So I rode that Marin trail yesterday morning!

After chatting to the guys in the bike shop in Betws I decided that with the weather how it was yesterday the Marin would be the better option (they said Penmachno was somewhat exposed). I followed Simon1975’s tip of following the road along to where it crosses the Marin (it took about 15 mins there and less than 10 back).

With the weather how it was I motored round in just under 2hours as I didnt stop at all. I thought it was a good loop but the conditions did hamper my enjoyment of it somewhat.

Walked the Pyg track up and down Snowdon on Saturday, glad we did that as I wouldnt have fancied it yesterday. Was green with envy seeing all the bikers at the top and me just being up there on foot.

Anyway thanks for all the tips, it was a great weekend regardless of the weather!

Yeah I’m sure I would have enough time to do both if it were just me, however it’s a group walk with a start time planned for 10:00 from pen y pass.

I can’t see the pace being particularly quick so I’ve just written it off and the sooner we do finish is a bit more pub time!!

I think a Sunday morning blast around one or the other is prob the best plan.

That looks cracking! Unfortunately I am walking with her on the Saturday so I’m just looking to sneak off for a couple of hours on Sunday morning.

If its good I might look at going back for a lads weekend and get in both marin, Penmachno and a natural route!

+1 for the drunken duck!

Great location, lovely rooms, great food and it has it’s own brewery which makes a couple of cracking beers!

Thanks for the pointers all, sounds like I might just jump in the car and park up, probably the best way to be as quick as possible. So which one would you say was the quicker to get round for a quick blast?

Also where’s best for a proper pint…..

Ecky – We are actually moving to Grimsargh, we get the keys to our new house on friday, currently living with the mrs parents in Longridge atm.
I think I have ridden with you before (Ian?). I met the group that rode on a thursday night and did a few rides with you at chipping, darwen and rivington. Might have you confused with someone else?

The Northernmost Waitrose is now in central Manchester, therefore the borders have shifted. The North now starts in north Manchester. Boggart Hole Clough precisely.

Erm we have one in Preston and i’m pretty sure that there is on in Newcastle too, it would appear that northern England is pretty much at the Scottish border now!

Longridge, near Preston.

Its pretty good, got a couple of decent rides from the door then more than you can shake a stick at within an hour or so.

Sorry slight hi-jack.

I am going to Betws-y-coed at the end of this month with the mrs for a weekend. We are meant to be arriving friday evening and climbing snowdon on the saturday. I’m looking at a few hours blast on Sunday morning while she has a lie in.

So which would you recommend Penmachno or Marin for a quick blast?

And how long are we looking to do it? To give you an idea of my speed my local trail centre – Gisburn takes me about 90 mins to do the full figure of 8.

Thanks for the comments all.

It sounds like its the right sort of thing he will be after. I think he just wants better sound quality but without the faffing around of wiring in a full 5.1/7.1 system and the necessary reciever. If its a case of pretty much plug in and play then that sounds spot on.

Will try and get to Richer Sounds to see what theyve got in!

Bump for the evening lot, any ideas?

WOW its amazing how much lift you can get from the rotors going so slowly!! :lol:

Sods law that on whats looking like being the nicest weekend of year i’ll be stuck moving all the stuff out of our old house. We were meant to be moving into our new house (first home we will actually own rather than rent) this weekend but things have had a bit of a hold up so moving in with the in-laws to be for a few weeks.

I am going to have to try and get out on the bike for a few hours at least……

I quite like them actually, I must not be very cool. :oops:

Scruff – Seatoller, stockley bridge, sty head, rossett pike, over stonethwaite fell and back.

Looks to be bridleway pretty much most of the way round. They reckon 22km with 1000m climbing.

This months killer loop in MBR is the Seatoller loop which takes in a lot of good riding at the bottom of the borrowdale valley going down past seathwaite to langdale and back. Might be worth a look.

I did borrowdale bash for the first time a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it, as mentioned not totally wilderness but some stunning views and riding none the less!

Benji – I’ve heard of riding round Waddingham Fell, don’t suppose you have a route do you? How does it hold up during the winter compared to Longridge?

