Classic Ride 138 – Cakes and Ladders

by Barney Marsh September 20, 2021 2

Barney takes a trip around the shivering mountain to see if some favourite old trails still pass muster on new bikes. Words & Photography Barney Marsh There is absolutely no point in prevaricating about this – if you’ve been mountain biking for more than, say, half an hour, it’s very likely you’ll have heard about the Peak District, Castleton, Jacob’s Ladder, et al. They have attained a lofty permanence amongst the trail pantheon that only a very few UK places can muster – even fewer of them in England. First published in Singletrack 138 Issue 138 <img class="wp-image-11961766" src="https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2021/07/88f4c667-c…...

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Barney Marsh

Barney Marsh takes the word ‘career’ literally, veering wildly across the road of his life, as thoroughly in control as a goldfish on the dashboard of a motorhome. He’s been, with varying degrees of success, a scientist, teacher, shop assistant, binman and, for one memorable day, a hospital laundry worker. These days, he’s a dad, husband, guitarist, and writer, also with varying degrees of success. He sometimes takes photographs. Some of them are acceptable. Occasionally he rides bikes to cast the rest of his life into sharp relief. Or just to ride through puddles. Sometimes he writes about them. Bikes, not puddles. He is a writer of rongs, a stealer of souls and a polisher of turds. He isn’t nearly as clever or as funny as he thinks he is.