Disaster in the Peaks

CraigXXL

First time in the Peaks today going from Langsett to do the MBR's KIller Loop. All didn't go as planned.

Firstly this area is tough compared to what I've done before canal paths, trails and woods. I spent one a hell of a lot of time walking rather than riding due to the climbs. The tracks are mainly loose stone of varying sizes with many ruts which means you're concentrating on the right lines all the time just to be able to make progress. It was a real eye opener to what great and challenging natural rides I've been missing out on even if I found it physically and mentally knackering.

I've realised that SPD' aren't much fun in the peaks and helped contribute to some of the crashes I had today. The large chain ring makes a useless bashguard and will be coming off in favour of an e13 next time I go along with flats. The other thing I have learn't painfully today is broken ribs that I got in my last crash on the decent down to Ladybower bloody hurts. The 5 miles back to the car were very painful but I'm still glad I went and will be going back as soon as possible, ribs allowing.

Anyone who rides there regular or on similar terrian I would appreciate your advice on how to tackle the rocks and ruts. If any of you were there today I was in the green rugby shirt with a black GT Force looking fat and knackered, I tried to keep out of your way so as not to ruin your ride.

Tartanyak

I love that trail. It's the reason I bought a coiler, ripped off the outer ring and put on a bashguard and I'd never do it in SPDs. I like bailing too much

Hmmm. I mainly clung on for dear life on my old hard tail. Kept the seat down a bit (even though that makes the climbs harder) to save my nuts. It's actually easier with a bit of speed. Not too much, because then you'll die and be eaten by a sheep.

Atz

Without starting a holy war again, the problem is never what type of pedals you use, it's how good you are with them. Plenty of people ride clipped in on really "serious" terrain and have no problems. Some people fall over at traffic lights when clipped in

blister pus

CraigXXL wrote:

Anyone who rides there regular or on similar terrian I would appreciate your advice on how to tackle the rocks and ruts.

it's just practise and familiarity and fitness boosting. anyone doing that terrain blind for the first time gets blind sided and overawed because it's extremely fucking demanding and there's some grassed over rutted tracks that you simply get off and walk because it's not worth expending the energy you need for the remainder of a ride. sounds obvious and trite but it's true, do it once, get round, learn, go back and do it again on a rotating loop basis (so you don't get bored or too p!ssed off with one particularly loop).

CraigXXL

I don't usually have problems with SPD's but today they caused problems, so many obstacles and that milli second that you normally think to unclip prior to bailing just wasn't there. Once I get my technique right on the tracks then I will go back to SPD's until then it will be flats.

Tartanyak, I did notice that on some of the smaller rocks speed helped but in some areas the rocks are so large that keeping speed up was impossible. How do you take the very big flat stone step type things? I spent most of my time deflecting of one to the other doing some crazy zigzag before coming to a halt.
If I die out there the sheep will be feasting for years to come.

CraigXXL

Blisterpus, I did feel out of my depth with the terrian of the area and somewhat disappointed by my lack fitness but it's not put me off going back. Some of the guys just flew across not like myself who flew bikeless into the ground but floated over making it look effortless. I know that at my age I won't get to the same fitness standard but would love to be able cover the ground without the offs and abrupt halts.
I only got 10 miles covered today and probably half of that on foot which gives me another 24 miles to cover in the saddle for that route and many weekends to do it in. I will explore the area more as I know others have mentioned other tracks in the route section. The Peaks wil be my new play ground.

sniper68

Cutgate is my local trail and I ride clipped in.I wouldn't even consider riding in flats.It's a personal preference/confidence thing.The blokes I ride with are 50/50 flats and clips.
I'm lucky to have some of the best riding in the country so close to home.
If you thought Cutgate was loose and rocky wait till you try Blackley Hey and the Beast 8)
Or try Cutgate in the dark when it's covered in snow 8)

SPIRO

Craigxxl

Dont worry about it buddy, we all have good and bad days in this game .

For ages i struggled with the whole "i cant ride clipless in tech terrain thing" . Once i got my head round that the more riding i did the better i would get/fitter i'd be, and built the terrain difficulty up slowly I improved leaps and bounds. Also, try flats - you may prefer them, theirs nothing to say you have to ride clipless, its personal choice.

Just take your time, build the fitness whilst your getting miles under your belt, and before you know it you will be skipping through rock gardens like no-tomorrow. As you said this time you did 10 miles, next time do 12 etc

Failing that, buy a 8 inch downhill bike and just plough through the lot of em :twisted:

LeighM

I did my first Peaks ride last week and whilst my fitness and SPDs weren't an issue, the terrain was totally different to Cannock Chase.