Always good to have more local routes.

We’re just moving to Grimsargh at the end of this month (if everything goes smoothly) which is just between Preston and Longridge.

Where are you moving there from?

We tend to ride:

Longridge Fell, Dunsop bridge and Chipping, Gisburn, Darwen Tower, Rivington & Winter Hill.

Lakes are within reach as your are fairly close to the M6.

Ourman – I do from 28 down the M6 to Birchwood every morning. The key is to hit it early, it moves fine up until about 7.30 then it slows right down! J21a isn’t being helped by the works there at the moment!

M60 past the M61 J15 to the M62 J12 is always slow in the mornings.

M62 from J11 to J12 is now much better in the evenings since the tigers tail was finished, however still gets slow at the junction and on the M60.

I work in Birchwood (come off at J11) and I know lots of people who drive that route everyday. I think they tend to try get in earlier and leave earlier.

We’re booked in to get married at the Tithe Barn at Browsholme Hall next year.

http://www.ribblevalleywedding.co.uk/index.php

Its situated on the edge of the forest of bowland (between chipping and clitheroe) and has great views of Longridge fell.

They can do civil service and reception, they basically tailor the package to whatever you want. The future mrs Crispo is dealing with most of the details……
In fact the only thing im trying to decide is if my wedding morning ride should be Longridge Fell or Gisburn!

Good thing for a begginer at grizedale too is that you can just hop onto bits of the red from the forrestry track rides they have.

Great views if the weathers good and there are bits of bridleway that you can add on fairly easily/

The blue loop at whinlatter is good fun but not very long.

Good on him I say! Not an easy thing to do and going to raise an awful lot of money for charity!

Oh, I was on about the bridleway that runs down to highshaw clough and then back along down to the pub.

Perfect boozy lunch – Ploughmans

Perfect boozy dinner – some form of pie. A good fish pie with cheesy mash is unbeatable in my book!

Coming down from whinstone lee tor, take the bridleway and then as it starts to drop down so you can see the road there is a path off to the right. Follow this and drops you out at the bottom right next to the pub.

Its a cracking downhill all the way from the top!

We staying in one of the youth hostels in keswick last weekend.

Was perfecrt for what we needed and was about £15/night.

Longridge fell on Sunday for me!

Wellgo MG1s here. Had them about 6 months and I think theyre really good. Really grippy and good size.

Ive heard some people say they arent very strong and that the pins come out but ive given mine some abuse and are still fine, just a little bit of the paint coming off which is no big deal.

Do the top of the Rockerfella centre rather than the Empire State. The dusk and dawn ticket lets you go up in the day time and then again in the evening (which is totally different).

After this weekend this is mine:

We didn’t get any :(

However some friends have moved into a flat in Stratford with a view of the olympic stadium from the roof so we’re going to go sit up there with a bbq and a bucket of beers to watch the opening ceremony fire works!

Didn’t get any :(

So by being a proffessional type (whatever one of those are) are you now classed as middle class!?

It’s been gritted :lol:

I’ve had my shock in serviced this week. They rang me Wednesday to say it was done. Got an email that day with tracking number on and was with me by noon the next day.

Very impressed with customer service, first ride with the shock back tomorrow so I’ll reserve judgement on the product till then! :lol:

Cheers everyone!

Will try a few pints in the dog and gun and maybe food st the george.. Good to know about the tea room in grange too for a snack on the bash!

Just thought I’d ressurect this thread as the weekend is nearly on us.

I’m assuming its all clear up there now, seen a few threads about Whinlatter this week and from what ive seen it seems like any snow or ice has cleared up. So now that just leaves the one remaining (very important) question………which pub for food saturday night and which for a good Beer? Any pubs up there serve Hawkshead or Loweswater brewery beers?

Whilst normally you would want to go high in early april to be sure of snow, Austria has had so much snow this season that it’s not looking like a problem at the moment. Of course it could all change but at the moment theyre looking good!

+1 for much better lessons there too! (and I personally prefer the food)

1, but were moving house soon and im going to work on getting me a man cave so maybe another 8)