As part of this years’ Anti-social Social we introduce our Ambassador Series, designed for you to get to know more about the people who help to make the magic happen at Ride Sheffield. We asked our Ambassadors five topical questions and here are their answers….
Pat Horscroft
Q.1. Which MTB trail got you through lockdown? Anything as soon as I left the house – such a release to hear the birdsong and watch the natural year evolve. We are so blessed with the Peak District on our doorstep.
Q.2. How did MTBing become part of your life? I originally believed mountain biking was riding over tussocky fields in Nottingham! However, Sheffield showed me the error of my ways, at age 60. It was hard work getting the simple things right: body position, cone of movement, weight transfer, efficient gearing, cornering, braking, looking ahead, uphill and downhill skills, so many things to get just right. Skiing, climbing, judo and yoga gave me a considerable advantage, with balance, spatial awareness, body position and, of course, falling off! But, it all takes time and is soooo worthwhile when it starts to come together. Now 77, definitely much fitter and although uphill is a drag I really love the downhill as Peaty’s Steel City downhill race will bear testimony.
Q.3. Where are you dreaming of riding in 2021? Bike Park Wales to regain my downhill mojo, Glenn Tress for the craic, the Alps for the adrenalin rush and Sauze d’Oulx for pure nostalgia.
Q4. Have you ridden more or less this year? Loads more – I’ve managed to get out at least every other day (sorry, but I am retired) So my fitness has improved massively as it’s always 7kms uphill from home! I did 170kms in November.
Q.5. What would you like to see MTBing become in the next few years? How should it evolve? Greater understanding between different user groups and an acceptance that we all have a right to enjoy the great outdoors. An awareness from conservation bodies that mountain bikers have very little affect on the natural world and that National Parks, for example, were created for the enjoyment of everyone. A similar right to roam for all users as applies in Scotland would be wonderful.
The Ride Sheffield Christmas Raffle is ON. This is all you need to know:
Eyes On The Prize
Thanks to our amazing supporters we have some awesome raffle prizes which you could be taking home this Christmas. Here is what’s up for grabs:
Cotic Voucher worth £549
Hope e4 brakeset with rotors and mounts
Renthal bars x 5
Peaty’s Selection Pack
Fasthouse Jersey, Shorts, Gloves and Pants
HKT Protect frame protection
Broker riders hoodie x 2
Bike Garage voucher
Shralp Devil’s Elbow Tee
Bontrager shoes Bontrager waterproof
Shoes and waterproof
Hope head doctor Hope bar end plugs Hope bottle Hope Jersey
Ride Sheffield hip flask
Expert Bike Repair £100 voucher
Raffle Closes: Sunday, 20th December
Tickets: £2 per ticket – unlimited tickets available!
Ticket Purchase Options:
1) Transfer via PayPal as ‘Friends and Family’ and reference ‘Raffle’ – please send payment to ridesheffield@gmail.com
2) Bank Transfer direct to Ride Sheffield and reference ‘Raffle’ – Payee Name: Ride Sheffield – Account number: 91574205 – Sort code: 40-31-02
3) Sign up to the Ride Sheffield RADtax and get double entries as a thanks for your long term support – eg. Join on the red level at £20 per month and you receive 10 tickets plus an extra 10 as a thank you from Ride Sheffield.
Sheffield Raffle Funds
All proceeds from the raffle will go into the Ride Sheffield fundraising pot which is our life blood, and allows us to develop and maintain the trails. If you want to find out more about Ride Sheffield’s fundraising jump over to our Support Us page. Thanks to all those who already donate through RADtax and help us to keep the trails running sweetly.
The Ride Sheffield team has decided it’s time to spread some Christmas cheer to all our Sheffield riders who have made it through 2020 with the all new ‘Anti-social Social’. About now we would usually be planning a ‘Winter Social’ with real people and real conversation, but this year we’re taking it digital with an online raffle, yes you heard it correctly, there is MTB merch up for grabs. There will also be a week of Ride Sheffield announcements to get you hyped for 2021.
Coming soon
The ‘Anti-social Social’ raffle will be kicking off on Wednesday, 9th December and be drawn on Sunday, 20th December. From Sunday, 13th there will be a weeks worth of activity where you will be hearing updates from our team about plans for next year, and some tips to hone your riding skills.
