The Annual Summer Cut Gate Ride.
Ride Date: 12/07/2015
Distance: 21.8 miles
Climbing: 3000ft
Route: Ladybower > Cut Gate > Langsett
Riders : Jake, Matt, Carro, Deley, Scott & Phil
There was a bit of light drizzle in the air as we met on the banks of Ladybower for the high anticipated Cut Gate ride. Carro was slightly late, misjudging the travel time & Paddy had the runs, so couldn't make it.
This was the first outing of Deley's new beast a lovely long travel Lapierre Spicy.
We started off nice & steady down to Fairholmes and over the dam then along the banks of Upper Derwent Reservoir and up a shortcut. After some hiker biking and pushing to the top we checked the maps and found that we had taken a wrong turn and were heading away from cut gate, we retraced our steps, which ended up being a pretty good descent back to the road, although Scott came a cropper on the way down.
Back with plan "A" we headed round to Howden Reservoir and up the rock steps and switch backs of Cranberry Clough. Here we passed a very brave or crazy woman who was attempting cut gate on a touring bike with big panniers & wearing flip flops (her, not the bike). Phil being the gentleman that he is, gave her a lift up with her luggage. At the top of this section, as it turns into the grassy bit before the slabs we took a minute in the now baking heat of the sun, Dave & Scott also took this opportunity to head back and left the 4 of us the carry on.
Refreshed and ready to go, we rode the slabs and pushed up the final section to the cairn. From here on the top "Lunar" section was wonderful & dry, with the exception of the perma-bog in the middle. Then came one of the 2 big rewards, the descent down to Langsett was superb tricky, rocky, fast, sketchy, everything you want and seemed even better than my first ride there. Everyone was grinning as we dropped through North America to Langsett.
Another rest point, we made the decision to flip back from here, rather than visit the cafe.
Time to retrace our steps, the tough, but rewarding climb back to the plateau was made a bit tougher by the headwind, as before the going was good, so the riding was steady, until the perma-bog, rather than push my bike over some firmish ground as I did on the way out, I was "encouraged" by Matt and Phil to go for it over the marsh, well it worked for them I thought, so off I went, I think I was about half way across when I realised I might not be carrying enough speed & the bike stalled in the mud, that's Ok I thought, the ground feels firm under the thin layer of mud & water. I put down my right foot to steady myself & sunk up to my thigh. I had to be dragged out, after the laughing had died down a bit! Luckily there are plenty of streams up there to wash down.
As we came to the top of the drop down to Howden we paused to replenish energy ready for the descent ahead. I opted for the switchbacks rather than the steps this time and the ride down was ace as always.
That just left a steady ride back along the reservoirs followed by a refreshing pint of Farmer's Blonde in the Yorkshire Bridge Inn, we managed to find a nice table out in the sun too!
Distance: 21.8 miles
Climbing: 3000ft
Route: Ladybower > Cut Gate > Langsett
Riders : Jake, Matt, Carro, Deley, Scott & Phil
There was a bit of light drizzle in the air as we met on the banks of Ladybower for the high anticipated Cut Gate ride. Carro was slightly late, misjudging the travel time & Paddy had the runs, so couldn't make it.
This was the first outing of Deley's new beast a lovely long travel Lapierre Spicy.
We started off nice & steady down to Fairholmes and over the dam then along the banks of Upper Derwent Reservoir and up a shortcut. After some hiker biking and pushing to the top we checked the maps and found that we had taken a wrong turn and were heading away from cut gate, we retraced our steps, which ended up being a pretty good descent back to the road, although Scott came a cropper on the way down.
Back with plan "A" we headed round to Howden Reservoir and up the rock steps and switch backs of Cranberry Clough. Here we passed a very brave or crazy woman who was attempting cut gate on a touring bike with big panniers & wearing flip flops (her, not the bike). Phil being the gentleman that he is, gave her a lift up with her luggage. At the top of this section, as it turns into the grassy bit before the slabs we took a minute in the now baking heat of the sun, Dave & Scott also took this opportunity to head back and left the 4 of us the carry on.
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| The Classic Cut Gate Slabs |
Another rest point, we made the decision to flip back from here, rather than visit the cafe.
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| The Langsett End Of Cut Gate (North America) |
Time to retrace our steps, the tough, but rewarding climb back to the plateau was made a bit tougher by the headwind, as before the going was good, so the riding was steady, until the perma-bog, rather than push my bike over some firmish ground as I did on the way out, I was "encouraged" by Matt and Phil to go for it over the marsh, well it worked for them I thought, so off I went, I think I was about half way across when I realised I might not be carrying enough speed & the bike stalled in the mud, that's Ok I thought, the ground feels firm under the thin layer of mud & water. I put down my right foot to steady myself & sunk up to my thigh. I had to be dragged out, after the laughing had died down a bit! Luckily there are plenty of streams up there to wash down.
As we came to the top of the drop down to Howden we paused to replenish energy ready for the descent ahead. I opted for the switchbacks rather than the steps this time and the ride down was ace as always.
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| 2D Ride Profile |
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| 3D Ride Profile |
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