes!

close enough 😉

I dont have names for most of them and happy to do the same again if you want another tour.
Shame about the brake though and hope* you can get the parts.
I once did Borrowdale bash with no front brake – terrifying as you could slow but not stop.

* see what i did there 😛

Not looking good on the parts, it’s definitely the lever axle that i lost. might be a warranty job? Otherwise I’ve found replacement XTR units on ebay, fiftyquidish. See what the LBS reckon first…