Firstly, I know it is an anathema to ask but what trail centre options are there that are reasonably accessible from the south peaks area. My nephew (12) is getting well into his mtb riding and has been going to Cannock Chase and loving it. I’m out of touch with these sort of things and wondered if there are any other options not too far from Ashbourne
Bug fix bump
Sherwood pines is a similar distance I would think.
I don't think there's many much closer. The peak is oddly devoid of trail centres.
Bit bmx track, but Hicks lodge?
The peak is oddly devoid of trail centres.
Thankfully..
Get the Vgraphics white peak book and look at some of the short blue routes.
The only thing I can think of is ladycannings (dark peak) which is good for maybe half an hour.. it’s a brilliant resource but not really a destination.
I’m out of touch with these sort of things
Which sort of things?
Mountain biking or trail centres?
If the latter then embrace it, take him for some proper mountain biking.
Assuming he's half competent, park at the bottom of Rushup edge (Roych end), do Rushup, then Hollins cross to What's it farm ( not Backtor, the other one)
through Edale, up Jagger's, down Roman. Leave him in a cafe in Hope or Castleton with his parents and you nip up Broken Road to pick up the car....
If I'm honest, this might be a bit much for him, depends how good/fit/keen he is.
But it's a good starting point.
I’d say the Peaks *IS* a trail centre, just not the usual definition of one.
As above Cannings is the obvious traditional choice, and extendable to cover Houndkirk, The Green Drive, Blacka etc. There’s also Parkwood Springs and Greno, which has 2 decent DH lite trails and a 3rd with slightly more serious features.
Taking him to Cannings would be like taking him to ....
Somewhere which is aspiring to be s trail centre but in comparison to pretty much any trail centre in England, is frankly a bit pants.
Ok very pants.
<Edit. Thought of one.
Parkwood springs is good for a few hours. Nice, well made bmx style mtb trails. Perfect for a young, improving mtber.
Llandegla?😂
Black rocks near Matlock? I’ve never ridden there but mates have. Steep and loamy I think rather than the usual dark peak rocky stuff. Have a look on strava/Trailforks?
The peak isn’t really great for flowy trail centre stuff. I live 30 mins by bike from lady cannings and whilst it’s great that it exists it’s not somewhere to drive to. Less than 10 minutes of built trail.
Greno and parkwood have a bit more challenge but again not very long.
Yep, Cannings is ok if you’re passing on a ride elsewhere but I couldn’t do endless laps of it. Much prefer Devils Elbow and Piper House in Blacka Moor which have had some great trail work done on them.
When I was about 13-14 I was riding the Dark Peak on an 18sp rigid steel Emmelle MTB with 1.95” tyres and plastic cantilevers.
You really do not need a trail centre.
The descents i've seen videos of do look a bit motorway with stones... So if around the Lady Cannings area and want something with a more interesting way down.. What's the pick ?
The descents i’ve seen videos of do look a bit motorway with stones
That would be a good description for a lot of the dark peak area.
I’d say Piper House @weeksy, a bit less technical than Devils Elbow. Devils Elbow is great though but definitely more sustained rock gardens than the other. Or failing that the bridleway which goes through old Strawberry Lee Farm (goes from the car park by Stony Ridge Road to Lenny Hill on the OS map).
That would be a good description for a lot of the dark peak area.
HAte to sound like 'one of them' but why is there so much love for it ? It's a 3 hour drive for me and i don't want to come away thinking "should have gone to Afan". I get it's not a trail center..but i'd like more than just the M4 after spending forever going up.. (Even if we're on Ebikes for this trip) It sounds to me like the reward isn't really worth the effort ?
I’d say the Peaks *IS* a trail centre, just not the usual definition of one.
Yes, one largely comprised of
peppered with gates, walkers, dogs, MXers, more gates, a massive bit of bog and finally another gate.motorway with stones
Don't get me wrong, there are far worse places to have on your doorstep but for a 12yr old used to Cannock Chase, that'll be his impression of much of the "traditional" Peaks loops!
Sherwood Pines has a lot available. Parkwood Springs in Sheffield is only about 2km of trails, potentially not a lot of return on an hour's drive each way. TBH, if you're going to go in that direction you'd be better off doing another 45 mins and going to Leeds Urban Bike Park which has a lot more trail options.
Julians comment couldnt be further from the truth
I saw @MrAgreeable post a link to this Rough Ride Guide map which appears to show all Trail Centres (red icon) and might be useful.
TBH i don't mind Pines at all myself... but it does lack in 'views' of course, but then i'm a fan of Swinley and seem to be one of the only people on the planet who like it there.
It’s a 3 hour drive for me and i don’t want to come away thinking “should have gone to Afan”.
I wouldnt bother driving past afan,bpw etc etc to get to the peaks.
Julians comment couldnt be further from the truth
To be fair to me I didnt say it was ALL stony motorways, but a lot of it is - plus as crazy legs says gates, bogs, angry walkers etc etc . I've been riding round here for 25 years now, its on my door step, its my default riding area. I think I know it reasonably well, but cant claim to know it all, dont get me wrong its great to have it so close and just be able to go for a ride after work, but I wouldnt be travelling past lets say the welsh hills/mountains (north and south) , the lake district, various areas of scotland to ride the peak district.
