Nice place to go tomorrow?

[lanternerouge]

Help! The girl I have just started to see and I are due to go biking together tomorrow. I want to do something 20 miles ish long that isn't too tough - she is fit but not mega serious about it.

She suggested going to Derwent Water and cycling around there, which would be cool but it is quite a long drive from Manchester. Grizedale forest has also been suggested, and I wondered about the forest of Bowland.

Can anyone help or give some recommendations? I want it to go well and be well organised!

Thanks!

LR

 

[Garz]

Bowland when I went through it on the ride of the roses was very nice, don't know your fitness levels though as its not a walk in the park by any means!

 

[longers]

Do you mean Derwent Water in the lakes? Forget it. Too bloody far and you'll spend half the time if not more in the car.

How about Ladybower Res over the Snake? What bikes you on?

If you're up for a little bit of rough then you can get all the way round or just go up one side and then come back and do the other on tarmac and then pop across the road and go for a ride over round the Hope Valley area. Good cafe in Hope - The Woodbine.

You could ride there from Stockport

 

[purplepolly]

Do you mean Derwent Water in the lakes? Forget it. Too bloody far and you'll spend half the time if not more in the car.

How about Ladybower Res over the Snake? What bikes you on?

Ladybower is one of the reservoirs in the Derwent valley and fairly close to Stockport (certainly closer than bowland)

25 miles / 44 minutes from stockport centre according to google

If you want to drive, there's delamere forest which has loads of paths or the lanes around Knutsford which is good for refreshments.

 

[fossyant]

Think you mean Fairholmes near the Derwent Reservoir

http://www.peakdistrict.org/index/visiting/ic/ic-derwent.htm

Went there with Longers, Bonj and Marinyork last year. You can ride round the reservoir, 5 miles tarmac, then it's trails. Loads of other trails round there too

 

[longers]

Think you mean Fairholmes near the Derwent Reservoir

http://www.peakdistrict.org/index/visiting/ic/ic-derwent.htm

That's more helpful than wot I wrote. I knew where I meant though

 

[lanternerouge]

Thanks guys, very helpful!! Yep I think she meant Derwent Reservoir not Derwent Water thankfully! We're on hybriddy bikes, hers is a mountain bike (almost a BSO) and mine a Scott Sportster. Ladybower Res sounds good, how rough is the rough part?

 

[longers]

Ladybower Res sounds good, how rough is the rough part?

I'm not sure, it's only the bit at the far end of Derwent Res. I've run round it a few times and don't remember it being too bad. At least it'll be dry tomorrow.
The rest is all/mostly tarmac and is an excellent ride.

I'd be interested in your opinions of that end bit if you do go and have a go.

 

[lanternerouge]

Thanks Longers, we are deffo going so I will report back!

 

[lanternerouge]

We had a great day today so thanks for all the advice! The bit at the top of the reservoir is just really easy gravelly track which is fine on anything sturdier than a road bike. It was very gentle and a lot of fun so thanks again!

 

[Garz]

Glad you enjoyed it!

 

[lanternerouge]

Cheers Garz, only fly in the ointment was a £35 parking ticket - there were absolutely no spaces anywhere as the place was rammed. so had to park on the verge as everyone else was doing - no signs, yellow lines or anything saying you couldn't - and then whacked with a ticket when we returned! Aaaagh!

 

[longers]

You should have ridden over

Glad you enjoyed it, it's worth going back when the leaves are turning as it's lovely round there.

 

[bonj2]

Cheers Garz, only fly in the ointment was a £35 parking ticket - there were absolutely no spaces anywhere as the place was rammed. so had to park on the verge as everyone else was doing - no signs, yellow lines or anything saying you couldn't - and then whacked with a ticket when we returned! Aaaagh!

there are signs.

 

[lanternerouge]

there are signs.

Um, no there aren't -unless they are in the car parks which were so full we couldn't stop to read them. There really should be more parking provision there as there were absolutely no spaces and so many cars milling round waiting for one.