Dog Bites & Broken Nails

Ride Date: 20/10/2013

Location: Ambergate Woods & Black Rocks

Riders : Jake, Deley, Matt, Howard, Alex & Tony

The plan was a variation on the usual Black Rocks & Hearthstone Lane ride, with the introduction of some riding in Ambergate Woods. We met as always in the Hurt Arms car park at 9:00am with the weather still mild, but with some intermittent drizzly showers.

We crossed the river and started the climb up through the woods following the bridleway as we went and it wasn't long before everyone's waterproof had come off due to the humidity. After some stiff climbing we reached the tarmac of "Jackass lane" and progressed along this much easier undulating road before turning right back into the woods. One final burst of energy up past the car park saw us at the start of the trail along the ridge.
Despite the heavy rain of the previous week we only had to dodge a few puddles as we rode along a good bit of single track with plenty of rock, roots, ups & downs. 
As Ambergate woods is fairly new to all of us, I'd done a few rides in there recently to try and find the best trails to ride, soon we came to a point where I hoped we could link up to a nice descent I had ridden a few weeks ago. it started of very promising with a very steep section with drops, rocks & hairpins thrown in, with most of us being beaten by the terrain, with Alex even breaking a nail! Matt decided he was going to make it down in one if it was the last thing he did. See the video below for the story.

 

Once Matt had nailed it we found the descent I had I previously ridden and followed it's twists, turns and surprises all the way down to the fire road. When linked together these two sections will make a really good tricky descent, there are various grades of obstacle on the way down including jumps & drops, all avoidable if needs be. We then made our way back to the top of the wood, albeit via the wrong route (my fault), although I'll remember next time.

Who knew that Meerkats lived in Ambergate Woods?

Once out of the woods we followed a steady path over the fields & through Kennel Wood to Alderwalsley, somewhere along the way I lost a screw from one of my cleats, so that needed a bit of tweaking, then we rode a bit of tarmac climbing to Wirksworth Moor and up the path to Black Rocks.
From here it was the usual Black Rocks fun, spiced up a little after the recent rain, which seemed to make us all a fair bit faster, we had a minor stoppage half way through for a quick tube swap on Tony's rear end. Before we knew it we were flying down the "Chute" and popping out on the canal. From here we decided to head back as time was not on our side with the exploring in the woods & a couple of mechanicals. So we decided to leave Hearthstone Lane & Crich Chase for another time & finished with a blast back along the canal, with weaving in and out of the Sunday walkers & Matt getting "nipped" by a very lively (or frisky) Collie, we were soon arriving at the pub for a pint (which Howard very generously paid for), plus it was still warm enough to sit outside!

All in Ambergate Woods is a superb addition to what is already a very good ride at Black Rocks, add in Hearthstone Lane and you've got 3 belting descents & there's still Crich Chase & Thacker's Wood to explore!

See the full route here http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/260148572/151189

Bakewell Puddings

Ride Date: 22/09/2013

Location: Wye valley - Cheedale Loop

Riders : Jake, Ryan, Matt, Howard, Dan & Deley 

The first of the "new style" Sunday rides took us possibly the furthest yet from the centre point of work, with an early morning start in Bakewell for what was a completely unknown new ride for all of us.

The start of the route was a steady warm up along the Monsall Trail, through the first tunnel & over the viaduct, here we left the easy riding trail and took a sharp left up a fairly steep and rocky "Black" rated climb, once at the top we wiped the blood, sweat and tears away, took in some of the superb views back towards the viaduct and descended down into the small hamlet of Brushfield, we then climbed & dropped on farm tracks into Priestcliffe, where Howard "percy weakbladder" Derbyshire had to nip off and relive himself.
We the proceeded on pleasant country roads to Blackwell, where we left the tarmac and joined the Pennine Bridleway we followed this steady double track for a short while where the first good descent of the day opened up before us with a nice fast loose ride down into the valley, where is was alleged that Matt overshot the final corner slightly! We then went over the Monsall Trail and over the river to start the next climb, a steady bit of singletrack back up the other side of the valley towards Mosley farm, we stopped near to the top for a breather and much needed drink

The view from near Mosley farm

Ryan & Deley checking out the views of the valley below

A "Tractor Action Shot" at Mosley Farm

After a quick drink we set off through the farm and long the farm track, veering off the track at one point onto an old Bridleway & eventually onto a short section of Tarmac before we took a right up over the fields, which turned out to be the muddiest section of trail we have ridden in many a month, there was also plenty of cow dung on this section too, which took a fair bit of scrubbing to remove in the end. This trail lead us to Wormhill, where we crossed the road and followed a fast bit of weaving singletrack, where Matt displayed his nettle avoidance technique by getting his feet above his handlebars! After a short wait for a few ramblers the singletrack dropped off to a great bit of rocky peak district downhill all the way to the road.
We now began a tarmac climb up-to the junction with the Limestone way, where we took a right and followed it nice and fast downhill all the way to Miller's Dale.
We then cheekily followed the river all the way back to the viaduct at Monsall Head and back onto the Monsall Trail

Dan & Howard on the Viaduct, not sure what Howard is looking for!

The view from the Viaduct

We then set off back towards Bakewell along what had become a much busier monsall Trail, but it turned out to be a nice warm down after the hard riding leading up to it.

All that was left was a stroll down into Bakewell for a refreshing pint in the beer garden of the The Peacock Pub with the weather having turned to be spot on with 20°C and warm sunshine, it was a perfect end to a decent ride.

See the full route here http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/248856226/151189