[Closed] How good is San Marino?!

Was riding really well before I went on holiday, would have thought the rain of the last few days would have slowed it down a bit, good to hear it hasn't done too much damage, might have a look tonight.

unless you rode the cobbled road on rigid bike stop moaning, bloody overly pampered mtbers nowadays.... 😉

Now all you have to do is beat Matt Gill KOM on Strava!!

Heres a run in the dry from a summer evening run a while back, featuring our very own tourist - Molgrips

I'm planning on riding over for a blast down on Saturday morning. Good to hear its nice and dry. You always reach the bottom of the San Marino with a dirty big smile on your face 😀 AGAIN!! AGAIN!!!!!!!

Now all you have to do is beat Matt Gill KOM on Strava!!

He's got 27 seconds on me down there, I found 20 between my first and second runs but another 27 on top of that? Naaaah, I think he's safe!

Only 10 secs off the rocky descent from the broken road to the car park though and I ended up sideways in to a wall at one point on that hah

and binners, compared to last night, that looks like a wet run!

Yup, one of my fave bits of trail anywhere.

It's gotten pretty rutted in the last few years, meaning that some sections have changed loads, lines moved and more and more chicken lines appearing, making the trail wider.

It could probably do with some 'organised' work, but as its only a footpath, erm 🙄

anyone know a good non too roadie route that would take in the best bits of Rivington and connect up to Holcombe?

Got to be said that its not that easy to connect up Holcombe and Rivington - and tbh the more off road in it then the longer the actual commute.

I guess the best off road route would be to ride around Moorbottom Road from Holcombe to Crowthorn. Down the road / tracks towards the Strawbury Duck and Turton / Entwistle Reservoir. Then i'd be tempted to go down the Witton Weavers to Turton Golf Club and drop down through Egerton to Dunscar Bridge.

From there, up past Gleaves Reservoir and up to the Scout Road car park before heading either up Coal Pit or one of the tracks on to the top of Winter Hill. Guess this latter part depends on where exactly you want to get to at Rivington / Winter Hill...

funkhouser - When you get to the bottom of the San Marino, Turn left, then right at the bleach works, head up that small road, past doggers paradise/blowjob alley, left at the main road towards Darwen.

You'll get to a right turn - carry on past that, and head right, over the gate, this will run you down through the woods, to ride down the steps to the reservoir. If you carry on round, you'll hit the strawberry duck. From there its up the road, then take the trail straight across until you get to the next road. Quick left, then first right will take you on a road climb up to the horseshoe trail that traverses Holcombe

Alternatively: Pick up the Whitton Weavers from Belmont, and up over Dawen Moor which will drop you down to pick up the trail round the reservoirs

I concur with witton weavers, in the belmont rd to green arms rd area decent routes are scarce, I ride rivi mostly, if I head to holcombe it's normally via darwen, that pushes the mileage up quite a bit tho.

ah right thanks, im good from the Strawberry duck. was thinking id do a bit round holcombe and wind up on Crowthorne Rd then head over via the routes mentioned above. i suppose a climb up and a blast down San Marino then heading back would be a decent enough ride as it is, but itd be good to do a little bit more while im over there.

I enjoy San Marino but it doesn't like me lol I've binned it on the last 2 times I've ridden it. According to the GPS the last one I hit the deck at 18 mph and that hurt big time I had the imprint of the Gopro chesty on me for days 😀

We are up there this Sunday doing all 3 descents San Marino, Dog Kennels and Ice Cream I hope i'll stay on for once LOL

If its dry enough, I prefer extending the ride by heading to the north: Tockholes Plantation, Darwen Tower, Great Hill, Healey Nab, White Coppice (not in that order btw). Plenty of good riding around those areas, especially when its drier.

Heading towards Holcombe tends to involve too much road, for not that good riding IMO.

Tell me more of these 'dog kennels' and 'Ice cream'

I've only got strava segment names to go by but there's only san marino and 'Broken road descent' that really float my boat round there.

It's no Marple/Roaman lakes for descent density 😉

Get off my land.

Please Lord Lowey, by your leave, may I have permission to ride on your land this Wednesday night?
The requisite forms have of course been submitted, in triplicate.

not sure, as i don't use strava, but "broken road descent" could be the ice cream run maybe?

broken road = icecream run
I seldom bother with it now TBH, as there are way better descents in the Japanese Gardens.

