I went out on my Arkose "gravel" bike on Sunday but the drifts on the trails were far too deep to negotiate so I ended up with just a 16 mile loop tarmac loop around Flagg/Chelmorton.
After the thaw I went out again yesterday. I got dropped off late morning at Chelmorton, in bright sunshine but with a strong WNW wind. Straight onto High Stool Lane which was dotted with massive, deep puddles from the melted snow/rain. Within 10 minutes large black clouds quickly emerged from the Staffordshire Moorlands and by the time I had reached the High Peak Trail I was assaulted by a sidewind containing horizontal hail. After a few miles it was over my right shoulder and was more bearable.
Down the trail to Biggin and then across the 515 onto Cardlemere and Minninglow Lanes to the Tissington Trail. I had to dismount half a dozen times as my bike sunk into what was left of a few drifts of now wet snow. By now the hail had become intermittent with sunny spells but as I headed up the TT I was riding into a strong headwind which, a couple of times on exposed embankments, brought me to a standstill. After a couple of miles of this I got fed up and instead of sticking with my plan of staying on the trail to the end I baled out down a bridleway to Pike Hall.
A couple of miles of tarmac with a tailwind to Elton and then down, sheltered from the wind, to Gratton, Middleton and Youlgreave where I stopped at a pals house and was treated to a warming pot of tea and the most delicious slice of Lemon Drizzle Cake I have ever had. After an hour and now nicely thawed out, it was sleeting and having toyed with idea of asking my wife to pick me up, I forced myself out onto my bike for the remaining ride home.
Other than for unfixable mechanical reasons I have never called for "rescue" due to weather or fatigue and fear that once it has been done once it will become easier the second time and the start of a slippery slope. A bit like a DNF in a fell race I suppose!
Anyway 27 miles, 1'735 feet in a battling 2hrs 17min.
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