Its fine , and is good fun, for people like me who live in the vicinity, but you'd have to be mental to drive past those other (better?) well known mountain bike spot to get here.....Controversial opinion? maybe familiarity breeds contempt?
Having said that - sherwood pines and cannock chase are rubbish - I'd rather ride various bits of the peak than those two.
peppered with gates, walkers, dogs, MXers, more gates, a massive bit of bog and finally another gate.
Yeah. It's terrible here. Don't come.
The descents i’ve seen videos of do look a bit motorway with stones
I'd love to step in and defend the Peak from this, but....... yes it is if you ride Potato Alley, Houndkirk moor, what's left of Chappel Gate and the Causeway after resurfacing, etc.
But then there's also Cut Gate, Cavedale, Stanage Plantation/Pack Horse (possibly the most over photographed corner in the UK?), Blacka Moor, etc etc etc.
HAte to sound like ‘one of them’ but why is there so much love for it ? It’s a 3 hour drive for me and i don’t want to come away thinking “should have gone to Afan”. I get it’s not a trail center..but i’d like more than just the M4 after spending forever going up.. (Even if we’re on Ebikes for this trip) It sounds to me like the reward isn’t really worth the effort ?
I feel like I should organize some sort of "Southerners riding rehabilitation day out to the Peak". I can't imagine how people used to Sticklers rock garden would react to the Beast 🤣
I feel like I should organize some sort of “Southerners riding rehabilitation day out to the Peak”.
we're there on the 15th May, sadly we're on Ebikes as that's all the lads have... but if you could share a GPX that'd be great.
Weird as it sounds, the Beast appeals to me massively.
Potato Alley was indeed one of the videos i saw and thought "wtf... why"
Weird as it sounds, the Beast appeals to me massively.
Probably a nice climb on an ebike
Probably a nice climb on an ebike
Was talking about this with a mate the other day, I reckon there's scope now to include some e-bike-specific loops in guidebooks; ones with super steep technical climbs that would be beyond any normal rider except maybe a few Elite XC types. It would open up SO many more route and loop options if you could go up something that would normally be avoided because it's a hikeabike.
Yeah. It’s terrible here. Don’t come.
I didn't say that, I said that for a 12yr old who's used to MTBing at Cannock (which is specifically what the OP's question was about), suddenly throwing him into the rocky rubbly climbs and descents of Dark Peak is likely to be a massive step up in terms of fitness & skills requirements.
Spud alley is great fun. It's only the brief mid section that annoys me when it becomes almost all loose rock, but it's still a fun challenge. The upper and lower sections are much more stable and fast running. If you're on ebikes you certainly have no excuse not to do spud and beast.
Weird as it sounds, the Beast appeals to me massively. Potato Alley was indeed one of the videos i saw and thought “wtf… why”
I think the bit of the Peaks around Ladybower suffers a bit from "back-in-the-day-itis" . If you're riding a bike from the nineties or early noughties these descents are "Gnarr to the Max" etc, nowadays they're pretty tame. If you live near Manchester and Sheffield it's nice to have on your doorstep, I wouldn't (now) make a trip to go there.
I think the bit of the Peaks around Ladybower suffers a bit from “back-in-the-day-itis” . If you’re riding a bike from the nineties or early noughties these descents are “Gnarr to the Max” etc, nowadays they’re pretty tame. If you live near Manchester and Sheffield it’s nice to have on your doorstep, I wouldn’t (now) make a trip to go there.
spot on- nick
The descents i’ve seen videos of do look a bit motorway with stones
Went to Macc Forest yesterday for the first time since 2014 and have to say it was a massive dissappointment. We did the classic bridleway/green lane route including Charity Lane, 3 Shires Head, Cumberland Clough and all of them were pretty horrible. All the descents were basically an eroded channel full of loose rocks where the only technique required was to point the bike downhill and hang on for dear life. I'm sure this appeals to some but not me. And yes before anyone says we should have done the cheeky trails in the forest but some of the group weren't confident on steeper stuff. Also saw more MXers than MTBers, which didn't exactly add to the experience.
All the descents were basically an eroded channel full of loose rocks where the only technique required was to point the bike downhill and hang on for dear life.
yep - but those descents havent really changed - they've always been like that - except for cumberland clough which has got more eroded in the last couple of years.
I think expectations of what is a good descent are evolving....
The peaks is a nice place to ride your bike but it's not a trail centre and that's fine.
I took my Cannock loving 11 year old (at the time, he's 13 now!) up to tthe peaks and did the Sheffield Moors Loop on this flyer:
It was a proper day out and you drop into Lady Cannings for some Berms and Jump at the far end.
Take all the snacks.
He seemed to enjoy it!
think the bit of the Peaks around Ladybower suffers a bit from “back-in-the-day-itis” . If you’re riding a bike from the nineties or early noughties these descents are “Gnarr to the Max” etc, nowadays they’re pretty tame. If you live near Manchester and Sheffield it’s nice to have on your doorstep, I wouldn’t (now) make a trip to go there
There's a lot of truth in this. I've been biking loads in the Pekes' homeland (🤨) this year and the simple fact is that there's no really hard legal descents. There's some pretty hard stuff like Beast and Cavedale, but even they are eminently cleanable on a normal day on a modern gnarrpoon.
