Local riding.

I don't blog about every ride, I mainly write about the longer rides or those outside of the immediate local area. However, I'm going to share todays local ride.
Starting from Buxton I rode up Long Hill, the A5004, turning up Old Road (byway) and riding past the back of Whitehall Outdoor Centre. From here I usually carry on and pick up a couple of UCRs overlooking Combs but today I carried on along a bridlepath which took me back down to Long Hill.

Looking down on Fernilee Reservoir and Long Hill.

Then I coasted downhill towards Fernilee (one problem with singlespeeds, you can't accelerate downhill), turning off down to the reservoir before climbing up to Oldfield and the start of the forest road through Hoo Moor.

Log stack, Hoo Moor.

Easy riding through the woods led to tarmac and on towards Derbyshire Bridge. The road alongside Goyt's Clough was icy in places where it was in shade, not a problem to ride over today though.

Alongside Goyt's Clough.

Then it was up to the Cat & Fiddle and the superb moorland bridlepath cutting across Danebower Hollow, a peacefull spot where I watched grouse take off halfway between two of the most dangerous roads in the country.

Danbower Hollow.

 On reaching the A54 I turned left back towards Buxton, then right along the Axe Edge cut through road. From there I rather naughtily turned left along a public footpath which leads across Axe Edge and down to the A537. This particular f/p is a well surfaced Landrover track used by the local gamekeepers, well suited to mountain bikes. I cannot see any reason not to ride it!

Public footpath, Axe Edge.

Axe Edge f/p, looking the other way.

A brief tarmac ride took me down to the last offroad section, a short byway linking the A537 to the A53 and a much nicer route back down into Buxton (less bends, wider road, better visibility).

Two and a quarter hours well spent.

Paul.