The Best Ride....Ever??

Spring In The Air.

Ride Date: 20/03/2016

Distance: 17 MIles

Climbing: 2800ft

Route: Derwent Edge> Lockerbrook > Hagg Farm > Win Hill > John's Demise

Riders : Jake, Matt, Deley, Basil, Duncan & Luke


The first 8am start of the year saw us back to Derwent Edge almost exactly one year later from the last visit, we also had new recruits Duncan & Luke joining us.

We met as usual along the road by the Yorkshire bridge with everyone on time with one exception who had the time wrong (not for the first time). It was a cloudy cool start to the ride as we made our way up towards Cut Throat Bridge & Whinstone Lee Tor, the trails were mostly dry with the odd boggy bit. By the time we reached the top the sun was breaking through and the temperature was rising

The view over Ladybower from Whinstone Lee Tor

Next up was the ride/push up past the Hurkling Stones and onto the first descent of the day; the Derwent Dipper, bone dry and great flow! We regrouped at the gate before setting off down towards the reservoir, I struck gold here, due to shedding some layers I was last down, meaning all the gates were held open right down to the Curlew hut, I think the first time I've made that journey without even a single dab! We grouped again at the hut before blasting down the slabs to the road & then the cheeky bit past the giant wooden rat.

It was still getting warmer as we passed a load of runners near Derwent Dam and even the 15 minute log climb up the fire road to Lockerbrook wasn't unpleasant. Time for a quick recovery at the top and on to possible my favourite descent in the Dark Peak, Lockerbrook, bone dry except for just a single puddle and the stream, it was lightning fast and superb from top to bottom.  As we made our way along the road, the runners were now all on road bikes. The nice steady tarmac roll took us to the foot of Hagg side another stiff climb, but again it seemed fairly pleasant, although tough enough for another refreshment break at the top.

Time for a breather at the top of Hagg Side

After getting some energy back it was the short blast along Barbed Wire to the famous Hagg Farm descent, again it was superb, dry and fast I just mistimed Basil on the gate unfortunately, but you can't win them all. A quick stop at the bottom for Matt to fix a flat and it was over the road and down the chicken run to the bottom of the beast. It was nice to get some cool shade for the push up over the rocks and we were soon up at Hope Cross & making our way along Hope Brink.

Absorbing the sun and the views at Hope Cross

 The steady climb along Hope Brink wasn't too bad, although most were starting to feel it by now, it was almost summer like at this point, a far cry from the 70mph winds & rain we had back in November. Even the walkers were in chirpy moods! Almost at the summit of Win Hill, we tuned off left and onto the narrow, heather lined singletrack of John's Demise. Up at the gate we briefly lost Deley, Duncan and Luke, watching on as they took a wrong turn (our fault for not explaining the plan), a quick phone call got them back on track, when they made it up to us we learned Luke had taken a bad fall, but as always with the young 'uns he bounced back up! That just left the woodland drop down onto the dam wall, even this was dry and we were sat in the pub garden by lunch time!
Sat out in the warm sun, drinking a cool Farmer's Blonde, there was the suggestion that this was the best ride ever, well, if it wasn't the best then it was close, I'll let you decide.