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...and now for something a little bit different...
The Details
Sunday 20th May
1000 at my gaff in Stockport
or
1200 midday at Roman Lakes nr Marple
https://goo.gl/maps/1QPTLvAvBuH2
Drinks and snacks at Roman Lakes and Sett Valley cafe (about halfway)
The Genesis
RideWithGPS is a brilliant tool for planning routes, but sometimes it fails to distinguish between tarmac and dirt and a couple of weeks ago (whilst contemplating bouncing the Colnago along a gravelly track :shock: ) this got me thinking...
The modern 'gravel' or 'all-road' genre - of which I must admit I am a fan - always puts me in mind of an oldskool, one bike for everything, exploring the countryside kind of riding, so I thought it'd be fun to clash the old and new machines in some proper big countryside
What to expect
After a few weeks of recce rides I've pieced together a loop that covers some charming back lanes, some dirt and gravel access roads, a little bit of rocky offroad and some absolutely corking views. And a few little climbs, obviously, this is the Peaks after all!
My aim was to keep the terrain tame enough that something like a Dawes Galaxy on 32mm rubber would cope with even the roughest bits and I think it's *just* about there, although you would need to be careful and steady in places. A triple or a big cassette would probably be a boon too! I've been riding it on a modern Whyte (my commuter/tourer/doitall bike) on 32mm Kenda Small Block 8s and running a 34/30t granny and that seems to be about ideal. Unless we've had a serious dry spell at least a modicum of tyre tread is probably going to be necessary too.
I'm aiming this at dropbar riders but there's absolutely no reason you couldn't bring a mountain bike, skinny tyres (in MTB terms) will make the lanes a pass a lot easier though.
The Ride
25ish miles from Roman Lakes
Extra 10-15 if you join me from home (coffee always available)
60/40 on/off road split
Back lanes, disused railway, dirt/gravel access tracks, occasional short rocky bits.
Some climbs that'll make you swear
Some absolutely stunning views
The Future
If this goes down well we already have two more similar rides in mind to make a mini-series and would love to get shown around other folks areas!
THE SHORT VERSION
Backroads and tracks in beautiful, hilly scenery.
The Details
Sunday 20th May
1000 at my gaff in Stockport
or
1200 midday at Roman Lakes nr Marple
https://goo.gl/maps/1QPTLvAvBuH2
Drinks and snacks at Roman Lakes and Sett Valley cafe (about halfway)
The Genesis
RideWithGPS is a brilliant tool for planning routes, but sometimes it fails to distinguish between tarmac and dirt and a couple of weeks ago (whilst contemplating bouncing the Colnago along a gravelly track :shock: ) this got me thinking...
The modern 'gravel' or 'all-road' genre - of which I must admit I am a fan - always puts me in mind of an oldskool, one bike for everything, exploring the countryside kind of riding, so I thought it'd be fun to clash the old and new machines in some proper big countryside
What to expect
After a few weeks of recce rides I've pieced together a loop that covers some charming back lanes, some dirt and gravel access roads, a little bit of rocky offroad and some absolutely corking views. And a few little climbs, obviously, this is the Peaks after all!
My aim was to keep the terrain tame enough that something like a Dawes Galaxy on 32mm rubber would cope with even the roughest bits and I think it's *just* about there, although you would need to be careful and steady in places. A triple or a big cassette would probably be a boon too! I've been riding it on a modern Whyte (my commuter/tourer/doitall bike) on 32mm Kenda Small Block 8s and running a 34/30t granny and that seems to be about ideal. Unless we've had a serious dry spell at least a modicum of tyre tread is probably going to be necessary too.
I'm aiming this at dropbar riders but there's absolutely no reason you couldn't bring a mountain bike, skinny tyres (in MTB terms) will make the lanes a pass a lot easier though.
The Ride
25ish miles from Roman Lakes
Extra 10-15 if you join me from home (coffee always available)
60/40 on/off road split
Back lanes, disused railway, dirt/gravel access tracks, occasional short rocky bits.
Some climbs that'll make you swear
Some absolutely stunning views
The Future
If this goes down well we already have two more similar rides in mind to make a mini-series and would love to get shown around other folks areas!
THE SHORT VERSION
Backroads and tracks in beautiful, hilly scenery.
