PEAKS POOTLE: Saturday 25th February

Anything we’ve not done before?

Dunno yet. I keep hearing Cavedale.

Was Cavedale the one where we chucked Hora’s bike behind the wall?

We rode down Pindale on that one, but the Cavedale turning was just before where I hid his bike. Cavedale is steeper and the rocks don’t move as much. Slippy too.

re: route, can I suggest stanage/blackamoor/totley moor areas?
AFAIK you’ve not covered that area on a pootle before?
Not thaaat terrible for mud and generally not loads of height to pedal up for amount of trail/distance that can be covered? is a bit early/low ‘season’ for me atm ..

Guessing Lady Cannings developments aren’t due to be finished for a while yet?

EDIT: though train access would of course be a ‘mare/impossible, unless dropped down (nearly) into totley itself?
Or is that a bit too much of a sheffield local ride than a peak pootle?

technically still peaks in my book. Blacka is currently a bog though, and linking from that end over to stanage pole way includes an epic amount of roads unless you go rogue cheeky. cheers for the suggestion though.

it may be a summer one though…

Cut Gate out and back would be ace if it’s frozen… how about that plus a contingency route if it happens to be mild and pleasant. Or mild and unpleasant. Or just do it anyway and enjoy the carnage. About time there was an Epic Pootle… 😉

Cutgate is an ACE out and back when it’s frozen. Just don’t forget that it’s frozen on the descent back down and nearly crash into a wall.

Might be interesting if it’s a bogfest too. Nearly bald High Rollers are the right tyres for those conditions right?

Might be interesting if it’s a bogfest too. Nearly bald High Rollers are the right tyres for those all conditions!

ftfy

Never ridden Cut Gate, so that’d be good for me if it’s frozen.

that was actually #1 on the list, from langsett end…..

Fingers crossed for a clear, cold, blue sky week next week then.

we’ve never had had weather on a pootle….

Ooh cavedale, kinda love/hate it, I like it and it hasn’t killed me yet but it does scare the hell out of me, don’t like slippy wet rock.
Not done cut gate in a while and never done stanage. Looking forward to it whatever the route. Also hoping for (dry) frozen ground.

BadlyWiredDog – Member
Might be interesting if it’s a bogfest too. Nearly bald High Rollers are the right tyres for those all conditions!
ftfy

I think I might have a bald Minion on the front… Will I die?

I have many bald minions. Pootles are like right said Fred tributes.

Long range forecast from Met Office – I’m sure it will be accurate 😉

UK Outlook for Sunday 19 Feb 2012 to Tuesday 28 Feb 2012:

Much of the UK will be dry and cold at the start of the period, with some sunny intervals. Scattered snow showers are expected across Scotland though, with gales in exposure. Rain is expected to spread form the west later on Monday (20th) turning to snow as it hits the cold air over the UK, giving some temporary accumulations. The rest of the period then shows signs of turning generally more unsettled and windy, especially in the northwest of the country, with bands of rain interspersed with cooler, more showery weather. The south and southeast look to be driest but there will be some rain here at times. Temperatures should recover to nearer normal but overnight frosts cannot be ruled out during clearer periods of weather.

Updated: 1200 on Tue 14 Feb 2012

Can we add ‘my tyres are balder than yours’ to ‘I’m incredibly slow and will be bringing up the rear at all times’ to the banned list, please 😉

I’m going all anti-pootle. I’m bring tyres that have loads of tread, will be giving all the technical climbs a good try and battering the downhills.

We might need a ‘What snow shoes for Cutgate in February’ thread

A fat bike might be most suitable for Cut Gate, BWD will be infuriated!

A fat bike might be most suitable for Cut Gate, BWD will be infuriated!

Oh, good call! I might speak to my mate Rich who runs Keep Pedalling in That Manchester[/url] and see if I can borrow his FatBike, since he so kindly said I could

He won the FatCat at Hit The North on it, so it must be an ace bike. BWD knows Rich too so I might get away with it 😀

A fat bike might be most suitable for Cut Gate, BWD will be infuriated!

