The beauty of the dark peak is the variety. Yes there are lots of uninteresting straight rocky bridleways. Some are steep though so require a level of riding chops to ride at speed. The cheeky stuff is often another level though.
I occasionally ride with a few guys who live in hathersage. Some are on here. One was regularly on the podium at the national age category enduro champs pre covid. His latest strava includes a comment about a new section of trail that he hadn’t got the bottle to ride. Two of his mates on that ride placed strava top tens on it. Local knowledge helps.
There is some very difficult riding in the peak if you know where to look. There are bits I enjoy and can clean on a good day, and there are bits that terrify me.
Of the “legal” stuff cavedale is the hardest but at 51 I can clean it every time on my lls 29er. I needed a lot of luck on my old short 26 bikes. The now closed off hollinsclough descents seemed harder the one time I tried them a few years ago.
I’d file it under “similar to Cannock, but not as good”
I'd take the Peak over Cannock every day of the week.
I’d take the Peak over Cannock every day of the week.
Me too, the "like Cannock only worse" comment was with regard to Sherwood Pines.
Lot's of useful stuff in here thanks. Remember the lad is 12 and at Cannock my brother is happyish to let him go off with a few other mates and ride on their own as a group. They've still got lot to learn on trail/walker/horse etiquette etc
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.
For me personally i don't much care about any of that... i would ideally need a twist and turn or two 🙂 I've done the racing thing, i'm doing it again in 2 weeks time racing the Southern Enduro series, so i can have days like the Peaks for 'interesting' rather than balls out trying not to die 🙂
The challenge of a descent isnt to do with steepness or length, it comes down to how fast you ride it,
Nah.
Much more interested in something properly gnadgery that is borderline possible than riding something at speed and breaking myself.
Especially in an area where the trials are shared with a lot of other people.
@Weeksy I lived in the Sheffield for a year and have ridden in the Dark Peak a fair amount
I think that the area and is quite small and the number of rides also quite limited. But as some one who drives up from the South it's still a treat to ride there. I like the views and senses of being on bigish hills. Loads of route ideas in the Vertebrae guide
I live close to peaks and pines, peaks is a rock fest but it goes with the territory tbh.
It’s possible at pines to cover 20-30 miles and 2000’ of climbing if you stay off the marked trails and go off piste. The marked red is rubbish tbh but blue is ok if you have speed or an ebike. The real fun is linking the best of both routes with off piste for some up and down and corners. It’ll always be a trail centre but fun is there if you know where to look
Growing up near Ashbourne, we used to ride quite a bit at Dimmingsdale (we used to bike there from Mayfield area). You can ride there on the old railway line from Denstone easily, or just drive and park. The trails aren't marked, but it good for an hour or two. You'll probably find some loops on Strava. The Ramblers rest was always good for food too. TBH i've not been there for a while though.
I'd second the Vertebrate Peak book. There are a few trails nearer to Bakewell and Peak side of Chesterfield & Stoney Middleton etc if you don't want to drive too far.
55 posts and we haven't had someone pop up and say "its peak not peaks" yet? My STW, you really are slipping.
Dark Peak
White Peak
How many are there? 😉
@blackflag
I was tempted on page one but resisted...
The generalist however snuck this in-
I’ve been biking loads in the Pekes’ homeland (🤨)
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.
So let the brakes off and try and ride it faster than walking pace.
It's one of my favourites as I don't think I've ever ridden the same combinations of lines down it twice. You lift up the front wheel, do a mini huck off a slab, get pinnged sideways and all of a sudden it's like riding a completely different trail to the one you'd mapped out in your head!
Same with the steep bit of cavedale, just because you can pick a line as you come through the gate, doesn't mean your wheels are going to do as they're told 🤣
If you want something natural and challenging to ride then Cavedale is more interesting and has spectacular views
When you get good at it in dry and wet conditions go for a full frozen winter treat. Very exciting indeed!
So let the brakes off and try and ride it faster than walking pace.
I can't really respond to that without sounding like an arse. So, in for a penny, in for a pound:
😛
I wasn't saying that I find it hard, I meant that it gets touted as a challenge just to ride down, which may have been true in 2004 but is much less so now. I suspect people who read of its reputation from here will be underwhelmed. As a climb though...
Cavedale...full frozen winter treat
I have done it in snow once and it was surprisingly grippy, but yeah, I've also done it when it's just ice and that was horrible!
I can’t really respond to that without sounding like an arse. So, in for a penny, in for a pound:
Surely:
I agree though, it was a challenge on old-school hardtails, on anything half modern it's difficult but definitely rideable for most people. I'd still peg it as black by trail centre standards as you can't completely roll it (not on the line down the centre anyway, the first corner leads you into a boulder/slab with a drop of about a foot, but if you roll it there's another rock about a wheel distance ahead).
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.
Just out of idle curiosity, whereabouts would one start looking for them?
Strava is your friend aidy
In fact This site Is excellent for seeing all the segments in an area. I’m sure if you zoomed in on any random steep wooded hillside you will see lots of segments with interesting names like “shit bastard downhill” “loamy as hell” “steeper and steeper and steeper” “the gift that keeps on giving” etc😉
Nice - thanks 🙂
I’d file it under “similar to Cannock, but not as good”
Jeez, if it had 500 feet elevation changes and a different underlying geology, maybe it would rival the Peak, but its not that hard to figure out why it's got it's limits.
It is what it is, like Cannock or Hicks Lodge, really no point slagging it off. Nice day out on a gravel bike from Ilkeston though, at least you're warmed up when you get there.
Nah.
Much more interested in something properly gnadgery that is borderline possible than riding something at speed and breaking myself.
Indeed. I find when you ride loose rocky stuff at speed it becomes a bit of a lottery, and there's a lot of that in the Peak. Shin pads are a good idea too to protect against all the flying rocks 🙂