The Peak District Riding Thread

Anyone else signed up for the Red Rat Rampage next weekend?

I am recovering from labyrinthitis, so hoping to have enough balance back by then to pootle around the red route.

All funds to the Eyam pump track, should be fun so long as it doesn’t shite it down. https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/258621/The-Red-Rat-Rampage

Yes! Me and my 8 year old are doing the short one then hoping for a play on the track with my other lad.
I had Labyrinthitis a while ago and it really smashed my balance, take your time recovering. I’d be interested to know how you find night riding, I really struggle with that still

Thanks for that - this is where we ended up going - so I think we hit some of the recommendations https://www.strava.com/activities/7790943004.

Stunning area and nice to ride somewhere else for a change from the ever beautiful Strines and Dark Peak.

What’re you riding? I’ll say hi if I spot you.

And, yeah labyrinthitis sucks huh? It hit on the last day of my holiday, so negotiating a flight and two airports was great fun. I’m pretty much right now, just have the occasional random moment of light headed spinning, should be ok for a light pootle around. Haven’t ridden a bike in over a month now, going to give it a shot this weekend see how I get on.

I’ll be on my Scott scale hardtail with my lad on a red vitus kids bike. I’m tall with glasses.

Anyone recognise this hill?
Snapped from a plane heading into MCR, probably Roaches/Cat & Fiddle neck of the woods?

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Thorpe Cloud, Dovedale I think.

I concur, that arrow of trees in the middle, left section (imagining a division by 9) is:
https://goo.gl/maps/MwwZU78bmia4gJ6X6

Admittedly I started my search in Eyam, instead as it looked like a place we went to see a man about a dog not that long ago.

Good knowledge, thanks folks.

Didn’t meet anyone off here but me and Wilf had a great ride out and him and his brother loved the pump track coaching. Decent low key event

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It was a fun little ride. Friendly crew, chilled out vibe, some excellent close encounters with big furry cows, top tier free snacks (good cake selection on the route, pretty banging soup at the end). Weather was pretty cracking for it. Only bad moments were the nob who close passed me on the road coming back into Stoney Middleton, and the terrible tearing of my lungs on the final climb. Will ride again next year.

Which route did you do?

Red route. Glad I hadn’t signed up for the black route given where my fitness is post-illness, felt pretty empty by the end. Route was pretty good apart from the slog up the Monsal Trail which was a bit boring / busy. At least the cake stop was just before that section, so I had plenty of goodwill and sugar in the legs.

I’m staying in a cottage in Winster from Friday to Weds for a little break. Not sure which bike to take: gravel, road or mountain bike.

Any events/sportives this weekend? Or any reason to take one bike over the other at this time of year?

Winster is in the White Peak and for me White Peak MTB is not as good as further north in the Dark Peak, especially now as the mud gets thicker and the limestone slippier. But Winster is right in the network of little lanes that are so nice to ride around, so I'd go with road and easy-going gravel on the Tissington, Monsal, High Peak and Manifold valley trails and other limestone tracks. Avoid the field bridleways, especially in valley bottoms where the river takes over as the water rises in autumn. Gratton Dale just west of Winster is a great example, looks really tempting on the map, but will probably look like this by now...

Thank you! Sounds like gravel bike with some light tread 40c tyres will be just the ticket.

Everyone should ride Gratton Dale once.

"ride"

Yeh perfect, smooth gravel tyres and easy gearing for the ridiculously steep poor surfaced back roads! All the old rail paths are worth a spin, Monsall, High Peak and Tissington and can link to make loops with a bit of odd road or road

Cheers, had a ridiculously good ride the other day while in Winster. Will be back!

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Pretty much perfect riding weather today, barring the loss of sensation in my toes after a while. Crunching through icy puddles all along the Moss Road. Spent a bit of time hanging out with a buzzard as it sat on a wall waiting for lunch to pop up. Blue skies for miles. 10/10 would take another random December day off again.

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This is just what I need to hear ahead of a Thursday night bivvy and the Cotic social ride on Friday.

Bloody hell, going to be a cold one

Thursday night bivvy

Ooooh that is going to be brisk as fuck. Riding conditions are great tho, most of the mud has a decent crust of ice, but it’s still got a bit of squish underneath so it’s not got that unpleasant rock hard washboard quality yet.

May go in search of snow/slush tomorrow around Marple/Mellor/Roman lakes if anyone fancies it? Was planning a drive to Gisburn but don't fancy the drive.