I remember seeing a couple of weeks ago that there was maintenance work being carried out on Roych Clough.

Has anyone been up there recently? Has this work finished now?

Have they flattened out the interesting bits?!

http://www.bikegarage.co.uk/update-on-roych-clough/

Nice one thanks!

Was up there last weekend – the work they’ve done has bedded in nicely, it’s riding really well. Still rough but without the big steps which caught a few people out. Very top section is still pretty muddy.

TBH (and I’ve always said this) – those big steps were dangerous to ALL users. On a Pootle theres a pic of me jumping down the big one and the next rider (same photographer) theres a pic of him flying headlong over the bars dramatically. Sad but its a shared lane for all users.

I had a starring role in a porno on those very steps…

Oooh you lying tosspot. There’s a pic of you *mincing* down it 😉

In my black and white top? It shows me riding it! 8)

Riding, not jumping

IMG_0356 by Will Slater, on Flickr

The pictures in question:

IMG_0356 by Will Slater, on Flickr

IMG_0357 by Will Slater, on Flickr

To be honest I sat there and took photos for a while on that Pootle, and there were only a few people who looked like they were enjoying it – about half went down it quite gingerly, and half walked. I quite liked the step, but I agree with Hora – it was potentially dangerous, and certainly beyond quite a few riders.

Agree. If you were new to the area and riding down there, or on horse or even on foot. Its unfair for someone to expect that on a bridleway. They had to do something about it.

I like how in the second picture the rider is still one finger-braking in mid-air with his left hand 😆

I like how in the second picture the rider is still one finger-braking in mid-air with his left hand

“I know! More front brake – that’ll sort it.”

Purely from a selfish pov, this is a shame – loved those last time I rode them. Looks like they’ve tried not to overly sanitise it with the repairs though. Probably the best they could do.

Oh no, a potentially dangerous trail feature!

Hardly a big drop either is it – perfectly rollable, and not hidden around a corner. Can’t see it being much bother for horse riders or walkers either.

especially as the (much flatter) trails for horses and walkers is to the photographer’s right- this was supposedly deliberately left to provide more challenging features, saldy it was ripped to bits by 4*4s

What I like is how everyone so far has ignored this gem:

twang – Member

I had a starring role in a porno on those very steps…

We actually saw an old Disco doing just that (me, Pook, skiprat etc). The Disco was on road tyres and wheelspinning/reversing up to winch his mate up the step-up bit. At first we were intrigued/loved what they were doing then it became ‘wtf’..ermm stuff.

saldy it was ripped to bits by 4*4s

That makes them pretty fun descents though, no?
Chapelgate isn’t worth riding down at all now.

It was trickier than it looks, I can see why they felt it needed changing. It still rides well to be fair, you can carry a lot more speed through the section and the 4x4s seem to be sticking to the rocky main path, which I believe is the plan.

**edit** what they’ve done is MUCH better than Chapelgate.

the 4x4s seem to be sticking to the rocky main path, which I believe is the plan.

the plan is to close the Roych to vehicular traffic, I think

Ah that’s interesting. I actually thought the work was to encourage them to stick to the main path.

what they’ve done is MUCH better than Chapelgate

I think that’s because it was a different “they”. If I’ve got it right, the Chapel Gate works were done by Derbyshire CC but the Roych has been done by the National Park?

Roych was done by PDNP in conjunction with Pennine Bridleway

the pics above show the best part of it, always did the step/lip as pictured as a jump and it was cool, especially felt a lot bigger at night not knowing/seeing where the rocks were strewn across as you landed

looks like they have done a good job TBF, it was pretty mashed up last time i used it, but ill miss the drop/jump

hora’s pic shows him taking the chicken line drop, the pic after to the right with the guy looking like hes over the bars was far worse/bigger/steeper to drop/jump off

The repairs are pretty good, probably still catch a few people out. Few bits starting to show a little wear from 4x4s already – which is good.

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1463702_389117801220516_693960872_n by rickbanks89, on Flickr[/img]

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The chicken route is far right —>

The ‘hard’ bit always has rocks in it to roll/fairly easily. It seems that day they had been removed 😆

Don’t worry- with time it’ll morph into a new, different and interesting part of the kinder route. All is good 🙂

the hard part is the pic where the guys flying over the bars, ive always committed to jumping that as if you roll it on that steep bit like he has chances are you will get your wheel trapped in a boulder as you land (ie, like him 😆 ) and at least he had a go on it 😆

at least you didnt go down the path at the side hora 😉

Whats the material like that they’ve used? Please don’t say its the same stuff as on Chapel Gate? i.e bloody hard wearing. It looks different, more muddy/earthy?

Ah that’s interesting. I actually thought the work was to encourage them to stick to the main path.

Yes, back in the day there wasn’t the alternative line. I think it was created by visiting chickens.