Trail Bike Question.

[Stuart42]

Hi all

nothing to do with Monsters I'm afraid but a mate and myself are going up to Hathersage near Sheffield next month and was toying with the idea of taking the off road bikes with us.

As such just wondered if anybody here from that area knew of any green lanes which we could do?

I only ask as I know there is a growing off road sub chapter here.

Ta for your help

Cheers
Stuart

[bod]

The old Mam Tor road in Castleton would be a blast(not sure if its green lane stuff though)

Are you camping in Hathersage?

[bod]

Thinking of it better off taking a mountain bike there cracking rides a plenty Winnits pass/Edale/Mam Tor/Stanage pole/Ladybower res/what more do you want!

[Gilps]

Hi all

nothing to do with Monsters I'm afraid but a mate and myself are going up to Hathersage near Sheffield next month and was toying with the idea of taking the off road bikes with us.

As such just wondered if anybody here from that area knew of any green lanes which we could do?

I only ask as I know there is a growing off road sub chapter here.

Ta for your help

Cheers
Stuart

Just been up that way today visiting my folks. Not sure about the old Mam Tor road. We used to ride it when it first started dropping away for the final time before they gave up on it totally. The last time I saw it there were huge gaps and drops. I would guess it's a real mess by now.

We used to ride the old Roman road which runs from the Round House at Ringinglow over to Fox House, up the road from Hathersage. Technically it's still a road so we used to get away with going on it on bikes and 4x4's. They may have stopped vehicles from going on it now though with that recent law they passed.

It's a lovely part of the world. Best pub in Hathersage used to be the Scotchman's Pack.

[JMo]

There are plenty of trails up that way Stu, although the legal status of many is not clear unless you know what you're looking at...

Get yourself an OS map (Land Ranger 1:50000 series) and you'll see a few lanes that are marked with either red crosses (Byways Open to All Traffic -BOATs) which are self explanitory, or red dots - ORPAs (Other Route with Public Access) which for the most part do have vehicular rights, although some do not - a rule of thumb is if the red dots run along a white road, you're ok, if they follow black dotted lines (such as Mam Tor that Gilps mentions) then these are often closed to vehicles now.

It's interesting that on the 1979 map of the area, the Mam Tor road is shown as a red A road, whereas on more recent editions it is a broken dotted line or 'path' with red ORPA dots and you have to use the yellow minor tarmac roads to the south...

One thing I would say is that this area of the Dales/Peaks is particularly 'sensitive' and full of NIMBY walkers etc especially at weekends (who really ought to use the hundreds of miles of dedicated footpaths than walk on a byway/road if they don't want to see a vehicle, but there you go, rant over...) - so unless you really know what's what regarding the legal status of the lanes, it's probably best to hook up with someone with local knowledge.

You could try joining the LARF (www.larf-online.com) bunch who regularly ride up that way...

Hope that helps,

JennyMo xxx

[Stuart42]

Hi all

thanks for your info.

Mountain bikes? Wash your mouth out. I didn't get my physque by exercising you know.

And as for camping, I won't even stoop to answer that one.:chuckle:

We're staying at some sort of school thing, am told no kids will be there.

I'll have a look at the site you gave me and see what they can offer.

I know what you mean about the walkers using the RRUPs etc. Why can't they stroll up the motorway, plenty of room.

Thanks once again

Cheers
Stuart

[Gilps]

It's interesting that on the 1979 map of the area, the Mam Tor road is shown as a red A road, whereas on more recent editions it is a broken dotted line or 'path' with red ORPA dots and you have to use the yellow minor tarmac roads to the south...


1979 is when the road fell away for the last time and they gave up trying to maintain it. It's built on the side of a shale mountain, Mam Tor, so is not very stable. Mam Tor is nicknamed Shivering Mountain because it is always moving.
I used to work as a giude down the Blue John Cavern at the top of the Mam Tor road when I was 15. When I was old enough to get bikes we used to ride up and down the road, or what was left of it. Great fun. I bet it has almost totally dissapeared now.

[bod]

Mam tor is perfectly rideable on a mountain bike so should be no probs on a m-bike.....just watch it if you ride from the top to the bottom,there is a hugh drop in the road of about 10ft!

Easily avoided when you spot it going from bottom to the top but not the other way around!

See a lot of bike around ladybower also just dont go near the tourist bits and you should be ok.