I am staying just north of Leek this weekend. Was meant to be climbing but it looks set to rain so keen to get a short ride done instead. Does anyone have any good route suggestions say 2-3 hours that might hold up reasonably well in the wet?

Cheers!

Probably your best bet will be to do a route around Macclesfield forest, Wildboarclough and Three Shires Head. The surface is mostly rocky so holds up well in the wet – you will be riding through streams rather than mud.

The below link gives a pretty good idea of where to go.

http://www.theedgecycleworks.com/mtbroutes/macc-forest-classic/

Nice one, thanks.

I second what Collie says. There’s some great terrain around there and most of it has a hard, rocky or sandy surface. You’ll have puddles and possible streams down some of trails after heavy rain but only isolated patches should be muddy (the bit across the field before dropping down to 3 Shires Head at point 8 WILL be boggy).

A word of warning. I’ve ridden round there plenty of times and it’s quite hard to get a good average speed, despite feeling like I’m riding well up and down. I always end up being out longer than expected.

@Collie you were my one of my first respondents on STW when asking for some local riding knowledge when I first moved to Leek 8 years ago. <waves> 🙂

Cannock Chase!

^well, it’s not a bad shout. That’s where I’ll be heading from Leek on Saturday morning provided my hangover isn’t too bad.

Forecast isn’t too bad, dry from the sky and 10 degrees.,

Yeah it’s improved a lot since yesterday 🙂