Less than a year after I was last at The Service Course in Wilmslow for the inaugural Off Piste in the Peaks gravel bonanza, I was back for its third running. As I arrived at the shop with my riding mate James, all was reassuring familiar. As before there were the cheerful greetings, the welcome coffee, the copious pastries and the wide array of other riders’ bikes at which to ogle. But at the same time, there was something strange, something unnerving, something that I had never experienced before in Manchester - the sky was bright blue and in it there was a fiery yellow ball.
Last October, packing for the ride was a familiar routine - add layering options for chilly weather and torrential downpours. But this was a much odder experience - the UK was experiencing its second ever significant heat weather warning and I was wondering how much sun cream and water it was possible to carry to see me through the 100km of riding ahead.
Image courtesy of James Dymond
Image courtesy of Rachel Sokal
Until the evening before I’d not really looked at the course of this ride, assuming it would be reasonably similar to the last event. After all, it had been a great ride with plenty of variation, enjoyment and challenge for both bike and rider. So, I was part excited and part disappointed that this event’s 100km route was to be completely different.
Heading out from the shop almost instantly you know that this route has been put together by someone who really knows the local riding – The Service Course’s Vinny Ruane. It’s really decadent to ride someone else’s well put together route - you get all the enjoyment of a great ride with zero planning effort. I didn’t even have to bother plugging it into my own GPS as I took up the offer of using one of Wahoo’s demo units for the day.
Image courtesy of Rachel Sokal
Image courtesy of James Dymond
Within 5 minutes we were away from the town’s roads and onto secluded green ways and tracks out into the hills.
After a fast few miles in the shade racing along an old railway track, the climbing started in earnest as we approached the Peak District hills - first on tarmac, then on track, then gravel and then rocky step-up that only a few were able to conquer.
At the top of the climb above the town of Marple the views opened up across the moorlands as we tickled the boundary of the national park.
Image courtesy of Rachel Sokal
Image courtesy of Rachel Sokal
Image courtesy of James Dymond
The desiccated moors and empty reservoirs made for a spectacular – if not unsettling – back drop to the ride. It was unerring to ride alongside the Woodhead reservoirs and road in these conditions - the views a complete juxtaposition to the images in my mind of times I’ve tried to drive over the pass in sleet and snow.
Hailing from the other side of the Peak District I know some of these trails but not in this order, and not on this bike, and certainly not for a very long time. In between the reminiscing there were new highlights - the criss-crossing paths through the moorland heather, the fast and loose or the rocky and techy descents down to yet another half-drained, deep blue reservoir.
Even the long stretch of road was spectacular as the route topped out over Saddleworth Moor before flying down the other side. Mentally I made note and after note to come and ride this bit on that bike in one order or another.
I’m not sure I’ll have the pleasure of The Service Course’s pop-up feed station with fresh coffee and snacks en-route next time though.
The efforts that the route and weather demanded meant I was completely done in by the time I rolled into the finish line at the Track Brewery in Manchester city centre. Fortunately, it only took a few glasses of water and a sit down before I got to make the most of the cold beer, freshly cooked pizza and sharing stories of the day’s epic riding.
Eventually we took an easy spin back to our starting point back at The Service Course, the cooler evening urban miles an enjoyable contrast from the heat and the hills from earlier in the day.
If you would like to find out more about future The Service Course events, you can find all the details on their website.
If you fancy taking part yourself, The Service Course are going to be running another version of this event in November - full details can be found here.
All photos courtesy of The Service Course, except where credited.