In the Lakes last weekend and was gobsmacked by how properly scary and difficult Birkside ( Helvellyn) was. It was absolutely amazing. Proper sustained steep brilliant.
Made the Peak stuff seem short and easy in comparison.
Having said all of which, the Peak is still excellent and I love having it on the doorstep. But it isn't as good as the premier destinations like the Lakes ( or Swinley as weeksy would have it ;-))
Shame you're not coming a different day weeksy. Would have loved to show you around, but I've got an appointment with another group that day (15/5)
Unless.... Is it in fact your group and he didn't tell me the e-bike bit?
up to tthe peaks and did the Sheffield Moors Loop on this flyer:
Yep, that's defo the one to do in the peak as an intro
HAte to sound like ‘one of them’ but why is there so much love for it ? It’s a 3 hour drive for me
Because it's close to lots of people....
" An estimated 20 million people live within one hour's journey of the Peak District and more than 50 million within four hours' journey"
That's it, right there. A third [quarter?] of the population of the UK can get there for an evening ride and a huge number can get there for a weekend
And it's pretty good.
I haven’t ridden potato alley for years. Go down the beast occasionally. But if you are at the top of the beast there are many many better options in those woods. They aren’t in any guidebooks though, and they aren’t anything like Cannock or sherwood pines.
Sherwood Pines has a lot available.
If you like riding round and round a fairly flat, sandy plantation, then yes, there is a lot there.
But compared to a day out in the dark peak, no way.
Full disclosure: I grew up riding in the Surrey Hills, then lived in Sheffield for 5 years where the riding in the Peak compared to Surrey in terms of rocks and techy climbs was night and day, and I now live in Nottingham, about 40 mins drive from Sherwood Pines. I ride a road bike, as I rapidly came to the conclusion that Sherwood wasn't worth driving to from anywhere.
Unless…. Is it in fact your group and he didn’t tell me the e-bike bit?
I don't believe it's you sir no.
I do agree, stick to the main BWs in the dark peak and it could be a bit same-y. I'd also prefer a big day out in the Lakes/Scotland/Wales. But for some of the gnarlier end of natural* trails, the Peak's great. As with anywhere, there are plenty of cheeky trails too, but as a visitor for a day or two you probably won't find those.
*Natural as in not bike-specific. Traditional bridleways etc.
Weird as it sounds, the Beast appeals to me massively.
Potato Alley was indeed one of the videos i saw and thought “wtf… why”
I love a bit of Potato alley. To ride it fast you need to maintain a flow and no-one can say it doesn't require skill to go quickly. Whereas the Beast is overrated IMO. It's not really a challenge to pick your way down on a modern bike for a decent rider. If you want something natural and challenging to ride then Cavedale is more interesting and has spectacular views. YMMV of course.
The peak is oddly devoid of trail centres... Thankfully
Nah, I'd like it if there was a trail centre locally. It'd be great for a few reasons: 1) A bit of a change to ride occasionally. 2) Somewhere to take kids / family that's more accessible than a "motorway with stones". 3) Encourage new riders (the learning curve in the Peak is a bit steep for complete noobies). 4) Keep some of the MTB traffic away from the trails that I like riding.
I ride a road bike, as I rapidly came to the conclusion that Sherwood wasn’t worth driving to from anywhere.
My kids enjoy it. They continue to fettle the trails and it's better now than it was even a couple of years back.
Is it Whistler/Afan/Coed-y-Brenin? No. Is it a reasonable fun couple of hours on the bike with a nice sausage roll at the end? Yes.
Sheffield?
https://www.trailforks.com/region/greno-woods/?activitytype=1&z=12.8&lat=53.44901&lon=-1.52150
Is it Whistler/Afan/Coed-y-Brenin? No. Is it a reasonable fun couple of hours on the bike with a nice sausage roll at the end? Yes.
I'd file it under "similar to Cannock, but not as good"
the simple fact is that there’s no really hard legal descents.
Speak for yourself. Only a recent-ish resident, but visitor for years, and there's plenty that keep keep my ringpiece puckering, thankyouverymuch.
New trails are Coalville are fun. Not that long though thb.
the simple fact is that there’s no really hard legal descents.
Speak for yourself. Only a recent-ish resident, but visitor for years, and there’s plenty that keep keep my ringpiece puckering, thankyouverymuch.
I should really qualify what I said. There are indeed descents that I find very difficult, like Cavedale. And indeed impossible on the wrong bike (Cavedale on an Anthem 29 with no dropper).
What I mean is there are no really really hard descents where you look at sections and just can't see how to piece it together successfully. Like Birkside. Or just below impossible for a punter like me.
The Peak is what it is and thats a great area for getting out and riding your bike.
The challenge of a descent isnt to do with steepness or length, it comes down to how fast you ride it, line choice, how brave you are and whether you are riding a skills compensator 'gnarpoon' bike.