We’re thinking about a trip to Hebden Bridge at the weekend. How’s it riding up there at the moment? And does this look like a decent route option?

http://www.cyclecalderdale.co.uk/route/view/mtb-great-descents

Ta!

The trails are still fairly dry, just a few gloopy bits.

That route looks fine but I would cut out the bit to Grainwater Bridge (the furtherst point out towards Haworth) and drop down the Bridleway to Lumb Falls and push up the other side to rejoin Haworth Old Rd.

At the bottom of Pecket Well descent turn back towards The Blue Pig and head up the track behind it to join the tarmac rd you will have crossed when descending The Blue Pig and head towards Hebden, about 200yds before the junction with Lee Wood Rd look at for a track (bit cheeky but will be fine if you don’t run anyone over) on your right and drop down to Salem then back to Heb this way misses a tarmac descent.

Ace, cheers. We’ve ridden there once before (last year) and did a longer, doubletrackier ride which was pleasant but not super exciting. This sounds a better option.

We did the Pecket Well descent last time and that was a highlight.

Pecket well is always good! 🙂

Sent you a PM too

I first rode Peckett Well in about 1994 on a full-rigid Kona Explosif, can you believe? It’s an amazing challenge on any bike.

Fully rigid and rim brakes was always interesting down there and The Blue Pig!

You might as well add in Pecket Well B while you’re at it – that map shows Pecket Well A, which bears right over a bridge after the first section of packhorse slabs. If you ride back up the main road you can do B too – set off as normal but go straight on instead of bearing right. Watch out for the rim dinging/puncture causing drainage channel right at the start, but once you’re over that it’s a nice rocky descent all the way to the bottom.

Also, on your way to the top of Pecket Well from the Haworth side, keep an eye out for a little snicket of a bridleway on the right. Look on the map in satellite view and you can see it just after Crimsworth Lane and before Elmet Farmhouse. It heads down then left with a short sharp climb at the end that takes you back onto the main road – missing out the tarmac and adding in a bit of a fast running slot challenge.

Did the Calderdale MTB Marathon a couple of weeks back. Despite it pissing down all day, conditions were actually pretty good with more or less firm going over most of the route even Midgley Moor which was all rideable, even the god-awful descent at the far end from Pecket Well!

I don’t think we’ve had a lot of rain since then, so I’d expect conditions to be very similar – bit of mud, but very pleasant riding conditions.

Brilliant, thanks all. I’ll have a look at some maps and get something planned out, Much obliged!