4:30am found me getting up and putting on layers of bike clothes - it is cold at that time of the morning. A quick breakfast bike on the car and Ali dropped me into Manchester piccadilly. On the train at 5:44am and I was on my way to Sheffield to meet Kate, Simon and Jon. Kate and Simon were at that point on the train heading up from Nottingham. We got going at 7am and followed my GPS out of sheffield, much easier when an area is so built up. Soon we were off-road and onto Stanage as it warmed up. Simon got right out to admire the view up here and the layers started coming off.
Then it was down Bamford Clough, Simon scared us all at the top, but it was just steep and a little slippy, easier to ride than walk as Jon found out though! Into Hope and then up the broken road and onto Rushup Edge, along here we met Rich - he had told me he didn't have a singlespeed but didn't mention he would be on a fixie! Then it was a push up to Jacobs Ladder.
After a quick look Rich flew down it, its really impressive watchin a guy ride fixed on something I am almost too scared to ride at all! Then it was into Edale for lunch - a well deserved lunch! Before heading on via Jaggers Clough to the Beast. Here I have my favourite memory of the day, Rich riding down the first rocky bit looking like he is on a shopping bike just pedalling away! I would love to be there when a load of body armour big travel bikes are there, he looked like he was riding on a flat sustrans trail! It wasn't long before we started climbing again and I decided to throw myself in front of Simon's wheel no idea what happened!!! After this is was round Fairholmes and Rich decided to miss out cutgate - I think he wanted to get home before midnight!The rest of us climbed up cutgate with bikes on our backs! Once at the top it was great, it is amazing singletrack I can see why people rave about it and why it is a dry weather route!
Simon got out his whiskey again here (hope he saved some for kate on the train home) being a proper singlespeeder! We got to the bottom of cutgate just as it started to get dark. Some bridleways and road - including a push through some grassy fields - led to the transpennine way. Where I tired legs propelled us to Warncliffe woods and then onto Sheffield. Once in Sheffield a straight line was made to the station by following the gps. Here we said goodbye to Jon and simon rode straight into the shop and bought it out of fig rolls.
We must have looked funny sat on the floor surrounded by food! I had about an hours wait until the train and was glad to get off and have Ali waiting there for me. (Even more glad I got away with my train ticket as it was only valid on the earlier train which we missed!)
It was an amazing trio adventure, it was nice to meet Simon one of my teammates for SITS - he is even more of a singlespeed nut than me! He has decided he doesn't like his geared bike at all now! I also loved Rich's bike, the geometry is really clever, sat in the saddle he is right over the rear wheel meaning he can stay sat there on most downhills. Much respect to anyone who can ride the beast and jacobs ladder on a fixie as well!
Simon got out his whiskey again here (hope he saved some for kate on the train home) being a proper singlespeeder! We got to the bottom of cutgate just as it started to get dark. Some bridleways and road - including a push through some grassy fields - led to the transpennine way. Where I tired legs propelled us to Warncliffe woods and then onto Sheffield. Once in Sheffield a straight line was made to the station by following the gps. Here we said goodbye to Jon and simon rode straight into the shop and bought it out of fig rolls.
We must have looked funny sat on the floor surrounded by food! I had about an hours wait until the train and was glad to get off and have Ali waiting there for me. (Even more glad I got away with my train ticket as it was only valid on the earlier train which we missed!)It was an amazing trio adventure, it was nice to meet Simon one of my teammates for SITS - he is even more of a singlespeed nut than me! He has decided he doesn't like his geared bike at all now! I also loved Rich's bike, the geometry is really clever, sat in the saddle he is right over the rear wheel meaning he can stay sat there on most downhills. Much respect to anyone who can ride the beast and jacobs ladder on a fixie as well!More pics on Simon's flickr and I'm sure the others will blog later!
My garmin stats:
66.54 miles ( although it always undermeasures)
2880m of climbing
Ride time 8:21:25 (average moving speed = 8mph)
Total time 14:14:35 (we were stopped in Edale for two hours as we ended up waiting ages for food)
Fun rating 10+
Fun rating 10+
Route is here
Bloody hell!!!!! Well done you are a star and on singlespeed as well, your making me feel pathetic after I had to cut short my long run yesterday after almost completely bonking.
ReplyDeleteI have been planning this! I didn't stop eating the whole way round! The others were noticeably faster than me though! Only Jon cheated with his gears!
ReplyDeleteGreat day out, Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI so need to get better at eating when riding and even running by the looks of it now. It doesn't matter they were faster than you, you still did it! I know for a fact I couldn't, even with gears so don't put yourself down.
ReplyDeleteI am pretty chuffed and it was an amazing ride, who would have thought I would have met others who would want to do something like that!
ReplyDeleteSo when is the 100?
ReplyDeleteThankyou for organising this. I will blog later.
What a fab day out - I used to ride all those tracks on a fully geared cross-bike preparing for the 3 Peaks in a former and faster life. This singlespeed/fixed thing is clearly deranged though.......
ReplyDeleteChapeau to the lot of you!
Wow, seriously big ride! Cut gate and the drop down to fairholme are my fave DHs in the area. Think i'll try and get out there soon.
ReplyDeleteExcellent ride! and a great post! well done, a real epic.
ReplyDeletesounds awesome! your a star Trio!
ReplyDeleteremember being a fixie on beast doesn't matter its just suspension or lack of? factor from prob having 100mm instead of 140mm!
very impressed with all of you.
one day, i'll join you :)
Suspension, I had 80mm at the front, I guess Rich had the same as we both had reba's on our 29ers. Jon had 100m rebas and Simon and kate were both fully rigid. Is that enough for the beast?
ReplyDeleteThat sounds ace!
ReplyDeleteIt's impressive watching Rich ride down stuff on his fixie and also a bit depressing at the same time :)
a massive belated thanks for the planing/route finding/company! what with my promise to jane ;) and work i've been away from the computer. a really great day out :)
ReplyDeleteI've just realised this ride hasn't got a 'jon' tag!
ReplyDelete