"broken road descent" could be the ice cream run maybe?

It is indeed.

Scaled - Drop me a line if you want a show around sometime, there are a few more very worthwhile bits close by.

I'm yet to ride the Japanese gardens - with the weather last night there were a lot of walkers* out and about at the top of the gardens.

I dunno, one massive rock garden? what could be better than that? 😀

*stoners

Cheers chakaping - I might well do that, I'm sure the Monday Night Club will be up that way again soon!

Lowey - did you get my paperwork about rinding Saturday? I put in a request in triplicate in plenty of time, with the usual [s]bribe[/s] donation to party funds of course, m'lud

*doffs cap*

The snipers at the top of the Pigeon Tower looked a bit trigger happy

Oh… riding the gardens in daylight is generally considered bad form. Its an after dark pleasure. Much like the plentiful dogging in the area

[img] [/img]

Next Monday night anyone?

Ecky... do you have a gpx for the Black Coombe route you did ? Only bit of the lakes I've never done.

Cheers matey.

Bloody liberty takers 🙂

The hounds will be released next time.

I preferred it when it was The Wrights Arms 😕

Lowey, only the Strava track for Black Coombe.
Not got a separate GPS so never bothered trying to download a route but I believe this will do the job:
[url= http://strava-tools.raceshape.com/vpu/ ]http://strava-tools.raceshape.com/vpu/[/url]

Looks good mate, have you got the strava *spits* link of your ride ?

Cheers.

Binners, fancy doing a bit of guiding some time when Ali's back is recovered? We could do with finding out a few more routes around t'other side (i.e. from Rivi over to your way)...

What time Monday bins? I was sat watching tv last night staring outside depressed/lethargic thinking I'm wasting this weather in the evenings.

xherbivorex - I'd more than happy to show you around the local trails any time you fancy mate. Just let me know when Ali's feeling up to it

Our normal start time on a Monday is 8.15 Hora. Get yourself out next week for a hoon down the San Marino!

And … yes… you are wasting the weather in the evenings. though not at the moment as its hail-stoning, and I've got to ride home in it in a couple of hours! I was going to go via Lee and Cragg Quarry, but quite frankly… **** that!!! 🙁

I am taking Friday off as a mate of mine wants a guided tour of Rivvi and Winter Hill. Meeting at The Bob Smithy at 10.30 and doing 3-4 hours of riding before have a few pints and a bite to eat in the pub.

If anyone fancies joining us then feel free!

Anybody up Winter Hill yesterday? Still muddy or dried out now?

Weighing up whether to ride this arvo or go for a road ride and leave MTB until tomorrow eve, since forecast is to stay dry.

All good last night. Everything nice and dry.
San Marino absolutely flying too. Well at least it was right up to the point where I put a 2" slash in the dual ply rear and sent a wad of Stans over the trail 🙁

Winter hill/rivi has dried out a lot faster than Marple/hayfield.

I got bloody well soaked last night going across to the shooting cabin and nearly OTB in a wheel eating puddle.

Variety is the spice of life and all that though.

Now all you have to do is beat Matt Gill KOM on Strava!!

Riding down a footpath at an average speed of over 45kph is pretty reckless 🙁

I might be on for Rivi on monday night, depending on how my back holds up, I may bail out mid ride though depending on pain levels!

45kph down that particular footpath is probably less reckless than that sort of speed down quite a few bridleways in the peak.

At least its wide open and you've got clear views of anything coming up, or indeed anything hurtling down toward you

It's no Marple/Roaman lakes for descent density

But about equal in their dullness.

But about equal in their dullness.

How is the San Marino dull?!

What is your idea of exciting / exhilarating / testing?

Whats going on with the Ice cream run? It seems to be more baby-headed rocks that are jagged/sharp edged. Last time I jumped off that tarmac ledge and immediately my rear pfffttss (40psi so didn't pinch- it was the sidewall).

Last night abit further down (on a two ride-old EXO Ardent)

[img] [/img]

On my way up Winter Hill / Rivvi in a few minutes. Ice Cream run isnt a favourite of mine but i was going to include it in the ride... might not bother now!

