A group of us are doing the 47km Cut Gate Killer from MBR.
I've got two steeds in my stable:-
1, A specialized Pitch avec DHX 5.0 & Fox 36 Van R's
2, A Handjob with Rev U-Turns.
Now which one wouid be advisable to take?
Also, tyres?
On the pitch the it's the usual High Roller ST/Maxpro Combo Front & Rear.
On the Handjob it currently has 2.1" Advantage, but there's the option of fitting 2.35" Ignitor Exceptions.
Opinions on these also sought as this is my first trip into the peaks
Get a grip man!...handjob
Take either bike and you'll have a laugh, but it is a bit of a compromise. I ride in the Peak a fair bit and have recently been loving it on the hardtail singlespeed 29er with 80mm forks. However, everytime i ride my bigger bike I always think that I'd hate to have to do this SS!
Given your personal quiver and the distance of the ride, I'd take the handjob with big tires. Decents are rocky (although I'm not sure of the exact route you are taking) in the Peak so big rubber is the way forward.
Good answer, I did clean and prep it this afternoon.
Now - What tyres, Advantage or Ignitors?
Whats your route steve_b77? 47k and cut gate means road miles to me?
Did a Cut Gate loop a while back. Start from Ranmoor (west side of Sheffield) ride through town to Hillsborough, up through Wharncliffe woods, along the transpennine trail to Langsett, over CutGate from Langsett to Ladybower, round the dams on the unsurfaced side, lunch at Ladybower inn and then back to Ranmoor on the A57. Worked out about 45-50k I think, but a fair chunk of that was on road/doubletrack.
Me and another lad did it on Subzeros with 66s and heavy wheels/tyres, the other lad didi it on a Yeti ASX with Shermans etc.
It is doable on any bike, just depends how fast you want to go and how used you are to pedalling a heavy bike around.
If you put the ADvantages/Ignitors on the pitch that would be a good bike for it. Would be hard work with a supertacky on.
Cutgate has mostly been 'improved' now and the climb up from Langsett is on hardcore and a lot of the top is now stone surfaced rather than peat bog. Still a good few 100 yards of peat bog left though.
You are a lucky man to have two steeds in your stable.
[url= http://www.mbr.co.uk/route_maps/northern/peak_district/MBR_News_Trail_News_article_197423.html ] Cut Gate Path[/url]
Any clues?
"47km Cut Gate Killer from MBR."
Does that take in cut gate AND jacobs ladder? (but misses out doctors gate)
A 160mm forked pitch with a maxxis supertacky for 47 miles sounds like a bit of a death wish to me on the roads and some of the climbs round there
2.1" Advatages should be big enough. If its sloppy [cut gate was a couple of weeks ago (not bad, but deep(ish) tread tyres were useful in the odd bit] than ignitors may not quite cut it?
It may sound a bit daft, am I right in thinking a pitch with a pike fork is already pretty slack? So dropping 10mm off the front could still be more than capable of the peak?
Revs are tall(ish) for their travel anyway (higher than for eg fox 32 or magura menja) so you could stick the 130mm rev onto the pitch? It ought to effectively lengthen the top tube a bit and keep the front end down on climbs on the road whilst still being plenty high enough for descending?
Sorry, I read that as 47 MILES not km
29 miles won't be as bad if its the route I'm thinking of they published not so long ago and the pitch as it is will probably be fine and you'll benefit from the extra beef in fun factor (not that you'd neccessily be 'needing' the extra travel/angles/tyres etc..) I'd still be tempted to swap the supertacky with something a bit more managable if it were me
Cut gate's a fantastic ride, its difficult though, to join it to other ladybower rides without lots of road miles.
Whinstone lee is a great descent, heading north west to ladybower, as is lockerbrook. But lots of boring stuff inbetween if you're doing them in one ride!
Can't be swapping the forks, I'm pretty certain the steerer on the Re's is too short and as the crown race is one of them non-split variety and the headset on the Pitch is a Hope it's a bit of a PITA.
Might just wind the Revs out to 130 on the Handjob, wack the Ignitors on and go pedal up them climbs and pray on the way back down.
Just won't go doing any gnarl-core moves dude
If its the MBR route im thinking of it takes you down the woodhead pass and all teh way along teh old railway line which is quite dull.
To throw a spanner in the works or just mention another option, why not try Marple to Sheffield or vice versa. Its a goo days ride and you get the train back. I last did it in sept and you need a full day however there are plenty of cake stop options along the way.
I have attached a map if you are interested, i think its about 45 miles, maybe a bit more.
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Also, big tip/reminder, the shop in Sheff Station sells chilled beer!
I agree with bland - also done that route a couple of times, and using the train makes some super one way / not quite loops open up.
Did that ride a couple of years ago. Started in Hadfield. Along the Trans-Pennine Trail at the side of the Woodhead, then a little loop near the turning for Holme Firth (that bit was a bit of a waste of time; very boggy- a bit of a tiring hike-a-bike session). Then down hill, right after the pub past Langsett Reservoir, Cut Gate To Dervent/LAdybower, then a bit of a road stint on tha Snake before Doctor's Gate and back to Hadfield.
Was late starting so ran out of time, missed Doctor's Gate- bit of a waste losing all that height on road.
Did it on a hardtail (Pace RC300)- not that I have a full-susser to choose from! Was fine as the majority of the route was on good surfaces. That was Summer- can't say how things will be at the moment!
"the crown race is one of them non-split variety"
Your point being?
Vice, cloth/towel, screwdriver + hammer = job done
"wind the Revs out to 130 on the Handjob, wack the Ignitors on and go pedal up them climbs"
You could wind them down for the climbs surely? Its not exaclty a workshop job?
"and pray on the way back down"
Why exactly? You'll be on a 130mm forked, 2.35" tyred, very capable hardtail in the peak, not a DH race course
I once did Lord of the Loops on a Turner 6 Pack with Van 36s and Kujo tyres. Trust me, the bike matters not.
Did a 33+ mile route up there last saturday on my hardtail, no probs.
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Thanks for the advice folks.
Handjob is cleaned, lubed and shod in 2.35" Ignitors fore & aft, can't wait for the morning
I'm with mefster 0- the loop near holme firth is a waste of time. The route is hard work, with a fair bit of climbing, so I would use a hardtail (although a F/S would be nice on the downs).
Be aware that the distance quoted on the loop is seriously wrong (I think it is actually just over 50 miles) - like Mefster we ran out of time and wound up coming down the road at the end, having sweated all the way up snake pass.
And kudos to you if you can ride the first bridleway ascent after Derwent - to call it rocky doesn't half cover it!