Steel City DH, Greno Woods, 598 Race Photos

12-04-21 Peatys Steel City Downhill, 42 Pictures by Jeff

I started out making a best of 2011 video and then extended it to include the last 3 years. Apart from it being previously seen footage to new music, quite a bit of the 2011 stuff is new and there are some older unseen short bits and a few alternate shots that weren’t in the original videos. For more of these videos see the Video pages for the last 3 years.

The bridleways we’re riding are all named, see more info on them on the track pages and you can also view their locations (and much more) on the OS tracks map.

Below are the pictures taken there this year:

11-03-24 Bamford Pump Track JI+JK+OS+JR, 7 Pictures by Jeff

11-03-31 Bamford Pump Track JI+JK+JH+TH+JR+, 25 Pictures by Jeff

11-04-14 Bamford Pump Track JI+OS+AM+JR, 16 Pictures by Irwin

I remember the first time I ever found out about Ambergate, it was at least 8 years ago. However at that point I didn’t have a means of transport to get there. So quite a few year past by until I was able to drive and we headed down south,to go check it out.

For those who haven’t been I can best describe Ambergate as a flatter less technical version on Wharncliffe. Although the tracks are no where near as steep or as long as Wharncliffe it shares the same wild west approach to trail building. I mean that as a good thing. With the local trail fairies always hard at work, there are a number of trails in the woods. Some old, that have seen large amount of traffic. Some relatively new loamy trails like the one feature at the start of the below video.

“Downhill trails” are something of a sort after items in Derbyshire, yes we are blessed with stacks of natural bridleways covering a huge range of technical difficulties. But something that you don’t often find are corners. I know this sounds daft but think of your local bridleway most of these are purposeful rights of way that you string together together into routes. They are not often designed with mountain biking in mind. After all what we recognise as a mountain bike didn’t even exist when they were first opened. Riding a downhill bike on a bridleway always feels like overkill, and is something that can get bikers into trouble when sharing the route with other user groups. So places like Ambergate and Wharncliffe are great, as you can get loads of time on your bike. Riding a trail that warrants the use of a downhill bike. Anyway random talk over, having visited Ambergate less than 10 times I know the location of most of the trails I still have yet to master them though.

The Video features various trails within the woods all starting from the main pike. They range quite abit in terms of rider experience. The original mainline being the fastest with a couple of jumps and drops along the way. The Loamy track featured at the start of the video despite being the shortest would probably have to be my favorate. The other trail featured is much tighter to the trees with a good number of turns and roots to catch you out.

11-11 Ambergate JI+JK+JG, 12 Pictures by Jeff

Last Thursday was Shane’s birthday and he’d arranged a ride on his old home turf; Edale. As part of his present Irwin had got him some new ‘aerodynamic’ bar ends (word on the track is Gwin will be running them at the Worlds) and plastic spokey dokies (personally, I was disappointed he hadn’t got anodised aluminium ones, but apparently they don’t exist!).

I (Jeff), Irwin, Shane, Alex (aka That Megson Youff), Nat & Josh rode up from Edale and sessioned the Hollins Cross -> Greenlands bridleway before being joined by Joe (aka ProBow) and Ruari (of This Is Sheffield fame). The track was dry and dusty and we did many runs.

We then headed up the ridge towards Mam Tor and down the bridleway that traverses the back of Mam Tor to the top of Mam Tor -> Greenlands bridleway and then down that. It’s is holding up pretty well from when we worked on it two years ago and is still great fun.

Shane completed his compulsory actions check-list that he uses for all rides we go on:

• Get puncture    √
• Chase sheep    √
• Crash    √
• Rip shorts in an embarrassing place    √

Unfortunately he missed out on top marks, by not using his catch phrase. An honourable stupidity mention also goes to Nat, for riding into a ditch on the way back down the road.

All in all it was a great evening of riding in the sun, topped off with a pint and chip butties at The Rambler Inn in Edale. – Shane needs to have a birthday more often!

11-08-25 HollinsCross-Greenlands+MamTor-Greenlands, 19 Pictures by Jeff.

Well it has been a while, Wharncliffe is one of those spots that you that if you dont ride there for a couple of months, something new will have been built. A new jump, berm or most often a whole new track. And while Truffle Shuffle isn’t the newest addition, it was shamefully the first time I had seen it. Starting next to NEMBA, Truffle Shuffle combines all that is great about Wharncliffe. Technical rock gardens, flat out speed and some steeper sections to test those brakes.

I have not been on the downhill bike as much as I would like and was feeling quite rusty for the first couple of runs. But after much pushing and hanging around we managed to get to the bottom of the track. We then did a run down Alexander Super Trout which is a little more bedded in than last time I rode it!

Jeff was trying out his new tripod, lense and external mic. He learnt a valuable lesson – don’t switch off the mic and forget to switch it back on!

11-07-14 Wharncliffe JI+JK+NH, 18 Pictures by Jeff

It sees Jack Reading (not to be confused with the more local “ing”-less youth) riding Mono6ti, Blackley Hey (aka Potato Alley) and somewhere else in a far away land. It’s interesting to see the difference in what a rider in the elite category of world DH can do on your local tracks.

Playing in the Peaks – Jack Reading from George on Vimeo.
“Join Jack Reading as he spends a day riding both DH and XC in his back yard, also known as the Peak District. Please LIKE my facebook page : http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gee-Milner-Films/183750188314560“

When later asked about the ride Irwin said: “Cheese and marmalade sandwiches are quite nice.”

There are also pictures of me and Matt riding there a few weeks ago in the Image Gallery:
11-04-23 HopeX JK+MA, 14 Pictures by Jeff and Matt

This video is the pump track riding from Bamford Pump Track and Joe’s Pump Track from 2010. So if you’re in need of motivation or inspiration for building or maintaining a pump track, ready for those warm light evenings heading our way, hopefully this will help; 6 minutes of berm to berm Pumptraction!
(Also, watch out of me giving pro-man Bowman a run for his money. )

If you didn’t see them at the time, here are the pictures from Joe’s Pump Track BBQ on the 17th of June.