[Closed] Peaks that good?

If you don't like the Peaks don't ride or moan about it?

With your thinking. You could also argue that alot of the gnarly lakes descents are fairly 'straight'?

Who cares? I'm sure where you ride its infinitely better. Everywhere has its positives. Its riding.

The Surrey Hills- you could probably happily ride it all day long, all year long on a hardtail yet I've lost count of the amount of gnarly full sussers round there. Surely not all of them are landing ragged gnarly massive jumps?

Wharncliffe etc are great if you live next to it. I wouldn't drive to it. Same as Clayton Vale/Philips Park. Lee Quarry is okish and Rivi is a XC ride over moors. Calderdale is great but some will moan about it.

Those that moan about an area tend to be abit angry with themselves. Maybe need a girlfriend/have sex. You know.

Are you cruising?

Tom - it is boring as hell, you're best just driving by.

If you want your riding a bit easier and tech-free can I suggest Sherwood Pines is relatively close. There's even a blue route.

I've just moved back to South West Sheffield and only had time for a couple of standard Houndskirk / Blacka area rides but loving it so far.

Tonight's plan is to head out and find some of the cheeky woodland trails ahwiles et al talk of.

FOG - Member
...I worry about a time when Peak Park etc. try to limit MTB use because of some of the issues people have mentioned.

this happened years ago.

I was up over Lockerbrook on Sunday and couldn't believe how many MTBs were out which is good for the sport but might get the NIMBYs all in a lather. We do need to keep an eye on our rights.

surprisingly, things are looking to slowly improve for mountainbike access...

[url= http://www.ridesheffield.org.uk/2013/06/new-bridleways/ ]little acorns and all that[/url]

If you want your riding a bit easier and tech-free can I suggest Sherwood Pines is relatively close. There's even a blue route.

This sort of riding is also boring. Give me a decent bike park style descent with some proper (not Llandegla) sized jumps, step up/down, big berms and I'm happy 🙂 Or just a set of decent dirt jumps.

Saying this I'm still gonna go up to the Peaks at some time to hopefully be proven wrong. I'm sure there must be good routes somewhere, if the smug riders are at all willing to share their "better" routes.

This has gotta be a troll thread, shirley.

Somebody says they've travelled to the Peak to ride, did a few miles of bridleway mile-munching stuff and say it's a bit rocky 😆

The irony of that basic Hope triple 8 is that it goes tantalisingly close to a lot of decent stuff but then suddenly gets itself all politically correct wrt redsocks and avoids the best descents 😆

Speaking as a southerner, there's nothing in the peaks either up or down that's particularly difficult to ride. Straight lining little rocks on a long straight descent really isn't as hard as you all seem to think it is.

P*n C*h anyone? A classic case of "Straight lining little rocks on a long straight descent" if ever there was one 😈

P*n C*h anyone? A classic case of "Straight lining little rocks on a long straight descent" if ever there was one

I was up there the other day - littered with broken riders and bits of snapped off bike. Typical of the sense of entitlement common among modern mountain bikers, think they have the right to leave broken bits of themselves all over etc 🙂

Back in the day I did an in-depth piece about mountain biking in the Peak with Blue Peter and pointed out all the nice roads where people could ride bikes safely instead of on the nasty, boring rocky stuff etc... 😉

Or just a set of decent dirt jumps.

But thats a totally different style of riding!

Clayton Vale here isn't very long but has some nice berms. I can happily spend 40min-1hour there and feel 'satisfied'.

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@tom there's a hell of a lot of jump spots around the peaks mate, which are very easy to throw into the middle of rides. I imagine most are kept quiet because I've spent almost all my spare time digging them!

I love the place personally

[img] http://www.flickr.com/photos/74110581@N03/9094171537/ ][img] http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7309/9094171537_d441e7a163_c.jp g" target="_blank">http://www.flickr.com/photos/74110581@N03/9094171537/ ][img] http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7309/9094171537_d441e7a163_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url] [url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/74110581@N03/9094171537/ ]Untitled[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/74110581@N03/ ]Jeevester[/url], on Flickr[/img]

that looks dull.

crap image link 🙁
http://monkeyspoon.com/Pictures/SitePics/0 8'02'09%20RushupEdge+Hayfield+JacobsLadder%20Gav%205224.JPG

that looks dull.

I must admit that when I first moved up from London to the Peaks I was desolate. Spent the first few years riding double-track in Wales and double-track, straight descents in the Peaks with a dry stone wall on one side of you and a bunch of sheep staring at you on the other.

Felt depressed. The Peaks has a good mix though and you can get up there and witness some beautiful things

Both pics taken with the same crap phone by me:
[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]

Im a southern bmxer who cut his mtb teeth in the peak district, living in sheffield.

I now live in surrey. There was lots of scare mongering that id need to sell my full sus and get a rigid 29er. If anything, the reverse is true. Im riding harder, steeper terrain that involves a far bigger range of skills far more readily than i ever did living in sheffield and knowing a good chunk of cheeky stuff.

Much prefer hardtail in peak district, makes the climbs less effort and the descents less of a waste of the imbing

yep it's all crap

Somebody had better tell Steve Peat and Chris Akrigg that they've been doing it all wrong

www.vimeo.com/45688262
yep it's all crap

...and thats one of the reasons that that cheeky is getting badly eroded and ****ed quicker. It used to be dusty and tight/quite thin single track- its now wider and wider and eroded more..

People shouldn't ride it in the wet.