Why? I’m quite happy for people to ride whatever they like. Fwiw, I’ve ridden Cut Gate in snow a few times, once on the day of an Edale Pootle a couple of years back when the snow was in such perfect rolling order that I sacked off the pootle after riding over the Roych and carried on round and home via Cut Gate.

If we do start at Langsett, Sam, you’re very welcome to ride over from Glossop with me. It’s quite a pleasant roll and about 90% off road. You just cross the Woodhead at one point, the rest is bridleway and disused rail track. Good training for the Alps as it’s mostly quite flat 😐

Your previous fat bike rants have made me laugh, that’s all. It’s a possibility, but I think my dad might be riding so I might be able to get a lift over. Otherwise that might be the only option. 😯

It’s genuinely a really pleasant roll over. Good views, nice cows and sheep, distant vistas of thundering artics, hillsides made of brown suede. You can use the pootle itself as a recovery, then pin it on the way back with fresh bread and fishfinger sandwiches at the other end. What could possibly go wrong?

Otherwise that might be the only option.

We should be heading over from Marple. As BWD says, though, it’s not a particularly hard ride from Glossop to Langsett, at least at the start of a ride. Not as nice in the other direction, admittedly, grinding up that hill is not the best of fun from what I recall

Can we add ‘my tyres are balder than yours’ to ‘I’m incredibly slow and will be bringing up the rear at all times’ to the banned list, please

Dammit! Er… Er… How about “I lost my multitool so bits might fall off my bike so I have to go slowly”?

cant make it as another kids week for me

I will make one northern stw ride this year if it kills me [ or more likley I organise it
Enjoy

Looking to book train tickets, what station are we looking at then? 😀

Seems you have to book bike spots on trains these days?

Anything i should know? never taken a bike on a train before

not ridden anything other than dirt jumps and shore since our xmas ride, could you include some in the route for motivational purposes please?

Not as nice in the other direction, admittedly, grinding up that hill is not the best of fun from what I recall

It’s about ten minutes up the hilll from Dunford Bridge to the Woodhead then back on the Longdendale Trail all the way into Royston Vasey. I’ve done Cut Gate from the front door as a night ride before now. It’d be ideal terrain for a fat bike – the spin across from Marple would warm up your legs nicely.

It’s about ten minutes up the hilll from Dunford Bridge to the Woodhead

I seem to recall being on death’s door grinding up that hill when we did stoopid loop that way round. Mind, that was a few years back now.

Thinking of hopefully joining you on this one…be nice to meet you all 😀

Right then everyone, it’s been decided.

We’ll meet at 10.30am at Fairholmes car park, at the top of Ladybower for the pootle on the 25th February.

We’re going to take in one of the UK’s most popular, and well regarded trails; Cut Gate. Our ride will take us along Derwent and Howden Resevoirs on typical lake side trails before we head up over the tops to Langsett – as such, the ride’s a bit longer than normal at 17 miles; but the first (and last) stretches of that are on easy trails. Still – it’s worth it for the loop over Midhope Moors.

The route’s an out and back – and described as ‘an easyish route’. Imagine a red. As always though it’s a social ride, steady pace – focus on the chat and the folks rather than the pace. Basically, if you’re a race snake, we hope you don’t mind holding the gates (not that there are any on this ride!)

There’s ample parking along Ladybower, and the A57 (a short ride away). Trains: Bamford is likely to be your easiest nearby station, unless you fancy a ride over from Edale/Hope.

Of course, there’ll be the pint and pie after in the Ladybower Inn too.

See you then.

Sounds like a plan 8)

I’ll actually know where I’m going on this one 😳

Woo! I love Cut Gate. Hopefully it’ll be frozen on the top, though…

Is this the Cutgate special route in the dark peak guide?

It was holding up very well last time I was up there – after a prolonged period of rain too. I was debating whether to take a group up or not but fingers crossed it will be frozen – we’re normally a responsible bunch though sticking to the trails!