Here’s a route I did last year

Strava link

Started off with the singletrack loop, then went south and did some great stuff around the Gradbach and the Roaches.

I found this map really useful bikemap link

Another possibly daft question

Would it work with a 2×10 setup with a medium cage rear mech, or would you need a long cage

Race across the sky is on there too.

Watching that film inspired me to enter the 2011 Kielder 100 and endure one of the most miserable days I’ve ever spent on a bike, as well as costing me several hundred quid in new parts to repair the damage. I ought to sue.

Enjoyed it more the following year though.

Still maintains that the time before his cancer was free from dopage, so that includes the World’s in ’93 and his La Flèche Wallonne victory.

There is also speculation that his use of HGH/steroids might have triggered his cancer, plus it might have been identified earlier had it not been for the use of testosterone or masking agents.

I believe other (clean) athletes have had early diagnosis of testicular cancer thanks to anomalies in their drug tests

looking at the map it would appear that the work finishes at the national park boundary, which may or may not be significant

Not that being inside the national park seemed to concern DCC with their works on Wigley lane or Stanage Causeway

This was Edale Rd in September on the section that has recently been refurbed

Richpips – I’m presuming Coldwell Clough and Edale Road are one and the same, so just wondering how far up the track that pic was taken. When I rode up it in Jan 2013 I’m pretty sure the all the stuff that has been worked on was rideable, so for something that dramatic to appear in 8 months of relatively dry weather (ah, remember that!) is testament to the fact that work was needed.

And as you point out, limestone has been replaced (or covered) with gritstone, which is to be applauded

How high up does the “repair” to the clough go? All the way to Edale Cross, up as far as Stony Ford, or lower?

A mile or so short of Edale Cross, just past the last gate, and about the point where the bridleway joins from the left. I presume that’s as far as the farmer needs to take his tractor up to drop the feed.

Given that I’ve seen rocks the size of loafs of bread washed off the bottom of tracks into the road in Peak District cloud bursts, I suspect your optimism is slightly misguided.

This is a trail not so far away which had a slightly more bedded-in and not dissimilar surface. It’s now tarmaced btw, with extensive drainage channels, culverts etc :

Yep, it might be, and I’ve seen lots of tracks like that pic (and worse) in Derbyshire, but generally where tarmac scalpings have been put down along narrow tracks. This is a much wider track, used by farm vehicles if I’m not mistaken, so it might hold up better.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t have a word with the landowners, but the NT is generally pretty sympathetic to cyclists. Unlike the OP, I don’t think this is part of plan to lay a similar surface all the way to edale.

Also, I don’t think that as it stands, it drastically changes anything. They have done a much better job than say, DCC did on Stanage Causeway.

Yep, your right, the inner is still 64

Still wondering why Shimano have only do 24 teeth chainrings for 10 speed up to now

Can anyone explain this

M770 (9 speed) comes with 44-32-22
M780 (10 speed) comes with 42-32-24

So why do they need to change the BCD to get 22teeth on a 10 speed ring

Come to think of, is there any reason why you cant use 9 speed chainrings with a 10 speed chain

(Yes I’m a bit nerdy with gears)

I rode up Coldwell Clough on Saturday and I have to say that I didn’t see a big problem with the work done. First of all the have used gritstone rather than the tarmac scalpings we’ve seen elsewhere in the peak. It was okay to ride up, but yes I can imagine that running down it wouldn’t be too pleasant. It was about the same time last year when I last rode up it, so I can’t comment on whether the repairs were really necessary or not. Although I do remember it was good, remarkably dry and rideable – a lungbuster rather than a technical challenge. The tough bits come higher up and haven’t been touched (yet?). I don’t think any rock steps have been destroyed.

The big question is how will the surface bed in after a year or two. The stones seem to be bigger than your usual gravel, so might be less likely to get washed away into ruts. What we really need is several tons of mud to be dropped on to it to bond it together (I have a longstanding and well founded phobia about loose gravel!). Hopefully once the farmer has driven his tractor, and cattle, up and down it a few times it will improve.

At the end of the day we can’t expect a landowner to ignore things that are giving them problems just for the sake of our entertainment.

