[Closed] Mary Townley Loop

Does the Pennine Bridleway ranger open all the 92 gates for you? If so I might sign up!

It's doable in a day fairly easily, tbh. Gates are a bit of a ball-ache between waterfoot and Gorple, and it's reasonably well signposted except the drop into Hebden.

Andy

We open most of the gates for you gives us an excuse to get off for a little rest now and again!

lol r u the organiser of this event Tony ? 😉

@ratherbeintabago:

It's fairly easy and doable has to be the biggest understatement EVER!! It's 47 miles off road FFS!! Last year was a mega wet day and single handedly destoyed most peoples drivetrain and brakes!

Good event - granted last years weather was pap but red hot the previous year.

It's 47 miles, but it's not the most technical thing ever, and I believe the record is 4.5h. Granted, we did it in May in the dry; as you say the Pendleton Mountain Rescue event was apparently a bit of a death march...

Andy

I think it's been done faster than 4 1/2 hrs, not that it really matters. I'm just glad to hear that it's still on after United Utilities removed permission for the Pennine Bridleway Relay recently.

I did it last year and it was horrible. Soaked through after 10mins. Would be nice to do it in the dry though and actually see where you are rather than sheet rain for 8 hours!

They featured the MTL on countryfile on sunday -talking about the packhorse trails and the plans for the penine bridleway .good article if you were a horse rider.there was a thirty second mention of mountain biking , they showed a rider come to the gate and chat to the horse rider .told him abount bikers using the trails " how far have you come today " , "oh 12 miles " , " ooh you've had a good ride then ", made me chuckle any way

Rangerbill is organising this one I'll just be taging along to help out, open gates etc. (And make everyone else feel much fitter than they actually are by suffering far more than them!)

Slight hi-jack. TonyL will Rangerbill or yourself be looking for marshals? Email in profile.

They featured the MTL on countryfile on sunday -talking about the packhorse trails and the plans for the penine bridleway .good article if you were a horse rider.[b]there was a thirty second mention of mountain biking , they showed a rider come to the gate and chat to the horse rider .told him abount bikers using the trails " how far have you come today " , "oh 12 miles " , " ooh you've had a good ride then "[/b], made me chuckle any way

The rider in question was Mark Alker (aka 'Resident Grumpy') of this very parish, no less!

🙂

It didn't look in any way scripted + he looked very clean

No marshals for this one as it is just a guided ride for the lucky few who book on. Mountian Rescue normally organise a mass ride in September hwich might need marshals though. We will be looking for marshals for the Brownbacks races and Singletrack Weekender if you are interested?

Talking of the PB. Does anyone know why on the new 'smoothed' out sections there are what appear to be speed bumps? Over the last year have notice them appear on the way down to Callis Bridge, Nr Jack Bridge and Hurtswood Reservoir Seems pointless to me 1. Over time with use and the heavy rainfall the region gets they will be flattened. 2. Riders will just jump over them anyway.

fairly easy and do-able!!!!!
I rode to hebden from sowerby bridge to do the loop. By the time I got underneath stoodley pike I had blown up. Even orange flavoured kit kat tasted good.
Fortunately, it was not much further to reach the downhill back to the valley bottom and refuelling at the stubbing whafr.
Mrs R had to come and collect me.....

shattered.

lol ? rock hopper you didnt get very far then... what do ya mean you had blown up ? lol...i hope stoodley pike is still there...lol 😉

cheeky!!!!
It was stoodley pike at the end the way I rode it!
blown up..hit the wall etc etc...had done probably 50miles by then and was absolutley shattered.

how long did it take you....were you on ya own....navigating parts of it is supposed to be abit confusing...... the last loop with pendle mountain rescue....my hubby and i were travelling round in the car to different check points around widdop/ walsden/ Tdmorden area....and we helped alot of people on their way...many straying riders were grateful for our help.....even horse riders were lost and we sent them on their merry way...lol

cough cough...ahem...errrr...
set off from S. Bridge at 8:30 ish and got the the Stubbing Wharf at 17:45 ish (from what I remember, it was a very dark day for me).
Lots of gates to open and the tricky bit wa through an industril area that I recall was in Rossendale, just before a crazy steep climb (another).
This was around five years ago on my old rigid rockhopper with v-brakes. Not a pleasent day but it's done now and I won't be hurrying back to do it.

well done you then on your rigid rockhopper.. 😉

yeah i did the last one with the mountain-rescue took me about 7 and a half hours in the rain and as said above first ten mins people were soaked and getting punctures and pushing the first climb was like a war running out of the boat on d-day and fighting the way through to the end ;p

I've done quite a bit of research on the current status of the Pennine Bridleway as 13 of us are riding from Kirkby Stephen home to Penistone at the end of April. 140 miles in total. The further North you go the less complete the signing but the trail is basically there. There's not much road at all, less than 20 miles on our route. The Mary Towneley loop which we're doing the Eastern half of, is well marked and used, the trail from Summit via Hollingworth Lake is really scenic and well defined. We divert up above Denshaw, dropping down into Marsden, up to Wessenden Head then back into the Holme Valley and onto the Trans Pennine Trail at Dunford.

over how many days is that then.. 😉

As we are a largish group, some of whom have limited off road experience, we have planned for 3 1/2 days, the accommodation fits better as well with bunkhouse at Clapham, Hotel at Earby and Youth Hostel at Mankinholes. Its 6000 metres of climbing so no ride in the park.

We rode Hexham to Manchester in about 1990 along the proposed route of the Pennine Bridleway, stopping in Applebey and Settle. twas a good do.

Sorry to hijack a second time.
TonyL. Yes i'll give marshalling a go. Email me, phil at TechAssistuk dot co dot uk

Think the fatest time was around 4hrs 2mins. I've managed 6hrs 50mins two years ago. It's not an easy ride whatever anyone says, yes not overly technical but it is 47 miles and 6700ft of ascent. Vast majority is off road. I must admit to wimping out this year after having done it the previous three years, the weather certainly didn't make me regret it. That said the first time I did it was in June and it was hot and dusty, great trails but very easy to dehydrate, worst hang over I've ever had was the following day and I didn't drink any alcohol.

and those gates...gates everywhere!!!!!!!!!!!

rode past mary on sunday on bacup road, brings back fond memories of wet summer days 😉 could have done it in 3hrs if it wasn't for them gates

3 hours ? i dont believe it 😕