Any advice for rides around this area?

*Pulls up chair*

we've just moved to Northwich.. And this along with Delamere are local, so am intersted to find out about routes..

Loads of good rides around

try
http://www.mbpost.com/trail/265712/Macclesfield-Forest-Loop-Cheshire-England.html

Was up there last weekend – theres still some snow in places at the top of Macc Forest down to Bottom of the Oven and across the top from Cat and Fiddle pub.

Also have a look on an OS map of the area – some good bridleways down to 3 shires head and of to the roaches or the other way to buxton for some extended riding

We always ignore the ascent from 'bottom'O the oven to the 'Cat and Fiddle pub', as it's on really busy, fast, dangerous roads. Instead we just ride along the Wildboarclough valley and over to Cumberland Clough via the 3 Shires bridge.

I'm sure they'll be someone along in a moment to give a guiding service.

These maps cover the area very well.

Bottom of the Oven climb not too bad – once you get the Cat and Fiddle road go into the car park of Peak View Cafe, take a right onto the obvious track up hill. Cuts out the dangerous corner biker bits. Yes footpath but used to be the old Buxton Macclesfield Road – bonus points for milestone spotting.

Lambo – what do you want to know?

Macc Forest is very local to me. As 'Jumping Flea' says there's plenty of good riding, particularly if you link in Three Shire, Cumberland Clough and/or the Goyt.

I've got some maps I can email in either .trl or .pdf if you email me via my profile.

If you're planning to go up there this weekend it's worth noting that Charity Lane was still deep with snow over the top and sheet ice down at the Forest Chapel end on Wednesday night.

A lot of good riding in the goyt, ( some footpaths though !) 3 shires, the roaches over to gradbach, or out to new mills, hayfield and whaley bridge if you're feeling fit!

Thanks for the advice. Looking like I might try the wildboarclough ride from the vertibrate graphics book. Heading there mid week so hopefully the snow will have gone.

I was out on the roadbike today and up the A54 I saw a couple of guys coming out of Three Shires, and I'm guessing heading down Cumberland Brook. However – when I went past the gate where Cumberland starts on the road, it was solid snow still. Charity and Oven Lane have both been sheet ice / snow for weeks, but you're looking at all the right tracks. Don't discount riding from Bottom o' th' Oven to the Cat – it's not so bad, and at least in the most part is fairly straight – and it's a popular route up. What it does is joing the obvious loop:

Leather's Smithy, up the left side of the forest on the concessionary bridleway (check the very latest OS 1:25 map (or Multimap of course)) Charity, Oven, Cat, then take the bridleway across Danebower Hollow from the pub, down the A54 to the top of Cumberland, back along the valley then up the steep road to Standing Stone and left across the back of the forest on the obvious bridleway. At the seats, you've a choice of two descents – the old Nessits Hill one on the wide fast track, or the new one that plops out on a horrendous effort by United Utilities that rather spoils it. When you get to the bottom by the reservoir, you can take the recently bike-allowed path around the reservoir back to the pub – sorted.

There are tonnes of ways to extend – into Three Shires, the Goyt loop from Derbyshire Bridge – even over Flash way into Longnor if you fancy a big day out. PM me if you want any more info, but that should keep you going for a bit!

Heading there mid week so hopefully the snow will have gone.

Charity Lane is basically a trough that collects and holds snow. The snow that's there has been there for weeks and I doubt it will be gone by midweek. That snow will stay 'til either things warm up significantly or we get a load of rain.

I'm not saying avoid it, I've had some fun rides down there on snow on top of sheet ice. But you might find drifts which by now have a consistency somewhere between porridge and concrete.

The Wildboarclough route in the VG White Peak book is a decent route but I'd be tempted to do Cumberland Clough (as gonetothehills recommends). Basically, when you get down to Three Shires Bridge (it'll be pretty obvious), stay on the same side of the river instead of crossing over. When you get to the top of the rocky climb, continue on tarmac 'til you get to the A54 again, turn right onto it then left down Cumberland Brook. This will drop you back down in Wildboarclough to pick up the route again.

Also (again repeating gtth) when you drop out of Macc Forest on Nessit Hill, you can now legitimately go round the back of the reser to the Smithy (turn left and after ~100m on tarmac on a bend there an obvious green 'pinch' gate).

Excellent – cheers folks will amend routes accordingly. Snow advice noted Higgo – had the same problem at stannage edge – waiste deep snow refusing to thaw. Will play it by ear weather wise.

What was that I was saying about rain?

Macc is **** brilliant for justifying why I use a freeride bike for XC.

two words

CHARITY and LANE

Can get a tad squeaky bum in winter though.

Snowing in Macc now.

CHARITY and LANE

What about CUMBERLAND and BROOK?!

Lambo – how did you get on?

All the recommendations above are ACE, and – apart from stubborn snow-drifts – this lot stays rideable through poor weather. The only downside is getting back up to the Cat and Fiddle where there is little option but to haul up a road climb

Watch out for MXers around 3 Shires HEad

Was out and about up there last night, Charity Lane had started to thaw so was on the verge of un-rideable due to spinnig out a bit, the road haul up to The Cat was clear, across the moor to the A54 was snowy but rideable as was the drop into Cumberland Brook.

Don't know about conditions today after snow late last night but at a guess not much different.

Carl