The Ride Sheffield Christmas raffle is always a crowd pleaser at the Winter Social, and this year it won’t disappoint. The full lowdown of prizes will be revealed on Wednesday, 9th December, but to whet your appetite we can tell you there are definitely Hope brakes and a Cotic voucher worth £500 up for grabs.
On Sunday, 20th December when we’ll be announcing which lucky riders have hit the jackpot by winning one of our raffle prizes.
If you want to get involved all you have to do is follow our social channels where we will be posting all you need to know about how you enter the raffle, what you could win, and the all important Ride Sheffield news for 2021. Take your pick from twitter, Facebook or Instagram , or fill your boots and follow all three!
At Ride Sheffield we are always keen for local
riders to come to us with good ideas, and this one from Nick Blaney is a
belter. As a Ride Sheffield supporter Nick has something for you all to
entertain yourselves during these soggy dark winter months. Over to Nick….
Nick Blaney
The Countryside Rights Of Way Act 2000
has set a deadline of January 2026 for rights of way claims to historic paths
which existed before 1949 but not currently registered as Public Rights Of
Way(PROW). What does this mean for mountain bikers, horse riders and
walkers? Well any ‘white lanes’ or unregistered tracks we currently use as part
of our routes could be blocked by landowners at any time.
The Ramblers Association and the British Horse
Society have started projects, ‘Don’t Lose Your Way’ and ‘Project 2026’
respectively, to help identify historic paths and lanes and make submissions to
have these legally registered as PROW’s through Definitive Map Modification
Orders (DMMO’s) applications. These usually require painstaking evidence
gathering and a good understanding of the process.
In addition the Sheffield Lakeland and
Landscape Partnership(SLLP), which covers the area inclusive of Redmires,
Rivelin, Derwent Edge, Langsett, Midhope and Underbank, Walkley and Worrall
(mainly S6, northern part of S10 and southern bits of S35 and S36), have a
Highways Heritage Project(HHP) which has made great progress in identifying
over 50 possible routes. These include DMMO applications for historic
tracks, ‘white lanes’ on your OS maps, options to upgrade suitable footpaths to
bridleways and potential for new bridleways through private land. These
require diligent research or building positive working relationships with
landowners such as Sheffield City Council, Yorkshire Water and estate owners.
Whirlow Byway
So what can we do as mountain bikers in
Sheffield? If you live outside the SLLP boundary (quite thoroughly researched
already) check your local OS maps to see if your local routes are official. If
not, are they ‘white lanes’ or potentially historic drovers paths of cart
tracks? Are any of your local footpaths good candidates for upgrade to
bridleway status? Do you know any horse riders in your local area who may
already be looking in to this? If so make contact.
I am now trained to record potential historic
rights of ways through the BHS Project 2026 website so let me know of any
candidates in your area. I can also provide some advice on how you may make a
start engaging with the right parties for other potential (non historic) rights
of ways changes.
If you are a bit of a map geek like myself the
National Library for Scotland has digitised copies of all OS maps from 1850
onwards. Unfortunately SCC does not have digitised copies of the local
Definitive Map or any local parish maps that predate 1850.
Some useful background information in the links below:
LOCKDOWN 2 UPDATE – please bear in mind that this article was originally written when Sheffield had been moved into Tier 3, with Derbyshire in Tiers 1 and 2. As of November 5th, England is now in Lockdown, meaning slightly different guidelines yet again. Full details can be found here , but here’s a quick update;
While we should stay at home wherever possible, we are allowed to exercise outside with members of our own household, those we’ve formed a support bubble with, or one other person from another household.
Travel is now only allowed for a handful of purposes, although this does include travel for exercise. We’re aware that for many people driving to ride is the only option, but would suggest riding from home wherever possible. If you do travel, be considerate of others, especially in isolated villages with lower infection rates but higher numbers of elderly people. Ride well within your limits, but do get out there – riding is SO good for your mental and physical health!
As the announcement was made that Sheffield is heading into Tier 3 Covid restrictions we can’t deny one of our first thoughts was ‘can we still MTB with our mates?’, closely followed by ‘can we still go to the pub after a ride?’.
At Ride Sheffield we’re all about keeping you safe on and off the trails so here’s how we see it when it comes to riding in Sheffield under Tier 3. This is a helping hand to interpret the rules and understand what it means for us when it comes to shredding in Sheffield. Our focus here is on the restrictions for those people living within Sheffield not people travelling from other regions.
