I last rode it when I was merely 20ish years old, first on a rigid Kona Explosif, then racing my mate who had just bought a pair of Rockshox Mag forks in gold. I was so determined to beat him as he was a bit of a mincer I ended up with such sore hands and arms at the bottom that I had to put my arms into the stream to cool down. We used to ride up it for a giggle (the gift of youth eh?) just to see how far we could get, like a hill climb trial.
So fast forward through the ages of bifferness, work and family commitments and I have now reached an acceptable (I thought) level of fitness with the standard modern mtb, longer travel forks, hydraulic brakes, big tyres, should be easier now I thought.
I got to the bottom and still had to put my hands and arms in the stream to cool down. There is absolutely no way any normal rider could climb up Jacobs, even the start was like the spoil chute from a stone quarry! Don’t get me wrong, it was awesome, I certainly don’t want DCC turning up with a load of planings and aggregrate, but surely it must have been tamer than that 20 years ago, or have I really aged that badly that everything that used to be “easy” up or down has now turned into a mini DH course?
Anyone else notice this in their lifetime of mtbing in the peaks? Or is there some strange cosmic connection between the capabilities of mountain bikes and the erosion of trails to match the bikes?

I too used to ride it over 20 years ago with my family, usually up, we would see how far we could get,it’s funny what counted as fun in the 90s None of us ever cleaned it but we all managed to clean every section on separate occasions. The first section was the ‘easy’ bit so it must have deteriorated a fair bit cos now it’s one of the hardest. I wouldn’t dream of climbing it now, and would rightly be arrested for child abuse if I tried to make 12 year old do it, but I love it as a descent even though it will rattle my old bones to bits one day (hopefully, what a way to go )

I think the top section has been spoilt in the last few years use to be much more rockier and more technical.I don’t bother with it anymore just my views.Beast is more fun.

The 1st section to the hairpin has indeed got much harder. Especially in the last 5 years or so.
Still just about doable though by some.

2nd section hasn’t changed as much – ruts a bit deeper.

The steep section just after the gate has got wider and wider and wider with people looking to get on to the shoulder to get out of the rocks.
It’s now steeper, which is pretty punishing if you’ve just struggled your way up the first 2 sections.

Then it levels out and you can recover for a moment before hitting the cobbles. Unfortunately, this is now a deep step, with the easy line-choice junction already way behind you. Caught me out last time.

Then up the cobbles with always feel twice as hard as they should. I’ve never made it past the section where it starts to snake 🙁

I suppose on reflection it makes sense that the trails will erode. I suppose that with all the attention on recent trail repairs (good and bad) I was surprised to see it in the state it is. Is it all really due to increasing traffic in the peaks or just the rain?

I don’t really understand most of the trail repairs.
Mostly what these sections need is a little bit of drainage at key points. Nothing more imo.

You can definitely see some erosion is due to increased traffic – that shoulder after the gate I mentioned for example. But it’s definitely not just bikes. Lots of the heavily biked areas in the peaks that haven’t been touched just ride exactly how they did 18 years ago when I first moved here.

Is there still a loop worth doing that takes in Jacobs as a descent?

Up the peaks this weekend testing my new FS and fancy something a bit different to the usual ladybower route.

Yeah the first section doesn’t seem rideable (maybe on a fat bike though?) – only been riding the Peak for 3 yr so don’t know how it used to be.
Sort of ruins it as a challenge – I’d never be able to do the whole thing but would like to see how far I could get. CBA if you’ve got to push the first section.

That second bend back by the gate that AlexSimon mentions would take a huge effort – rideable by someone strong but really steep and difficult.

First time I did it about 10 years ago I could just about ride up to the first hairpin (but not round it), and do most of the bit up to the gate. No chance now even though I’m fitter and have a better bike so I’d say it’s got harder. That’s my excuse anyway 🙂

scandal42 – Member

Is there still a loop worth doing that takes in Jacobs as a descent?Yes – kind of – we don’t tend to do it any more due to it feeling like there’s more climbing than descending. Instead of Chapelgate go up Mam Tor (on the OS map, it’s past Hardenclough Farm and Greenlands) then over Rushup Edge.

On Roych – once you get to Mt. Famine we take a number of different cheeky options to make it worthwhile

Will have to avoid the footpaths as I can see it being busy in the peaks this weekend.

Fancy trying to get this in though, think I rode from Hayfield last time.

Lol, I remember about 17/18 years ago when I was around 15/16, me and a few mates randomly decided to go over there one Saturday afternoon as one lad had just bought some new bars for his GT Timberline(?). Set off on the sunniest summers afternoon for a long time, two of us on rigids and two on hardtails and we bombed down the ladder. Got to the bottom and we stopped for a rest when there were two older riders slowly coming down, when they got to the last descent near the river one of them was too scared to ride it and flat refused, his mate was pissing himself especially when one of my friends went back up and came down again on his rigid but the guy still daren’t do it and ended up riding the footpath instead.

I wonder if either of them are on here still??
I’ve got some photo’s from the day saved online somewhere…..

I rode down it last year on my rigid 😀 It is more fun with suspension though!

Love it as a descent, but the push/ride up to it from Hayfield side is truly horrible now with the ‘resurfacing’ on the lower half.

Might have to pore over the OS map and read between the lines of AlexSimon’s post…

I got to the bottom and still had to put my hands and arms in the stream to cool down.

you’ve got older and hopefully faster. Suspension lets you go quicker so you end up getting almost the same amount of knocks, then add the fact of being a bit older…

Slow down a bit and you should get down a bit comfier.
Might not be as much fun tho 🙂

Yeah the resurfacing from the Hayfield side was not enjoyable at all. Think I must have walked about a quarter of a mile up that, the back wheel just wouldn’t stay on a straight line. The loop I did was from VP’s Peak District book, Kinder Circuit in which the author, Jon Barton says “…the very talented rider the chance of staying on their bike throughout”
Well, at least I know I can’t class myself as a very talented rider any more, either that or Jon needs to revisit the loop and check it again…
But I did make it down all the descents, a few hairy moments, mainly on Jacobs, but hey what’s mtbing without those?