Its further down- you've got the start of the chicken line parallel (where all the walkers walk up)- about 10m's in on the right going down- you'd see it- sharp edge-central.

Never had any issues with ICR and always just fly straight down all the rough stuff. I did once run my rear tyre too low though and could feel the bang of the rim landing off the tarmac slab.

I havent even done san marino yet always change my mind and just play around in the gardens.

I much prefer the ice cream run to San Marino. San Marino is just all out speed and that's not really my thing. It's fun, but just not my favorite. I love the rocks and effort of the ice cream run, and the more rocks the better.

I love doing the Belmont descent just to see the grins on your mates faces at the bottom.

Off up there tomorrow, deciding whether to go down San Marino or drop down to Belmont Road from behind the masts (basically get to start of San Marino but turn left and follow the road round) as I work my way over to Tockholes/Abbey Village/White Coppice. Or could go Great Hill.

Either way, a nice early start to ensure empty trails....

I holed my minion dropping off the tarmac bit on ICR the other week. I was on a Strava attempt though after being knocked out of the top 10.

🙁

Rivington might not be the Lakes, but it's got some fantastic trails and I'm still finding more each ride. Lovely place to be on a sunny evening too.

ICR can be fun, equally can be scary, changes so often you never know which it'll be, ridden it loads but still instill The Fear in me.

I love doing the Belmont descent just to see the grins on your mates faces at the bottom

Riding down a footpath at an average speed of over 45kph is pretty reckless

*still disagree with the concept of downhill KOMs tho.

*still disagree with the concept of downhill KOMs tho.

What! Those are the best bits aren't they?

Completely agree with DONK that San Marino is one of the few really wide-open and safe descents to do this on though from a cycle-walker-interface avoidance perspective.

simondbarnes - Member
Riding down a footpath at an average speed of over 45kph is pretty reckless

I suspect he had a clear run, majority of the decent you can see clearly whats coming, unlikely to hit someone really

Im no expert on the area but if you like the san marino & ice cream decents then I would recommend the great hill summit to White coppice decent, it has elecments of both & the summer is the time to ride it!

An equally epic decent!

That drop off the tarmac has claimed many many tubes/tyres I reckon

Its claimed a Bontrager Rhythm back rim of mine, shortly after it claimed the tyre 🙁

Riding down a footpath at an average speed of over 45kph is pretty [s]reckless[/s] ****ing good fun!!!!

FTFY 😀

where is the white coppice decent.

How do you find it? Is that the one thats over the road from the rocky road at the top of the climb back/up from San Marino run? (why are we now calling it this?)

where is the white coppice decent

White Coppice 😉

And white coppice descent put me in A&E getting my smashed-in face stitched up! And that was the end of my modelling career 😥

Is that why you stopped doing your Blue-steel look at the last catwalk show? 😐

Pictures Binners, we NEED pictures 😆

robj20 - Member
where is the white coppice decent.

Look on the map, top of great hill down to White Coppice 🙂

I tried to find my way from Belmont road to Great Hill / White Coppice last week but could'nt find the route , ended up back at Rivington

So if anyone has a route going the other way from Rivington to Great Hill please post it.

I dont have a route but a loop i do is as follows:

Rivington barns, upto pike, upto Winter hill, San Marino, upto Belmont, Round Belmont Reservoir to join Witton Weavers way heading North, through the woods & round the 3 reservoirs to Abbey Village, Road to Brinscall, Climb up great hill, down to White Coppice & Then Healey Nab or back to Rivi.

Hope you can make sense of that? approx 23-25 miles

flashpaul at the very top of the road climb there is a car park on your right go through it and then through the gate and just keep going making sure the drystone wall is on your right up the hill [ other paths go to your left to Leads mine clough] - path initially illdefinded but just keep going.
Its a footpath its boggy and it ends up being a paved /slabbed road
You cannot really go wrong tbh
[b]IMHO it is not worth doing unless it is either very dry or frozen and its open moorland that gets too much damage[/b] - it will be boggy currently though I was tempted today

http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=365460&y=415937&z=120&sv=365460,415937&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=761&ax=365460&ay=415937&lm=0

Drop me an email if you want a guide
I can ride it this Sunday if any use

And white coppice descent put me in A&E getting my smashed-in face stitched up! And that was the end of my modelling career

That wasn't Great Hill to White Coppice descent mate. It was a big wide featureless track that you struggled with. It was near White Coppice though 😉

The White Coppice descent you mention is a bit of a sensitive spot. I can get very muddy and dug up in Winter and there has been lots of fighting over it with locals. It's not a bridleway, and is high on the cheeky scale. Only do it occasionally. Of course, I don't do it at all, but if I was to then I would keep it to summer evenings only.