These were the first questions we asked, so based on the information we now have we’ll do our best to answer them.
Can I ride with friends outside of my household?
Tier 3 interpretation: The guidelines state you can ride as a group of six or under but you must adhere to the social distancing rules of 2 metres.
Ride Sheffield guidance: When on Bridleways try to keep your social distance from your riding group but also be aware of other trail users who perhaps are not as comfortable mixing outside of their household. Do the right thing if the trail is tight, stand aside and ‘be nice say hi’ to walkers or horse riders.
Can I ride on my local trails and Ride Sheffield trails?
Tier 3 interpretation: As Greno, Parkwood and Lady Cannings are all within the Sheffield boundary you can absolutely use these trails if you are keeping your social distance in place.
Ride Sheffield guidance: This is why we have invested so much in delivering sustainable local trails, so enjoy them and hone your skills for when we’re released back out of this tier. Please bear in mind that popular spots may get busy, particularly at weekends. Be prepared to head somewhere else!
Which mountain bike trails are within the Sheffield boundary?
Tier 3 interpretation: As outlined above you are allowed to ride local trails so knowing the boundary is important. You can check out OS maps or regional maps.
Ride Sheffield guidance: In addition to the obvious popular spots, please be willing to give something different a try. Maybe that local bridleway near your house isn’t as exciting as practicing your favourite berms, but it may well be a good bit quieter and help spread the load.
You can also take a look at the Trailforks map on our website to give you further ideas of loops to head for on the mountain bike.
Can I ride over the border into Derbyshire?
Tier 3 interpretation: This is not advisable as it is deemed as unnecessary travel and residents in Tier 3 are not supposed to visit areas in Tier 2, which would include most areas of Derbyshire bordering Sheffield. There’s a lot of confusion around the naming of areas, bearing in mind that Peak District doesn’t just mean Derbyshire – it’s far from straightforward and better to follow by County area.
Ride Sheffield guidance: At this time, we wouldn’t recommend riding in Derbyshire but if you do, consider avoiding local cafes and shops as this is where most of the animosity occurred during the first lockdown. We are conscious of thinking about the locals in villages of Derbyshire who will not be wanting an influx of people from Sheffield so we’re seeing this as a good time to stay local.
Can I go to the pub after my ride?
Unless you’re riding with your household or meeting them afterwards for food it’s a no.
Ride Sheffield guidance: Pack some good trail snacks and have a socially distanced stop and chat in the wilderness.
We understand everyone’s interpretations can be slightly different but under our ‘be nice say hi’ mantra, now doesn’t seem the time to push the boundaries. The more we all play the game and stick to the rules, the sooner we can be planning trips out of area, and who knows maybe even abroad – that’s our 2021 goals right there!
We like to keep it positive at Ride Sheffield and if ever we
were looking for a silver lining through the pandemic madness we think we’ve
found it – we’ve witnessed lots of new riders joining the Ride Sheffield fold
and getting into mountain biking (MTB) during lockdown.
Under normal circumstances we’d be welcoming you all with a summer social, as we love a good natter over a cold one, but for now it’s a virtual introduction. We wanted to give new riders an insight into mountain biking in Sheffield and how you can embrace the Ride Sheffield trails.
Direction of travel
Ride Sheffield in a nutshell…
10 years in the making.
Ride Sheffield has been working for 10 years to improve trails for mountain bikers in and around the city and the Peaks. Key has been building relationships with land owners and managers, Peak District National Park Authority and Sheffield City Council.
The guidelines we
live by – be nice say hi.
If you’ve been out on Bridleways and Ride Sheffield trails you will have seen our nifty little ‘be nice say hi’ signs which are the very essence of the group – we strongly promote good relations with all trail users. Our riding community is renowned as being a friendly bunch which makes our job much easier.
This every time
Explore the Trails
The result of Ride Sheffield fundraising and development over the years is a mix of awesome trails for you to shred and challenge your riding.
Here we outline for you some of the purpose built trails, those made solely for mountain biking, which Ride Sheffield has invested time in funding, planning and developing. We also invest a lot of energies into maintaining Public Bridleways with dig days at locations such as Blacka Moor. Over the last few years we have forged relationships with Eastern Moors Partnerships to bring Bridleway access to Barbrook Valley, Curbar and Froggatt Edges – this has been a great success!
