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Hah - simplification? Or just a bad analogy? 😀 😉
both
Obviously the Peaks is a massive area and I only rode a tiny bit. Where are the flowing trails or is it mainly smashing through Rocks?
Where are the flowing trails or is it mainly smashing through Rocks?
One of the limitations with the Peak District - and possibly anywhere at this time of year - is that the only trails that haven't been ruined by weeks of rain are the rocky ones. There are nice fast, flowy trails but you'd be hard-pressed to find them under inches of mud. Also, the legal trails - the bridleways, byways and BOATS - are all generally quite wide and straight.
Maybe this sunshine will dry some of the faster, less rocky, trails out.
Or just don't come if you don't like it??
Or just don't come if you don't like it??
Thats always an option,
I've really ever known fast flowing trail centres,
The Peaks was a massive wake up call to me and has made me question everything I thought I knew about my riding,
Its technically harder than most things I've ridden but just because it's harder doesn't mean it's not as enjoyable, just means you have to earn your enjoyment a little more.
I did a variation on that loop today on the CX bike. Comfortably under an hour to get from Hayfield to Edale via South Head, Mount Famine, Roych and Rushup although once I got to Rushup I took the road as the crosswind on the ridge would have been horrendous. I reckon doing the ridge run would have made it more or less bang on an hour to get to the Penny Pot Café.
Once up on Mam Nick I took the First Descent route off (by the bus stop) down to Edale. Most of the route was amazingly dry although the bottom of Mam Nick descent had a 30m section of totally unrideable quagmire.
Came back up Jacobs Ladder then may have accidently strayed onto some FP after that... The headwind on the way home was awful. Could barely stand at the summit of Jacobs.
Doing it on a mountain bike would make the descents a lot quicker but the climbs a bit slower, not sure how that would balance out over the course of the whole ride. I was surprised at how well some of it has dried out though - Broad Clough usually turns into a hub deep mudbath at the first hint of any moisture but it was all riding well today. The extra stone packing further up Roych Clough is all holding up well too - have they actually banned 4x4s along this section now?