Gary Fisher Hi Fi (29er), though I’m not sure that’s still available in UK, might have been superseded by Trek Rumblefish. XL

OK, I’ll put my hands up. Rode through it on Saturday evening, the gate was open and I left it that way. Didn’t see any sheep in the vicinity.

Normally I stick to the “leave it as you find it” maxim, but the exceptions are when I’ve seen a gate shut earlier it the day and now its open, for no apparent reason. Oh, and last weekend at Wenslydale I saw a sign saying “Please shut this gate even if you find it open”, so I did.

I’ve only ridden the beast 3 times in the past and on a least one of those times the gate was open.

Did strava influence me ? No. Did the fact that stopping and getting off would break up my rhythm, flow, ability to do a clean descent etc etc ? Guilty as charged.

Sputnik – that’s brilliant, I want that as a poster !

Have to say it’s not somewhere I go at night, but I’ve not seen any suspicious behaviour when I’ve been there during the day

But was the dog alright ?

It was at the request of the PDNPA as they wanted a residents group

I can understand this. At the last Ride Sheff meeting it became clear that the decision makers at DCC didn’t give a hoot about MTBing or the environment generally, and weren’t likely to take any notice of a bunch of riders from Sheffield. The best way to put pressure on them was through the county councillors, and the best way to get to those people is by pressure from constituents and local businesses.

Those of us on the fringes can offer support, but getting local residents involved is key.

Signed up and circulated to various mates

Wada issued a warning a month ago

http://www.wada-ama.org/en/media-center/archives/articles/athletes-must-show-caution-due-to-contaminated-meat/

Good reason to go veggie IMO.

Athletes are told they are responsible for whatever they ingest, and we know from the Contador case that no amount of Clen, even a barely detectable amount that would give no discernible benefit, is allowed.

But it must be tough to check every time you eat out

Not even walked the Rud Hill/White Stones track, but yep can believe it would be a quagmire

Been meaning to do the one around the reservoir for a few years now, but that would definitely be one for dry summer evening IMHO

there is a steep rutted grass downhill with a wooden style at the bottom, not easy to stop in the wet, so take care if doing it at night

Even harder in snow !

The bit below that, a tight singletrack through the trees, is quite good but often frequented by walkers – a mate got a right b*llocking there once, and has avoided it ever since !

The Beast is harder and steeper, which is precisely why I generally prefer Potato Alley ! Hard enough to make you think, but not so hard you need to have your brakes full on.

Plus after doing PA, you’ve got an easy climb and then do Lockerbroke – an even better descent IMHO

Plugged – well Garmin 800 anyway, no HRM, and only on proper rides, not my 2 mile commute. I like to see where I’ve been and distance covered, plus it’s been great for planning routes and generally motivating me. Done over 5000 miles in the 2 years since I bought it

Given a choice between a HiLo and a Reverb, I’d say pay the extra and get the reverb. I’ve got a Hilo on one bike because it’s a 27.2, and it’s been very disappointing so far – squeaking, slipping, not returning etc etc. I’m sure with effort I could resolve these problems, but the reverb worked perfectly straight out of the box.

As with the OP, I stick with Avids (well Code or Elixirs, Juicys were dire) because of the ease of bleeding them once you’ve got the kit.

Had a nightmare trying to bleed Hopes – neither me or more experienced mates could resolve it, meant I had to send them back and miss out on a planned weekend in the lakes.

Do any of the other manufacturers produce similar kits ?

5 horses and at least 30 dogs.

Oh, and lots of sheep, but I daren’t count them unless I feel asleep

Just started listening to podcasts, with single ear piece. I’m learning some fascinating history ! Good for the tedious climbs, but not for the technical stuff, and once you start going fast you can’t hear anything over the wind.

yet despite losing so many jobs they can find 250,000 to flatten long causeway. shame on them

So far they have spent considerably less than that, having just done the easy section. The expensive bit – repairing the revetment – is still to be done and the speculation is that it will be delayed indefinitely. So we’ll be left with the pigs ear combo we have at the moment – half bowling green smooth, half bowling balls !

