Riding Cut Gate tonight after work, it will be dry and fast, can’t wait 😀

hats off

im doing cut throat bridge – hoping thats dry too!

Barstewards!

Bet it won’t be.
Boshed it down with rain all day on tues.

It’ll be great – was there on Sunday and there wasn’t anything even vaguely damp up there. Even with the rain it’ll still be dry tonight. I enjoy it more every time I ride it.

I did it Monday – was superb.

I was up on tuesday and it was stupid quick, dry and dusty!! It was Fantastic 🙂

which descent back to Langsett do people prefer? The right fork to North America or the drop down to the cobbled woodland zig zag? I tend to always do the latter.

It will be glorious up there tonight, enjoy.

The right fork to North America or the drop down to the cobbled woodland zig zag?

the former sounds a lot further.

lol! I’m off now, woo hoo!!!

I go for a figure 8 route down North America, over to the bottom section of cut gate. Into the wood and up coronation street. Coming round off the dam past North America and up Cut Gate proper.

Come off the Cut Gate path down towards North America (down the stuipdly fast multi line rock gardens and peaty sections). Turn left through the gate and back onto the Cut Gate path just above the rocky zig zags so you then get a insanely fast descent on the smooth wide track, then into the zig zags at a million mph and then pootle along the BW back to the car park.

I tend to do it from the langsett end as an out and back and ride down through the woods then climb back up an do north america as well.

My nephew’s ‘welcoming to the world’, non religous christening naming ceremony thingy was held in Langsett Barn last month. I have never been there before, but you know those times when you can just ‘sense’ magic trails- it was one of those days. I really need to get up there and ride those paths.

The guys from the Cafe did the catering- and did a bluddy wunderful job. BIG respect.

Where are these zig zags?

Do people travel far to ride over Cut gate…?

It seems to have lost something these days …maybe riding something too much is what does it?

Zig zags are at the opposite end of the lake to the dam – bottom of the Cut Gate path (I think) – a series of rocky switchbacks which make an excellent techy climb or a mint descent!

I don’t travel too far to ride it (about 30 mins from Halifax) but hitting it on a day like Monday I’d travel from the far end of the country to do it. It was excellent.

Had a great ride, trails were so dry and fast, not a trace of water or mud anywhere. No walkers either, Bonus!! Sorry no photos, too busy having fun

Route (thanks for the opinions everyone): rode out over the dam wall, cut right up BW to North America, then up gnarly hill to left (not going through gate) join cut gate path proper and up to cairn. Route back down same way to North america then left thro gate up to cut gate BW then down zig zags and back to carpark.

Only 10 miles but what a great 10 miles they are.

Are these the zig zags? – http://www.multimap.com/s/ABRvbHcW

I tend to alternate between the straight descent down Mickleden Edge and the descent to North America.

I think I’d better get out on it tomorrow evening.

fallguy – thats what we did on Monday but went all the way to the visitor centre at the far side for ice creams.

scuttler – yes, thats them. Excellent when hitting them at full speed! Just float over everything so its less bumpy then going slow down them!

scuttler – Member

Are these the zig zags? – http://www.multimap.com/s/ABRvbHcW

thats the ones, the shady woodside stone climb out on to the moor from the reservoir head – sorry for the sh*te description – is that what is refered to as coronation street cobbles? or is that climb out the other side of the gate on Langsett side back towards car park?

How long to do the ride guys ?

I have a few hours spare on Saturday evening. Going to maybe try to get to Langsett for about 6ish and head over to the top of Howden res and do a U turn.

Dont want to get benighted on the moor.

Cheers all.

MIght be tempted to try it again if it’s dry, went earlier in the year and it was a peaty/boggy nightmare

We set off from Langsett at 6.20 and were back for 8.20, moderate pace with a couple of stops. Only rode to top of cairn tho, if you drop down to the Slippery Stones bridge its only and extra 2 miles but add an hour!

steve_b: no boggyness, just multiple line choices and all firm, fast and dry

Cheers fallguy. So solo with a quick pace probably looking at 2.5 hours with the drop to the bridge.

Is the decent to the bridge worth the climb back up ?

The drop down is worth it if you’ve time, from the cairn there is a steep techy bit followed by lightning fast slabs that spill out onto peaty moorland before the final steep techy down to bridge. On the way back the first bit is a bit of a push for me but worth the effort.

steve_b: no boggyness, just multiple line choices and all firm, fast and dry

It’s raining now though! 😉

We do the same route that DBW describes, was hoping to get there this weekend, as Wharncliffe will be busy, but its put a lot of rain down today

Turn here

Accross and down here

Up here

Are these the zig zags?

Finish up here

Tracey

Nice photos Tracey, that pretty much sums it up

lowey – if you’re pushed for time, I’d recommend setting off from the car park at Langsett and cutting the ride short by stopping and turning back at the cairn pretty much at the summit of the ride. The descent down to the bridge is v good, but it’s a big climb/push back to the cairn and will add ages on to the ride.

Oh yes, and beware, the car park here http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=420205&y=401163&z=120&sv=420205,401163&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=681&ax=420205&ay=401163&lm=0
is very popular at night with people who don’t initially know each other but like to meet in their cars and get naked and jiggly together. Park near a pub or something…

I prefer the drop straight down rather than right to North America. What was truely horrible trail sanitisation has developed into a flat out skip and hop undulating blast. I know its not big or clever but I can’t help chuckle when people see me coming, stop, grab their children and retire to a safe distance off the side of the trail. I can’t help myself.

Oh yes, and beware, the car park here http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=420205&y=401163&z=120&sv=420205,401163&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=681&ax=420205&ay=401163&lm=0
is very popular at night with people who don’t initially know each other but like to meet in their cars and get naked and jiggly together. Park near a pub or something…

Thats the clincher. Right, I’ll be setting off around 9ish. 😀

That car park has a reputation for cars been broken in to, better of parking at Langsett Barn or in the layby on the main road

Tracey

I’d definitely recommend the lay-by if you got bikes on the roof.

Well, rode it last night. Parked in Langsett Barn, up to North America, through the gate, up Cut Gate, down to Slippery Stones Foot Bridge, did a U turn and went back, but descended down to North America from the sign post, left again through the gate, and did the zig zags to Crooklands Wood.

I have to say I was underwhelmed. Perhaps its all the stuff I had read about it "legendary MTB trail" that got my hopes up too much, but I found it pretty ordinary to be honest. The "out there" feel was pretty good as its quite remote, so a solo ride was quite relaxing.

Anyway, I've ticked it off my "to do" list, but I wouldn't be rushing back to be honest, not unless I do it as part of a Doctors Gate, Cut Gate , Longdendale ride.

I have to say I was underwhelmed.

Which routes do you prefer then? I like cutgate as I think for a short ride it has lots of what the dark peak does best, fast downs, steep downs, jumps/drop offs, rocky bits, stream riding, bog negotiation, gentle ups, steeper rockier sections, fords, slabs etc….

I think it was just an aspiration thing TFG. I was expecting the "holy grail" of trails… have heard so much about it. In reality, there is better stuff, albiet in shorter sections and cheeky, around Darwen and Rivi.

Having got the first ride out of the way, I'll probably love it next time I try it.