A good ride...

[I-S]

So, what makes a good ride? Well... this:

Every ride starts with a gentle warm up. Starting from the fall lane/binn lane/mount road/carrs road roundabout in Marsden (alt 650ft), this gentle warm up takes the form of mount road.

http://www.askisaac.com/images/1.jpg

That picture is taken from most of the way up, at 1050ft alt. Another half mile of tarmac to The Great Western pub, and then there's a trail that leads up behind it:

http://www.askisaac.com/images/2.jpg

That's the bottom of the trail, alt 1170ft. Climbing up the hill, we meet the pennine way at the crest of the ridge, and turn north along it.

http://www.askisaac.com/images/3.jpg

Gratuitous arty picture of the aluminium steed. Climb up the rest of the hill to the OS triangulation point, alt 1455ft. From there there's views west:

http://www.askisaac.com/images/4.jpg

South:
http://www.askisaac.com/images/5.jpg

East:
http://www.askisaac.com/images/6.jpg

and North:
http://www.askisaac.com/images/7.jpg

[I-S]

Carrying on along the pennine way the next notable bit is the rock garden:

http://www.askisaac.com/images/8.jpg

Doable on full sus, unpleasant on a hardtail and sadistic on a rigid. Once clear of the rock garden, the pennine way turns into a bit of newly laid gravel track which offers no real interest for riding, other than to get to the next section of real trail:

http://www.askisaac.com/images/9.jpg

Welcome to Pack Horse Road. This used to be a major route between Marsden and rochdale. Now it's a little-used bridlepath. Alt 1420ft. The top section is superb flowing singletrack. The ruts are not too bad through here, and even start to help...

http://www.askisaac.com/images/10.jpg

This section allows some rather imprudent speed to be carried, using the walls of the rut as berms. This carries down to the next stream, (alt 1200ft) and then there's a short climb, before continuing to barrel downwards. The trail gets wider, but the ruts get fiercer. Pick your line carefully.

Then the terrain starts to level out, but the trail doesn't. Through the peaty soil it gets more than a little bumpy:

http://www.askisaac.com/images/11.jpg

Another stream crossing follows, and then you start to realise that you're running out of horizontal with a lot of vertical height left to lose. A somewhat "technical" descent follows:

http://www.askisaac.com/images/12.jpg

It's about 20-25% grade and the loose gravelly surface makes grip scarce. Good balance and good brakes, otherwise you're walking this section.

http://www.askisaac.com/images/13.jpg

Postcard anyone? This rather picturesque bridge shows the importance that the trail once had, but now it's a hidden spot, well out of sight of the roads. Alt 720ft

The road from Hey Green to Marsden is not far off, and quickly brings you to Tunnel End. Could this be other than a Yorkshire canal?

http://www.askisaac.com/images/14.jpg

The canal towpath brings you back to the station in Marsden, and it's a quick ride past the Marsden stocks to the roundabout it started from.

That's a pleasant hour and a half after work ride.

[Legnum Boy]

Here's my idea of a good ride............ either one /yes

[Paul Beazer]

Naah, prefer isaacs ride. Looks pretty cool to me!

[ANTHONY]

now that looks good (not the other pic) the main ones

[Bal]

im off to wales next week. gonna go on a biking weekend. ill put some pics up when i get back.

but that ride is sweet ... please pm me the info one where it is etc.