Purpose built
All Ride Sheffield purpose built trails are graded which will help you work out the right level for your riding ability:
MTBGrading
Blue – Moderate
Skills: Off-road riding skills to cope with uneven surfaces and small obstacles. Singletrack sections and small obstacles of roots and rocks.
Red – Difficult
Skills: Proficient mountain bikers with good off-road skills. Tricky descents and technical features such as drop offs and large drops.
Black – Severe
Skills: Expert mountain biker with high level of fitness. Greater riding challenge and difficulty, expect large and unavoidable features.
Ride Sheffield Trails
Lady Cannings Blue
Parkwood Springs Blue/Red
Greno Woods Red/Black
Lady Cannings
Singletrack through Lady Cannings
If you’re new to MTBing Lady Cannings is a great place to start as there are no surprises such as drops or jumps – you can build up your confidence on flowy trails. With two trails, ‘Cooking on Gas’ and ‘Blue Steel’, there is nothing a novice can’t handle – it is a great place to hone your skills as a beginner or an intermediate rider.
Riding Tip: Depending on your physical strength and riding ability, there are lots of options to make a visit up to Lady Cannings a loop or a few hours in the saddle.
From Endcliffe Park you can ride out taking in Bingham Park, Forge Dam and Porters Clough, and then on to Lady Cannings
Incorporating the Houndkirk trail into your route is a good way to build stamina and push the miles
If you want to take in more technical riding, and you have good technical skills, check out the Blackamoor descents
Parkwood Springs
Inner city trail
On a clear day you’ll be whipping down Parkwood Springs with the city as your back drop. Thanks to Bike Track, and the input of Steve Peat, this trail packs a punch with great features in a relatively small space. This is mainly a blue trail with red opt-in sections but everything is rollable so no nasty surprises to deal with.
Riding Tip: It may be small but this is the trail that keeps
giving
Challenge yourself to loops of Parkwood
Build up to take on the red sections
This is a great place for a wet day when
everything else is a mudfest
Greno Woods
Peaty’s Steel City Downhill
This is the home to Sheffield’s ‘Peaty’s Steel City Downhill’ so by its very nature there is more hardcore riding to be had. Greno Woods has been used from year dot in the mountain biking world and today boasts two red trails, with black options.
The loop consists of 2 red grade descents, Pub Run and Steel City (which has a Black opt in) and one black grade descent DH3 (this has several large but rollable jumps and a steep section towards the end). The whole loop is connected by red grade bridleway accessed by the top bridleway over the road from the car park.
Riding tip: Only consider Greno if you feel you are very
comfortable on blue trails and more technical terrain.
Watch out for the ‘bowl’ on the Steel City track and the opt in blacks, study the trail map first to make yourself familiar of where these are located
Both start at the top bridleway and you will find many riders sessioning the tracks
Don’t let this put you off as mountain bikers are generally an encouraging bunch and you may even tap into some local knowledge along the way
Back to Basics
We’re no trail police but we do like to keep our riders safe. Whether you are just getting into biking or been MTBing for years, the tracks often feel so close to home you think you could easily get out of trouble. From experience it is always better to be prepared – here’s some back to basics tips as a friendly reminder:
Wear a helmet
This is possibly a no brainer but in case you’re wondering
with trees, stones, compact trails, bikes to get in the way you’re never in for
a soft landing so always protect your noggin!
Puncture Repair Kit
Nothing worse than having to make an ‘SOS’ for a taxi home because you forgot your puncture repair kit or pump. Even if you’re running tubeless there are various hacks to fix your tyres but if it’s not salvageable an old fashioned inner tube can come in handy.
First Aid
You don’t need a full on St John Ambulance kit but you’ll not
regret carrying some basic first aid – whether this is for yourself or a fellow
trail user one day you’ll be glad to find it buried in your backpack. A
bandage, wound wipes, steri strips, survival bag (particularly during the cold
season) are worth considering.
Pads
Not everyone wears pads but they do give you confidence on more technical trails, and will save your skin if you do fall off. In MTBing wearing knee or arm pads is totally normal, people often become a convert after taking layers of skin off and thinking ‘if only I’d had knee pads on!’. You don’t need to look like a storm trooper as there are plenty of light weight options around.
Sessioning
While we mainly encourage riding, don’t ever be afraid to get off and walk, seriously. If you’re unsure of your technical ability session the track. Step back and walk the line so you can map it out mentally before you tackle anything you’re unsure of, try that piece of track again and again to gain your confidence. There is no judging in MTBing and you’ll probably get more respect for being cautious than ploughing down something blindly and coming a cropper!