I don't think I would have picked any ride with the word "killer" in the title for my first one though. I bought this book http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d.html/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/278-3892162-0022414?a=0954813146 which has a range of routes, starting small and building up to the more full-on enduros, worth a look for a few tamer loops to get you used to the Peaks.

sniper68

People can under-estimate Cutgate.Although only 11 miles if you do the out-and-back from Langsett to Slippery stones there's over 2000ft of climbing.It's by no means an easy 11 miles

blister pus

it's not a bad shout getting the "Peak District Mountain Biking: Dark Peak Trails" and "White Peak Mountain Biking: The Pure Trails" books by Jon Barton, get the 2nd Ed of the dark peak one for better mappage (i think they mostly are all 2nd Ed now anyway)

ratty2k

To the OP, stick with it. It can be intimidating, but you will become a MUCH better rider going there!

newclearbomb

Same here ! to the OP !

Keep at it mate, the guys you saw skipping from rock to rock to-day didnt do that the first time they went there !

Do Ladybower again, keep spinning the wheels and gradually increase your technical ability, as you say go back do different bits and then loop it all up !

As said we all have off days ! put it to the back of your mind and think about the next outing !

And next time leave the Green Rugby top at home !
EVERYONE will be on the look out for you now !

Cheshley

I had my first attempt at Cut Gate earlier this year with a few of the guys from the Slow Rides for Unfit People group. I don't have the skills/technique/fitness to ride those rocky trails and I don't have the skills/technique/confidence to ride the steep downhill sections. Having said that tho, the Peak District keeps pulling me back there. I didn't enjoy Cut Gate tho and it isn't something I would be in a rush to ride (walk) again anytime soon.

We had another group ride around Hope/Mam Tor/Hollins Cross/Edale/Jaggers Clough/The Beast/Win Hill/Hope a couple of weeks ago and although some the trails are still rocky I find riding that area much more enjoyable (I still refuse to ride The Beast tho).

If you can make it, we're planning another outing over that way in the next few weeks. Look us up in the MTB Rides section of this forum or find us on Facebook.

ratty2k

Even after numerous trips there, it can still all go tits up! Thats why I love it there, always a challenge 8)

blister pus

while i remember. about flats if you use them next time. use good pins and good shoes and for god's sake use some form of shin protection - i mean it.

CraigXXL

Lads, thanks for the help. I will try some of the other rides too but will leave the Beast for a while.

Chesley, I was all up for the first Rides for unfit people but couldn't make it in the end due to other commitments which is why I tend to ride alone or the usual local routes which are getting boring. I keep looking in on the thread and the Facebook notification so hopefully I will make one of the rides at some point.

I'm glad to hear that some of you more seasoned and experienced riders still find it a challenge. I will stick with it until I've mastered it, I hate to be beaten I just hope my body will hold out until then.

ratty2k

Beast is a funny one, I for one dont get any speed till the later sections where it just turns to rubbley rocks.
The 1st half, is fairly slow and as such most of the falls are daft....
I've come off on the ruts coming down Mickledon edge on Cutgate, front wheel crossed up at speed straight over the bars and landed on my hip. Feckin hurt that one!
Build up to it, Blackley hay is a great descent, and avoids the Beast. Less techy, and faster and longer. 8)

andituk

Firstly, well done for jumping in at the deep end! Thats not an easy route by any stretch of the imagination. And well done for not letting the crash put you off, the only way to get better is to keep on going. There's some utterly awesome riding in the peaks, it's certainly one of the best places in the country for riding. I'd recommend the V-Publishing guide books too, theres some ace routes in there, at all different levels and difficulties.

While flats are no more or less suited to the riding, if you think you'll feel more comfortable on them, then do it. I switched back to flats for the same reason, on technical stuff, I just didn't feel confident, and was spending time thinking about my pedals when I needed to be thinking about the trail. Its a personal choice, choose whatever feels right.

I am by no means a good rider, in fact, I'm pants But the best thing I've found for riding rocky stuff is staying loose, keep your arms bent, your legs bent and try and relax your grip as much as possible. Let the bike do its thing, you'll be amazed at what it'll go over/through if you let it. Keep your head up, pick a line, and stick to it. Most of my crashes have been the result of hesitation and indecision.

And you'll find if you learn to ride well in the peaks, you can ride pretty much anywhere

Anonymous

blister pus wrote:

while i remember. about flats if you use them next time. use good pins and good shoes and for god's sake use some form of shin protection - i mean it.

Real men just let it bleed and have the scars to show off

Anyway, B54s + (though I've yet to try them myself but everyone swears by them) Five Tens.

Most I know with SPDs bin them when they start doing technical stuff, and then when you point more downhill... well, when was the last time you saw DHers in SPDs? !

