UKH

Finding myself lacking a climbing partner and with an iffy forecast this weekend anyway, I thought I would dust off my ancient hardtail and try to find a fun mountain bike route to ride and I'm wondering if UKC has any good recommendations? A couple of requirements:

1. I am a truly rubbish mountain biker - very much on the lower end of any ability or boldness scale. I have just about got around red trails at MTB centres in the past without causing myself serious injury, but only just and that was quite a while ago.
2. I'm recovering from breaking my neck in Jan this year and definitely can't go falling off yet for fear of re-injury.

With that in mind, does anyone have any recommendations for fun mountain biking in the Peak (I'm based near Buxton) that isn't just a bimble around a reservoir, takes in some cool terrain/views etc but keeps technicality to a minimum (or you can get off and walk any obviously dodgy bits)? Any and all recommendations appreciated!

I’m that kind of mountain biker too. Do you already know about the Black Harry Trails south of Stoney Middleton? https://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/visiting/places-to-visit/trails/black-harry...
 

I hadn’t heard of those and they sound like they could be a good option - thanks!

I've ridden most of those byways and bridleways, many on my gravel bike, so you should be fine on a MTB. There are some good hills there though! You'll earn some cake in a café! 

What they call High Rake/Deep Rake I'm told used to be a good mountain bike ride, but it's basically surfaced now so not an exciting descent. The bridleway due south into Longstone has also been tamed, it's steep but smooth now. That might not be a bad thing for what you are looking for though.

If you want more off road feel but nothing too technical and not too many big climbs, the Eastern Moors loops using the concessionary bridleways over Froggatt, through Longshaws, up Burbage, back on the Houndkirk road etc. You can chuck in a lap of Lady Cannings if you are having fun.

Look up Lady Cannings.  It has a couple of blue trails.  There’s not a lot there but the moorland adjoining to the west is nice.  You take take it easy or make a bigger day of it by linking in Burbabge and Blacka moors.  

I have a Vertibrate Publishing guide of both white and dark Peak. Some lovely rides in them on the Bridleways across the Peak. If you can lay your hands on a copy they are well worth a look.

All the White Peak rides are available on their website as GPX files too, so you can load them into your phone and follow them that way, saves taking the book out with you, although they are hardly heavy and do have OS maps in them!

For some reason I have two of the White Peak book. You can have my spare for the cost of postage if you like.

Hi Rob,

If you PM me I can email you an OS map of the area which I have annotated with rough MTB grades of the bridleways and tracks.

Thanks all - I went out yesterday, started off around Black Harry but I think I picked the wrong trails as they were mostly wide gravel tracks and tarmac roads so not very interesting.

I then went over and did a loop linking up bridleways around the Eastern Moors around Longshaw, Mottram Moor, Houndkirk Moor and Burbage, and having a few runs on the two trails at Lady Cannings. That was much more what I was after - a great way to while away a few hours, see some nice places and interesting riding but never gnarly. 

I’ll have to go back and try to find the more interesting parts of the Black Harry trails another time. Keen for more of this sort of thing though - thanks for the recommendations!

Is sounds like you are after some "proper" mountain biking then after all and were underselling your skill level! Another time after warming up on Cooking on Gas and Blue Steel at Lady Canning, go over the moors and do Piper House Gate (it's a fantastic single track bridleway off Blacka Moor, slog back up either on the bridleways to the south (steep! but still gravel and smooth, or the roads, do Devils Elbow - the bridleway next to it - not quite as good I don't think as Piper House, then pick a route back over the moor to the start.

Doing Piper House Gate was the first place it occurred to me that the feeling of downhilling on a MTB is almost up there with descending off piste (actually 100 kms away from the nearest piste) when ski mountaineering! Ok, it's over quicker, but it's still pretty ace. It's also where I decided to splash out on a dropper seat post! But I've ridden it plenty of times on my bike which whilst having plus tyres doesn't have any suspension at all. If you've got a hard tail, you'll be fine.

It is mainly gravel road stuff south of Stoney Middleton and the main road up the dale, but there are some great trails around Eyam across the valley.

 The Buxton/Goyt loop in the VG book might suit. From Buxton towards Whaley on the Roman road past White Hall, then some nice bridleways to the outskirts of Whaley, cross the main road to Taxal and back along trails through the forest by Fernilee reservoir. The final descent down the old road into Buxton is probably the techiest stretch, but can be as hard or easy as you want based on line choice. 

As Toby A says, you’re gnarlier than you were letting on! Chinley Churn might also be worth a look (it’s in the VG Dark Peak guide). Big climbs, big views, fun but rideable trails.