DEEP IN THE DARK PEAK

RACHEL SOKAL TAKES US ON A CLASSIC TOUR OF THE DARK PEAK. PHOTOS BY BARNEY ‘HOLD UP A MINUTE!’ MARSH.

WORDS BY RACHEL SOKAL // PICTURES BY BARNEY MARSH

Because of its popularity there are probably many of you rolling your eyes at the obviousness of a Classic Ride here. But there are no apologies to be made. The Peak District is popular and classics are classic for a reason. Plus, despite so many people having ridden here, either on occasion or regularly, there are many who have not done so at all. So, if not for you seasoned Peak riders, this is for those who, by some fate, haven’t yet experienced the lure of the Dark Peak.

When it comes to the most classic of Peak District riding, the Dark Peak has superiority over the White. The Dark Peak’s hard, coarse gritstone edges give the area an epic feel. It’s grippy and well-draining, which makes most of it rideable even in the wet winter months. What makes for great grip also makes for tough love for drivetrains, so carrying a small bottle of emergency lube on a wet day is a wise plan. In contrast to the Dark Peak gritstone, the limestone of the White Peak offers more gentle undulations and on occasion, a lot more mud.

Nearly everyone got the ‘bright colours’ memo then...

Riding and writing a classic ride in such a popular area comes with the added challenge of needing to get the details absolutely right. To share this burden of editorial responsibility I co-opted local experts JP and Matt to ride alongside my regular riding compatriots, Ant and Neil. JP’s ALine Coaching works with Bike Garage in Bamford to offer guiding in the area and Matt Bowns hails from 18 Bikes in Hope, Singletrack readers’ favourite local bike shop. To make sure the trails and our riding prowess were captured in the best possible light, Barney and his camera made up our riding party for the day.

Perhaps rather predictably we started off the day with an hour or so of tea-drinking, bike-chat, tyre-kicking and top-tube measuring at 18 Bikes in Hope. The main topic of conversation was Matt’s 525mm reach, 62° head angled, Saracen Kili bastardised Project Stupid. He had recently unveiled his self-build on social media and today was to be its maiden voyage to the hills. Meanwhile Ant and Neil were drooling over Barney’s long-termer Santa Cruz Hightower and preparing their n+1 argument. I, however, was cursing the fact I am a good bike-size smaller than everyone else, thus denying me the opportunity to give the great, good and gaudy bikes a go for myself.