Bin the SPDs and lycra if you're serious about the technical stuff :P
.
.
.
(runs and hides )

popstar

SPD = Racing snake.

I am intrigued by the Peaks now. Must pay a visit and see the thing.

newclearbomb

Hmmm ! Theres obviously two rules of thought on being clipped in !

I,ve been riding the Peaks for over 15 Years abd have never ridden there in Flats !

I feel the complete opposite when unclipped and find my feet bouncing about on the pedals and thinking about where my feet are ? When i,m clipped in i dont even think about it and just concentrate on the best line !

blister pus

newclearbomb wrote:

I,ve been riding the Peaks for over 15 Years abd have never ridden there in Flats !

I feel the complete opposite when unclipped and find my feet bouncing about on the pedals and thinking about where my feet are ?

technique. you need good pins and good shoes with soles with small holes in for the pins to sink into , apply constant downward force and you don't come off. don't apply enough force at some point and you go over gnarly stuff and your feet lose traction and you end up with scarred shins - unless you wear protection.

ratty2k

^^^What he said^^^

I ride clipped in on road and flats off road. While I do find occasionally my feet slip, it is pretty rare...
Cutgate IMO is massive fun on a hardtail, I have ridden it on my big bike, but it flattens what is a fairly smooth trail by Peak standards.
Beast, Rushup (the rocky bit at least) Roych clough, Jacobs, Cavedale etc are much tougher, but again, all do-able on a hardtail.
Rushup and Roych being two of my fave bits anywhere!

sniper68

popstar wrote:

SPD = Racing snake.

I am intrigued by the Peaks now. Must pay a visit and see the thing.

Bit of a sweeping generalization there
I'm about as far from a racing snake as you can get

RE the Peak possibly the best place in England,or a very close 2nd to the Lakes, to ride 8) (IMO)

andituk

deadkenny wrote:

Most I know with SPDs bin them when they start doing technical stuff, and then when you point more downhill... well, when was the last time you saw DHers in SPDs? !

According to Pinkbike, 61% of the guys at the DH World Champs this weekend are riding clipped in.

Buckled_Rims

Let's face it, you learn from experience far better then reading about it.

I love SPDs but on fairly technical stuff it's out withe the DMR v12s and flat soles. I'll dab my foot if I want to and can't be arsed to try and clear any sections cleanly if I think I'm going down. (yeah don't forget your shinpads).

No matter how great a bike you got, you still need years of practice on technical stuff. Also helps if you're fit and not "too" weighty it helps with the balance

Keep at it, watch and learn

sniper68

Buckled_Rims wrote:

I love SPDs but on fairly technical stuff it's out withe the DMR v12s and flat soles. I'll dab my foot if I want to and can't be arsed to try and clear any sections cleanly if I think I'm going down. (yeah don't forget your shinpads).

I feel a lot better on the technical stuff clipped in.The last time I tried flats I had no confidence whatsoever.Once you get used to them your confidence builds and you just ride.I've never failed to clip-out in a crash and as I use CBs dabbing is easy also 8)
I've yet to come across anything I would ride down clipped in 8)

newclearbomb

technique. you need good pins and good shoes with soles with small holes in for the pins to sink into , apply constant downward force and you don't come off. don't apply enough force at some point and you go over gnarly stuff and your feet lose traction and you end up with scarred shins - unless you wear protection.[/quote]

I'e had a good array of pedals and found VANS Rowleys to be the best on Flats, i stopped wearing them completely in about 2002, i used to ride Hamsterley DH Clipped in,
Inners and rode every weekend at Warny !

i only occasionally got the pedal up the shin ! 9 times out of 10 it went up the calf and ripped the back of my legs to pieces ! :roll:

Ro88o

Well done Craig, for having the balls to try something like cutgate (always underestimated).

Theres some good advice on this thread, try not to run before you can walk is the motto

I came off last year, fractured my ankle and wrist and knocked the old brain jelly a bit - I was on my own too....scared the **it out of me !!

I try not to go it alone now on the more techy dh stuff.

hoochylala

Well done for having a crack at the peak district and props to you for sticking with it to the end - my advice would be to go again as soon as possible, but try a slightly easier route - perhaps just the classic Ladybower loop starting form the Fairholmes visitor centre at the reservoir to build you confidence up on some of the descents, but also to get used to the amount of climbing involved in some of the routes.

I have been riding the peaks weekly for about a year now and have swapped to SPD's in the last few months from previously riding flats - I won't be swapping back - as stated its personally preference, but I feel much for confident and in control clipped in - I'd stick with them if I was you, as you are used to riding in them.

The peaks is an ever changing challenge - a route I rode last weekend, felt totally different to when I last rode it - its brilliant and I'm very lucky to have it closeish to me - its worth the drive! (1hr30mins!)