Rivington Pike

mattrgee

Well I went up to Rivington Pike last night for the 2nd time, but chose a different route on the way down. Bad idea. With the Winter Hill transmitter on my right I started to descend on what turned into a really rough trail. In the end I could only pass some sections by getting off and pushing Quite disappointing really.

Is it just me? Or does anyone else consider that particular trail a bit tricky?

stubs

I am afraid that doesnt narrow it down very clearly where exactly did you start and finish

mattrgee

Started at Barn and finished there as well. Cycled up to the second car park then went up the right hand foot path, then up to Pike. Down from the Pike, turned right, passed a big old building on the left with views of the reservoirs and then started to descend on the dodgy road.

stubs

I think you mean the landrover road down to the car park with the icecream van if thats right it is a bit tricky in places I had a big off halfway down last year and it took me a few goes down to get my nerve back. Get your self some knee and elbow pads and youll be flying down its only a bit dodgy because its loose.

My video from Rivi last month the Landrover road bit is about 6 mins in

Rivington Grand National

mattrgee

Yeah some of that looked like it, I must have got to it via a different route. Looking at your video, at 3:32 you go through a gate with the toilet block opposite, I turned right out of the gate and just stayed on the track. God it was rough. I could do with finding a less extreme route down as it spoilt it a bit having to push.

stubs

That is the landrover road if you turned right at the bogs. If you want a different way down turn left were you turned right at the bogs ride about half a mile and you want to look for some short wooden posts on your right with a track that turns sharp right and goes down hill. Go down it turns back on itself and you end up at a gate turn right and ride through the woods it brings you back to the road that runs between th great barn and the hall barn

If you have memory map or similar mapping software I can send you a gpx. file with some nice routes marked on it for you. If you dont have the software I could do some screenshots that will be a bit small but will give you an idea where to ride.

stubs

If you go to the tourist info at The Great Barn they sell a laminated map with cycle routes on they were £1.50 last time I looked

kaytronika

We used to ride down there on our rigid bikes. Not easy!
It's also previously been the route used for an organised 4 man down hill... I'm talking 13 years ago at least now. I remember one fella on a hard tail hit so many bumps he just veered in to the grass verge at the side and went over the handlebars.

The last time I went I took this route

Down Roynton Road... Which isn't a road, but a fairly rough bridleway. It was much easier than the other route.

NDawn

I love that area, granted weekends are horrible with the crowds but during the week it's great.

I do this clockwise route. I've done that rocky descent before but had to walk most of it, first time I had done it, was on my own and hadn't subjected my bike to anything that extreme before so I wussed out.

I didn't do that descent the second time, but I did go down that steep descent from the top of the big hill, that was scary! Got down the rocky bit at the top fine but lost it near the bottom

kaytronika

NDawn wrote:

I love that area, granted weekends are horrible with the crowds but during the week it's great.

I do this clockwise route. I've done that rocky descent before but had to walk most of it, first time I had done it, was on my own and hadn't subjected my bike to anything that extreme before so I wussed out.

I didn't do that descent the second time, but I did go down that steep descent from the top of the big hill, that was scary! Got down the rocky bit at the top fine but lost it near the bottom

That's almost exactly the same as a route I used to do 15 years back. Only I'd carry on from the station back through to Haigh Hall along the disused railway and then I'd ride home to Beech Hill in Wigan.

We used to do the steep grassy descent off the side of the Pike. When we did it there was barely a trail there. Seems quite established now. Heh.

I need to go back for a proper explore.

bike n surfer

must just be me and the lads who i ride with but we love the loose rocky stuff and the faster the better and yes body armour is worn only cause we cant afford be off work. it does get easier the more confident you get. another good track is from the transmitter down into belmont but is mare getting back

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Thanks

If I go up Rivington this is the route which i often use. Hope you like it.
I apologise for the late reply, I often go from the barn, up sheep house lane, right at the top of sheep house lane across old Belomot road, out by the pigeon tower, then up to the pike. From the pike I head down the back then right at the bottom towards the dog hotel, just before wilderswood there is a gate, head through there and down through the woods, at the bottom you carry your bike over a bit of a fence and turn right up a short, steep slope. At the top of the slope you will be heading towards a farm, keep going past the farm, keep to your left and you will come onto a housing estate, stay on there for about 50m and take the first right into more woods. Keep going through the woods and you will come out on the main road through Rivington village, cross the road and head right for a bit, very soon there will be a carpark and a muddy track, go up the mussy track as far as you can go before you go into the resevoir and then turn right towards Liverpool Castle. Once you are at Liverpool Castle turn right round the back of it then make a fast left down a few steps and you will be on a path paralell to the resevoir, keep going through the woods, you will pass GoApe, keep going any you will eventually arrive back into Rivington Village, from there turn right and keep to the left, go back up sheep house lane, you will soon make a right turning (a bit after the tea rooms) and you will be back at Rivington Barn.

Hopefully you can try this one, it will be on the website soon. http://rivingtonpike.com/