As to their squandering money on Wigley Lane, apparently it is justified by the fact that it won’t need to be done again in the foreseeable future. Suggestion from Ride Sheffield is for those living or working in Derbyshire to hassle their councillors about it

Was around Ladybower last weekend

Hathersage, Bradwell, Castleton, Broken Road, Mam Tor, Hollins Cross, Edale, Jaggers Clough, Potato Alley, up the Tarmac, past Lockerbroke and back via Fairholmes.

Entirely rideable and not that much mud. Jaggers completely dry (apart from the ford), some slippy bits on Mam Tor and a couple of deep puddles around the top of Potato Alley.

Highlight was the Lockerbroke descent, much drier than I expected and a glorious carpet of pine needles.

No to both !

Bit of a wimp when it comes to air time, and if it isn’t rollable I don’t ride it. Speed bumps are the only things I’ll jump off !

Thanks for the comments

Yep, I’d never rely just on the locks – actually it’s more to secure the bike in transit, as I once had an unlocked bike come loose !

Always put an additional lock or two, and even then the bike is unlikely to be left for anything more than a few minutes.

Ah, OK, I now see that Thule do an adapter for the 561

Only problem is that you can’t lock the bike to the rack

Anyone used one – looks a bit expensive and rubbish to me

If you build it, they will come !

Ride Sheffield is a fairly new group so learning as it goes along. They are also building upon the experience of Greno Woods and amount of traffic those trails have received.

I’m not familiar with the science of building trails and where the money goes, but I’d like to see an approach of “Let see what money we have in March, and do as much as we can with it”, rather than “we need £x,000 before we can even start”. Once the trail is built and people can see where the money is going, it should be easier to raise the money for phase 2 and 3.

I’ve chucked some more money into the pot. There are enough MTBers in Sheffield that we should be able to get close to the mark.

Not unreasonable is it ?

For some items the postage will cost more than the item itself.

It pretty easy to navigate yourself around Greno woods even without any marking. Go along the top track until you find an interesting looking track, follow it until you hit fireroad, ride fireroad uphill until you are back at the top, repeat until bored/knackered/dead.

Wharncliffe on the other hand is a frustrating experience. The Red route lures in the unwary, being well signed at the start (just below the car park) and has some good bits early on. But I don’t think it was ever completed, hasn’t been maintained and much of it a horrible boggy mess. And it is very easy to get lost, or head off down a very tricky downhill. There’s some great riding in there, but I would avoid it after this much rain.

Is Parkin Clough the path that leads straight up from Yorkshire Bridge ? It’s pretty hard to walk up it even without a bike on your back ! There is a fireroad from the north that leads to the top of it that ought to be a BW, as should the track that leads from Hope Brink to the summit cone of Win Hill.

But riding the summit cone of Win Hill itself, and the steps to the fireroad, would be a bit anti-social if there were walkers about. But makes for a cracking descent when they aren’t….

Have both a HT and FS 29er – love them both but the FS sees more use. Use the FS for anything technical, and the hardtail for longer, more mixed rides.

Of course some people would say that you can ride almost anything on a HT, but I find a FS gives me the confidence I need to get me down the steeper stuff

Been a member of (and quite involved in) the BMC for a number of years, and in that time it have evolved from an umbrella organisation for clubs into a very active pressure group for climbers and hillwalkers. Until 10 years ago people joined the BMC because they wanted the insurance, now it’s more simply because you are a climber or hill walker, and want someone to fight your corner (though the mag is excellent, the benefits are great, and the area meetings can be good fun and you get chips!)

I’ve only been in the CTC for a couple of years but it seems to be undergoing a similar process of re-invention – the name doesn’t really fit anymore, but neither does the British Mountaineering Council. I gather whenever the magazine features MTBing it gets complaints from the old guard, but this in inevitable with change. I do wish it would do more to campaign for an update to the access laws, but it’s clearly low on the list of their priorities. However I’m also a commuter, so also appreciate their road justice campaign.

Thanks for the replies – I guess my injury is a lot less severe than some of yours.

Back on the bike today, but it’s a bit uncomfortable. I was given a splint to wear, but it presses on the swelling so I’m not convinced it does any good. I guess like any sprain it’s a balance between doing gentle exercises and not overdoing it.

And yes I’ve taken up running – often along the tracks I normally ride along – probably just adding to the sense of frustration !

YHM