Like riding abroad....

Sometimes, usually during the worst of the winter bog marches that we seem to find ourselves on, the thought 'why?' emerges into your head, and my usual subconscious retort is that we'll get some kind of karma payback in the summer - dusty trails, rocky ribbons of swooping perfection, laughs with riding mates, ice cream, beer.....

Well, last weekend was it for me.

Robin and I took the longish drive down to the Peak district, primarily to meet up with old friends that we had met on a foreign sojourn, Rik and Adele, but also to ride trails that we often read about online and in the magazines. Des was coming too, but had an appointment with the postman, or the paperboy or something....

Arriving on the Lancashire side of the peak, Rik had given us a route to ride as we were going to be there long before our hosts finished work. Setting off from the lovely wee village of Hayfield, we did a 'reet nice figure of 8, with two testy climbs and also two nice descents, one swoopy, the other more peak like - rocky and fast. Nice days riding, and in really great weather too.

After a wee refreshing drop in the local beer garden, we drove over snake pass to Sheffield, and on to meet our buddies, and the lure of the local pub and curry house!. Great stuff.

Next morning, slightly fuzzy headed, Rik sorted us out with a cracking brekkie before we drove off to Hope valley and had another sun drenched corker of a ride. I won't try to describe the route, as being expertly guided, you don't really have to know where you are, all I know is that we took in some cracking peak descents, and we climbed a lot!. If I remember correctly, we did Cavedale, Hollins cross, Potato alley, Hagg farm and then finished on the roman road. My favourite was Hagg farm, although it is pretty short, followed closely by Cavedale, for sheer ballsy rockiness.

Fish and chips and a quiet night followed, with legs wearying, and thoughts of another days riding to come....

Another cracking brekkie, and the best days riding yet!. We parked at Ladybower reservoir, of dambusters fame, and basically rode out the whole length of the famous Cut gate route and back. That doesnt sound much, but it was unbelievably good, I thought the descent out toward Langsett was good, but the descent back just ripped the legs off of it. Even though it was busy, it was an absolute joy of a descent, rocky, rutted, big steppy drop offs.... Tremendous.

And ice cream to finish. What a great weekend, thanks so much to Rik and Adele, for going out their way for a whole weekend, feeding and guiding us, great company as ever folks!. Not quite as big as the thanks deserved by Mrs Enjoyrider, for being so cool with me disappearing away for a weekend of doing what I love. Xxx.

Now, the Yeti has taken a bit of a battering, time for some TLC....