Track: Bamford Clough

Bamford Clough is a BOAT near Bamford in the Peak District, UK. This page is intended to provide information for mountain biking on the track.

Rating: Technical / Speed / Fun: | |
Height Descent / Distance: 130m / 0.5km

Surface: Dirt with loose gritstone rocks, concreted sections, which are slippery when wet.

Location: SK 211 837 - Monkeyspoon OS Tracks Map - Google Aerial Map
Forking off left from New Road at 330m Bamford Clough goes SW pretty much straight down the steep contours into Bamford, dropping 130m in height over a 500m distance. Watch out for off-road vehicles and be aware its legally a national speed limit road.

Description:

One of the fastest tracks around, with a good balance of technical riding needed to make it down to the bottom in one piece. Quite a short but very rewarding track that really tests the rider’s nerves. The top section is reasonably sloped with one smooth corner, it then goes straight and very steep, you’ll likely need your saddle down and decent brakes are recommended.
!!! Use extreme caution this track is potentially dangerous !!!

The first thing to note when riding the Clough is that you often get vehicles (4x4s and scrambling bikes) driving up it. The lower section is also popular with dog walkers, I regularly enjoy taking my dog up the Clough. This is something you need to keep in mind when you are nailing it! 🙂
Right, starting from the top, the braver/stupid riders can use the road to get extra speed into the Clough, but this is not recommended on your first time down. From the junction with the road the track becomes quite bumpy and loses. The first straight is often very rutted with the middle line offering the smoothest line choice, as the wider lines are rutted. After about 50m you will meet the crossing of the farmers track, this is a concrete track that crosses at 90 degrees to the Clough. Watch out from farm traffic crossing here. This can be taken as a jump although care should be taken as unless you go big you may land in the drainage gully! The left hand line is the best as this avoids the concrete gully. By this point you will have picked up quite a lot of speed. You will need to pick between 3 lines. All of these are very similar with small rocks covering the bottom of the gullies. This section is often very deceptive as if you let go of your brakes speed will be gained extremely rapidly. As you approach the first corner your will need to get over another drainage gully. Either jump over or take the Left hand line as it is the smoothest. The first corner is quite smooth and short with the outside being slightly bermed. Just after you leave the corner you will ride over a concrete section this can be taken as a drop. On landing line choice becomes harder as the track starts to slope slightly off camber, there being a number of large rocks and stones to ride over and around. A number of these concrete features will follow and the sizes of the rocks will also increasing. The best line is to stay high on the left but this isn’t always possible, in the winter months this section often becomes very muddy. After 100 meters from the corner you will pass a bench on your left and hit a steeper section as the track drops away in front of you. At this point the track is made solely made from concrete. What follow is a very steep and straight track; the best technique on this section is to get you weight back and hold on tight and try to stay in the middle as the sides are often eroded away. Soon you will drop off the concrete and onto dirt; this is always very tricky in the winter months as this section turns to a nice sloppenfest. Yet again try and stay in the middle as on the edge of the track there are a number of nasty roots ready to catch you out. You will then pass another bench on your right. The track becomes more gravely and your will pass over a number concrete features. After a long fast straight you will approach the second corner. This corner is deceptively tricky epically in the summer months as your brakes will be nice and hot by this point. This corner is made very tricky as it is slight off camber and is very rocky and loss. With a number of roots on the outside making line choice very interesting. You have two main choices here you either slow down and turn in slowly so you can avoid most of the worst rocks or you hit it flat out and try and drift around the corner. You will then either jump of hit the drainage gully. The last real section on the Clough is always wet, so you will get muddy. Take care when joining onto the road and the change in surface could catch you out. Follow this road down for around 200m into the middle of Bamford.