I get confused. Especially when I've face planted at that speed. I just knew I was near White Coppice.

Anyway…. never mind informing me where I have and haven't fallen off and smashed myself in, have you registered for the Mary Townley yet, or what?

Im on it now. Cant be much further along?!

Ive been over 2 styles so far

Ah on slabbed path now

Thanks for the directions Junkyard , some parts were a bit boggy but generally its drying out nicely

Enjoyed the descent from Great Hill down to White Coppice

As you said you cant go wrong , I will have to try lead mines next week

I really enjoy the ride over from the car park at the top of the road from Belmont to Rivington (Horden Stoops) to Lead Mines Clough. Nice and fast and very few walkers on there.

First couple of hundred meters are always a bit boggy though!

@wittonweavers , so instead of going straight on at the car park I should turn left for lead mines clough ?

Live in Tockholes so pretty familiar with the area. I take it the 'San Marino' is the run down from Winter Hill to San Marino?

Personally prefer some of the runs down from Darwen Tower, providing the wind isn't too strong and they aren't busy.

I've never really got the Great Hill hype, find those slabs difficult to maintain speed and the descent back to Abbey Village isn't worth it.

Can anyone recommend me a route from Rivington over to Healey Nab?

Going back to San Marino. I've never really liked Rivi, I'm not a fan on wide open moorland trails. Prefer a ride to have proper woodland mixed in and some tight/cheeky trails to boot. Always liked Hebden and alot of the dark Peak.

Rivi (which is the closest for me) leaves me cold personally. I do like the top bit/2nd third of ICR though 8)

Haven't ridden round Rivington since 2006 🙁

That first big drop in to wall ride on ICR is ace if you get it right. Pretty high penalty for failure though.

There's been a fair bit of action in the top 10 since this thread was started (not me!)

Thats the bit I like- up high then bang bang - weeeee br-br-br-bri

@jonnym92

Not sure why you'd ride to Abbey Village from Great Hill. The best descent from there is to White Coppice, either ending at White Coppice itself, or veering right at the final tight left turn, then following a necky little path which meanders it way north. Or plenty of other options through the woods around Wheelton Plantation.

As for a route from Rivington to Healey Nabb, I've got two easy ones. From Rivington itself follow the bridleway to the east of Upper Rivington Reservoir that spits you out at the dam at the south end of Anglezarke reservoir. Then either ride across the dam on the road until the Yew Tree pub, turn right, then right again (signposted bridleway) at Kay's Farm, OR (cheekier option) ride to the right as you exit the bridleway and at the car park for Anglezarke, keep left, especially at the top of a short steep tarmac section, then follow good a good path, always keeping left around the edge of the reservoir until it drops you out near Healey Nabb.

(edited as Streetmap link failed)

Hora - you spend an awful lot of time riding at a place you professes not to like. I think that as with your sexuality, you're in denial

[img] [/img]

@flashpaul

Take the track out of the car park as far as the first gate. Follow the stome wall for about 100 yards - keeping it on your right as per the earlier instructions for Great Hill. As the track starts to steepen to can see a trail going diagonally off to the left. Follow that. It initially goes uphill before turning down hill. You will pass a few ruined buildings and eventually meet up with a decent wide track. Follow this to the right* and it will eventually deposit you in Lead Mines Clough.

*Incidently, if curiosity gets the better of you and you wonder where you might end up by going left - I wouldnt bother as it seems to peter out leaving a painful slog across some fields!

[img] [/img]

Apologies for the text quality!

I am gleaning some useful tips from this thread.

🙂

@GavinB

Cheers for that. Will try get chance to check out the route from Rivi to Nab.

Not sure why I've been going down to Abbey Village via Great Hill, just the way I've done it. Will have to go on an exploration ride to White Coppice if it is as good as said!

thanks for all the tips , will keep me busy next week when I am off