This thread is funny. The OP expresses his opinion of one days riding in a new area.
Followed by four pages of locals getting all upset because one individual did'nt have the ride of his life on that route.

This thread is funny. The OP expresses his opinion of one days riding in a new area.
Followed by four pages of locals getting all upset because one individual did'nt have the ride of his life on that route.

Its what makes northerners excellent warriors in war. 8)

...and thats one of the reasons that that cheeky is getting badly eroded and ****ed quicker. It used to be dusty and tight/quite thin single track- its now wider and wider and eroded more..

People shouldn't ride it in the wet.

People shouldn't ride it in the wet.

Cobblers! Just cos your too much of a mincing, closet-Southern shandy to ride in the rain? You won't dissolve, you know? You massive gayer! 😀

TBH its the OP's fault for expressing an opinion that is so clearly wrong...

Cheers

Danny B

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And then willy waving about how much more awesome it / they are. Or getting grumpy because someone has ridden it sub-optimal conditions, which from my experience of living in Sheffield is about 362 days of the year 😉

I personally really enjoy riding in the Peaks but can see why some might not enjoy it. Different folks and different strokes etc.

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Twang thats the start of potato alley. A bridleway 😉

Its not just around Ladybower, lots to enjoy around Bakewell and loads in-between. If you know where to look, and how to link the good trails its some of the best riding in the UK,

Best the rest keep away and leave it to the regulars that appreciate what the peaks really does have to offer

But what would I know after riding there for 10 years

You lot are too easy to troll, and that looks fun antares 🙂

All rocky straight lines in peaks - http://www.flickr.com/photos/91477487@N06/9099502029/

Forgive me if this is a stupid question, but aren't sheep heavily responsible for deterioration of the Peak District environment? Nothing can grow because they chew everything up before it has chance to get established so you get swathes of nothing but brown grass and a bit of heather and areas of very little diversity and very few trees to stabilise the earth.

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@vickypea - It's a working landscape not a picture postcard - there are grouse moors, sheep grazing and stock rearing, all of this creates the landscape, alongside the bloody huge holes dug into hills to get at the limestone.

It does get muddy, wet and rocky on the trail round here, if you prefer trail centres with manicured routes, berms and jumps, then go to a trail centre. Struggling to see the problem.

Roger- Excuse me, but I asked a polite question, and I didn't expect someone to jump down my throat so rudely. I KNOW it's a working landscape, I live there! Earlier in this thread, I said I love riding in the Peak District. Where did I say that I wanted manicured trails and berms? NOWHERE! As there were some comments about erosion in the Peak District, I was just contemplating on the damage done by sheep. Are you a sheep farmer or something?

@Vickypea - you are excused! 😀
I live here too - was not meaning to be jumping down your throat, sorry if it came across that way. Just pointing out that there are other factors as well as sheep that have a significant effect upon the landscape - burning back heather for grouse being just one.

The second point was more general - should have added a caveat but trying to do this on a phone - lesson learned.

And no, I am definitely not a sheep farmer, lots of friends who are, but not me.

Sorry again! I'll buy you a mug of tea if I see you in a Peak cafe by way of apology.

I love riding in the Peaks, sadly I only get time to visit for 1 weekend a year, which makes it all the better for me as its like riding new trails every year. Fellow riders are really friendly unlike some trail centre warriors, scenery is stunning all in all a fantastic place to ride even for someone with as little skill as me 😀

Yes, it's all rocky, straight, boring trails, with too many riders all littering the place.
Best ride somewhere else.

I must admit though, having ridden the Chiltens one weekend, I was slightly unnerved by the wet roots and very twisty single track and longed for my grippy gritstone.

+1 bunnyhop - the sight of jagged slimy limestone is almost comforting when I've been away too long

Hey Banks - when are you going to join us in a night ride?

Probably not the best worded original post on my behalf. I was trying to ask if it was representative or if there was better. I was pretty up front about not being some hardcore hero but that didn't seem to stop a few wading in.

It seems there is better but for whatever reason (access/pressure issues?) it's not advertised.

adsh, as a Peaks regular, I agree with you about the honeypot spots, however as with all mtbers, there are their secret local trails and bits which don't get ridden much.
All riding is good no matter where, it's all about getting out and about and having fun with mates.

@rogerthecat: apology accepted. 🙂
I was feeling a bit over-sensitive, having just had a run-in with an aggressive driver while I was driving home!

adsh, as a Peaks regular, I agree with you about the honeypot spots, however as with all mtbers, there are their secret local trails and bits which don't get ridden much.
All riding is good no matter where, it's all about getting out and about and having fun with mates.

Agreed - at 9pm at Hollins I was thinking how much better it was than being in a hotel with all the other business loners

 

spent a few hours riding from castleton today, observations lots of rocks, which to be blunt peed me off, i enjoy climbing, but alot of the off road routes aren't really rideable up. If i wanted to go for a walk i wouldn't take a bike etc.

as an aside i know Jacobs has been cleared in the past but has anyone cleared it in the last few years? seems far worse than when last rode it, that was 20years ago..

Other details, the rock freaked me out a bit, used to Cotswold limestone wet and slimy, grippy rock isn't normal!!!! and where were the slimy roots!

Don't know if Jacobs can be climbed these days - it seems off the charts in difficulty. Think you'd need to be racing at a serious level to take it on, sustained power and technique required.

The first bit strikes me as the most difficult, it's like riding up a boulder field. If you could clear that, and you were a badass, then you could maybe do the whole thing. The final climb is also brutal, but the surface is pretty solid. I could see a racer getting to grips with that.