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Next week I'll be going up to Bradford for the first round of the XC national series, and have got the Monday off for travelling/riding. There's a complication in that I've got to make a brief visit to Worksop at some point during working hours.
So where would you recommend spending a couple of hours riding for two XC racers that isn't too much of a detour from Bradford-Worksop?
The first thing that comes to mind is starting around Lady Cannings and going into the Peaks from there, or having an explore around Wharncliffe.
Anyone got a recommendation?
Some great options from lady cannings. For an xc loop you could do the eastern edges or if you want more downhill fun blacka moor for devil's elbow and Piper house descents. Then there's stanage plantation but getting to/from involves a bit of a road slog from either direction.
Or if you want a big peaks ride, LC is only 15mins drive from ladybower which would give you even more options.
Worksop to lady cannings or vice versa is a good hour in the car. The actual Peak District is further still. Not sure if that counts as not much of a detour.
You will pass rother valley on the way between the two. I’ve never ridden there but I think the trails are quite xcish.
There is also of course sherwood pines closer to Worksop which has more distance in way marked trails than lcp. The red route is most definitely xc territory. It’s a bit further south than Worksop so you’d be driving past your destination to get there but it’s less of a detour.
Or even clumber park if you want something more akin to gravel. School holidays so will be rammed though remember.
You could do cut gate from Langsett, easily extendable around the Ladybower end if you're feeling energetic.
My 7 year old did Rother Valley, they are fun at full pelt but not particularly worth a visit if you have a car.
"two XC racers" & "explore around Wharncliffe" don't really go well together. You'll need to be a bit more specific.
Sherwood Pines is probably the most XC racer in the area.
Cannings will be boring after 20 minutes.
I'm in Worksop, there are trails in Clumber, but in your situation a couple of laps of Sherwood Pines is probably the best option.
Fair cop about Wharncliffe - we're XC racers that are happy on BPW hard reds/blacks (as an example, not that BPW is the gold standard!). Would Wharncliffe be worth having a look at on XC rigs with slick tyres?
Sherwood/Clumber/Rother sounds a bit too much like home. Flat XC in the plantations can be had in Suffolk! 😁
Wharncliffe recently. Perfect for Xc bikes and slick tyres
To be fair it’s quite dry at the moment. Go for it. It ticks the “not like Suffolk” box for sure
There’s always greno over the road for something more mellow.
You can easily put a descent xc loop together in Wharncliffe, especially if you include greno. It's not all about dh and gnarr. Send me a pm if you want further details.
There used to be a nice enough xc loop in Wharncliffe but they never got the backing they needed so it's now overgrown or been repurposed for DH duties