Cut Gate has probably made more appearances in MBR than any trail in the UK. And with good reason — It has all the ingredients that make it a must-do route.

>>> Cut Gate, Peak District route download

We do have to mention that this is a route only really to be attempted in the dry. There are a couple of parts that have been prone to excessive erosion due to bikers, walkers and horse riders when the ground is wet and boggy, so it’s best to keep away when it’s been raining. If you’re not sure, check with websites such as Keeper of the Peak, they will tell you when it’s okay to ride.

This Cut Gate route has plenty of singletrack, technical sections and above all, stunning views. This is classic mountain biking, as good as you’ll find anywhere in the British Isles, and within easy reach for most of the English population.

The only issue with the route is which way to ride it, and this is even more an issue if, like most of us, your time is limited. Normally ridden as a point to point, we’re going to loop it so we cram in the best of the trails. This will give us a monster 28 mile Killer Loop with over 1200 metres of climbing.

A ride as epic as this could be classed as an all-dayer but as we mentioned, our time is, well, a bit limited. So we’ve brought a couple of secret weapons (electric mountain bikes) to make the task that much more achievable – the extremely capable Focus Sam2 6.9 and Vitus E-Sommet VR.

This is one of those times when the obvious advantages of an e-bike come into play. When attempting epic rides in inspirational landscape, having that added power can help condense the pure essence of a true adventure and distil it into something you can capture within those precious moments.