Hayfield

'Big' Edge Cycleworks Shop Ride

Sun 19th Dec '10

When Coed y Brenin, the original location for the December shop ride, disappeared beneath a deep layer of snow a last minute rethink was needed. Instead of cancelling the ride it was moved to Hayfield, on the edge of the Dark Peak.

Four of us met in the car park, despite very sub-zero temperatures, and we weren’t alone. A group from British Cycling were there with Nick Craig. With the amount they (weren’t) wearing they’d have to keep up a high pace to stay warm. We decided a slower pace with extra layers was more to our liking.

The climb out of Hayfield was a great start to the ride, with clear blue skies and lots of traction from the snow, if we kept our concentration up. There was plenty of ice about waiting to catch us out. The trails over Chinley Churn had the worst of it, with some really big patches. By the time we’d ridden over the hill a couple of times we had all hit the deck at least once, some worse than others.

But it was mostly snow, which was hard work and great fun at the same time. Climbs were a balancing act of power and traction, where it was all too easy to spin out. Descending was half choice and half reaction. We could choose a line but there was little indication of what lay beneath the snow or how much grip there was until we had ridden over it. Cleaning anything, going up or down, gave a huge feeling of satisfaction.

With the number of trails surrounding Hayfield we managed to ride for hours without being far from the town. While it was good for safety, it had its dangers. At the start of the last big off-road climb we could see our cars. Despite legs that were feeling the constant drag of the snow we resisted temptation and kept going to the shooting hut on top of Middle Moor.

Time was getting on by then, so the second half of the ride had to be cut short. We returned over Lantern Pike, where the clear cold air gave us stunning views across to Kinder Scout. The setting sun also gave everything a beautiful orange glow. It was a wonderful reminder why I love riding a mountain bike, as was the final slippery descent into Hayfield. We returned to the car park tired and happy after a great ride, but also curious. What would it feel like getting changed in -3.5C?