Layers
Ambassadors at work in the rain
Layers are your friend, you may set off in perfect
conditions but mother nature has a habit of playing tricks on you – a
waterproof or windproof layer will ensure you don’t have to head in early when
the weather closes in.
Heading away from Cannings on Houndkirk
Like what you ride?
We love seeing riders brimming with happiness and on adrenaline fuelled highs. If you want to know how you can give back to our trails and Ride Sheffield future fundraising efforts take a look at RAD Tax to make your contribution.
Calling
all ladies and lasses out there who love their mountain biking (MTB), our MTB
Café Chats event in partnership with Cotic’s Women of Steel is geared up just
for you.
Ride Sheffield and Cotic’s Women of Steel are running MTB Café Chats on Saturday 21st March 3pm – 4.30pm as part of Sheffield Adventure Film Festival (ShAFF), discussing key topics surrounding women and mountain biking. This inclusive event at The Workstation will be workshop based, in small groups and give everyone a chance to be a part of the discussion inspiring women to get more involved in the mountain biking scene.
Hosted by Julia Hobson, owner of Endless Trails MTB and Julianna Ambassador, the event will draw on the expertise of a team of women who are advocates of the sport. The session will cover everything from insider knowledge in the industry, getting into the sport, riding as a mother, MTBing and mental health, plus you will have the chance to meet other female mountain bikers to ride out with.
We have
a great line up featuring the raddest female riders from our home town of
Sheffield who all share the same passion of mountain biking.
Here we introduce your host to the event and MTB Café Chat leaders:
MTB Café Chat Host
Julia Hobson
Café Chat topic: Running a guiding business and working in the industry
Julia is a Mountain Bike Guide who has worked extensively
throughout the Alps, raced and travelled with her bike all over the world. She
first started mountain biking whilst studying at Sheffield University, and is
now a global ambassador for Juliana Bicycles, Hopetechwomen and several other
companies in the bike industry.
In 2017, Julia made the move to setting up and running her own business, a Mountain Bike tour company called Endless Trails MTB. The company has gone from strength to strength and now operates week-long enduro-focused backcountry riding trips in Europe, as well as introductory bikepacking courses, guided days and skills courses in the northern UK. All these trips focus on sharing with, and introducing more people to the adventurous kind of all-mountain riding Julia loves herself.
MTB Café Chat Leaders
Alice
McNeil
Café
Chat topic: MTBing and motherhood
Alice spent two years cycling from the UK to New Zealand and when she returned she settled in Hope Valley where she now lives with her young family. As a Physiotherapist and Yoga Teacher she has a professional interest in sport and combined with her personal love of mountain biking she is an advocate of getting out on two wheels. Having recently become a new Mum Alice is now balancing riding with being a mother – and she’s doing a great job!
Emma Peasland
Café Chat topic: Endurance racing and events
Emma’s background is in endurance riding and she has the stamina to take on 6,12 and 24 hours racing. With an impressive list of previous extreme events including the Peak 200, a self-supported mountain bike time-trail route traversing 225km of the Peak District National Park, she is your go to for training for events.
Hannah
Saxelby-Newall
Café Chat riding: MTB industry and entry into the sport
As part of the Cotic bikes team Hannah is immersed in the mountain bike industry, and is focused on incorporating women in Cotic photography/videos in what has traditionally been a predominantly male dominated industry. Hannah’s baptism into mountain biking involved being thrown in at the deep end with an entry to the Ard Rock Enduro – a story well worth hearing.
Kelly-Jayne Emmerson
Café Chat topic: Life as a brand ambassador and influencer
Kelly-Jayne (AKA Kellbellandbikes) is a Shimano Gravel Alliance, Cotic Bikes and Komoot sponsored rider and works alongside many other brands to promote women in sports. With an Instagram following of 15K she is also pretty nifty when it comes to taking selfies, so there will be plenty of tips! Kell often rides with traildog Bell, and can offer trail dog tips and advice on how to keep a good work/cycling balance.
Tap into all this mountain biking knowledge on Saturday, 21st March 3pm – 4.30pm at Sheffield Adventure Film Festival at The Workstation. Sign up for MTB Café Chats via our Ride Sheffield Facebook page or on the ShAFF event page.
