The Peak District Riding Thread

depending on your next stop, this would be my suggestion for heading north from Sheffield, taking a bit of last year's tour route in reverse.
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/795700193

Here's a route you'd probably not want to do, although the Manifold Valley makes for a very relaxed entry to the Peaks and has some nice sharp climbs out of it.

Sharp is the word. Plenty of 20-25%ers up and down there. Lovely territory if you want to punish yourself.

Thanks for this, looks great - I see at the start of this route you've taken the cycle path from Waterhouses to just east of Grindon? I've been avoiding these because the ones you can streetview look to have a very loose gravel surface - do you know what this one is like and whether we'd be happy on it with road bikes and 25c tyres? If the path is good this looks like a lovely route into the peaks and would fit perfectly with the direction I'll be coming from. Cheers

Nice one! Thanks for this - looks perfect - I need to somehow reach the Dales whilst avoiding Leeds and Bradford. I need a big mileage day on this one so generally trying to keep the elevation down a bit. I'll start with this and see what a route skirting Halifax and via Skipton looks like - any further recommendations for this bit gratefully received if you have any thoughts?

Probably a bit too far West I'm afraid although I've added it to my list of roads I'd like to ride when I next get the chance... cheers!

From memory it was tarmac. I think there might be a gravelly one alongside in places.

All I really remember is that it was 7am and the sun hadn't made it into the valley so my fingers froze. Didn't quite make it to London by midnight :(

I don't think all the climbs out of that valley are 20% btw - if you head to the northern end I think you can get to Longnor without doing any big hills.

Edit:

The Manifold Track is a 9 mile tarmac track along a disused railway
from Hulme End to Waterhouses. A section between Swainsley and
Wetton Mill is used by traffic (single track) and contains a tunnel 100m
long at Swainsley; this is illuminated but still quite dark with small passing
places to avoid vehicles.

From http://www.peakdistrictcycleways.co.uk/docs/white-peak-trails-map.pdf

Manifold is a solid Tarmac path that becomes real road somewhere near whetton mill (good tea). After the mill is a tunnel where you can make woo woo noises.

Amazing, thank you! Forum local knowledge deserves all the rep. Great effort on Sheffield - London in a day, that's a serious session on the bike.

Reckon I'm definitely going to take the Manifold Track (usual concern with cycle paths is surface condition or speed with other traffic/families etc, but this day isn't about speed; want to be enjoying the peaks and the scenery at a reasonable pace to allow time in pubs for lunch/afternoon preparatory ale before the big final bastard climb) - have put this together, really like @eone's suggestion re the alternative to Winnat so gone with that. From experience riding in the lakes the most popular roads/passes are probably best avoided during school holidays. @sifriday's suggestion re routes into Sheffield much appreciated, although with Winnat's missed I'm now only using a small portion of them. http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/796207651 - any additional thoughts or recommendations much appreciated. Similarly, any ideas re getting into the Dales as pleasantly as possible.

cheers

I love solid tarmac paths, good tea and woo-woo-suitable tunnels. This is really hitting my sweet spot. Cheers.

Oh yeah - any particularly nice pubs you'd recommend along/close to my route? If in doubt, we'll just try all of them.

Not sure if I properly tagged you previously, but massive thanks for these thoughts and suggested route, pretty sure I'm going to follow it exactly. One question, it looks like the route around the back after Hathersage, via Church Bank, might bepretty rough/gravelly track – at least near where it meets back up with the Dale. Is this detour particularly recommended and generally OK surface, or if we're on road bikes with 25c tyres something we might want to avoid? The Dale looks like a lovely road so hardly a poor alternative, but don't want to miss out if this track is one of the particular recommendations. Cheers

just try all of them.

This.

No doubt. LEJOG is basically one massive pub crawl anyway... at least how I'll be doing it is. Plus distilleries.

church bank is a track, the dale is the road you want.

I recommend the broadfield pub.

Gotcha, thanks. RE the Broadfield, that could scarcely be any closer to the mates I'm staying with so sure we'll end up there. Cheers!

And Picture House Social.
And The Tramshed.

And the Sheaf View.

Oh, and grab some take out from Hop Hideout. Will there is a keen cyclist too.

Nice! All look like good shouts, cheers

I rode a fair way on the manifold track and it's decent tarmac everywhere. The odd ripply bit and wooden bridge but I rode it on racey 23s (Veloflex Masters I think) no bother. You'll probably come across a fair few peds, but simply use the local greeting 'ey-up' and you'll receive the same back.

I notice you've popped in a cheeky detour up Larkstone Lane. A fine choice. Don't smash it up the first really steep bit after the bridge, you'll need your legs for the long draggy bit at the end.

First Sunday ride in ages, 4 horsemen climbs of Brickworks, Windgather, Goyt, Deadman.

This new home made traffic calming sign made me chuckle but I can't decide if it's in praise of cyclists or passive aggressive by a frustrated petrol-head?

Hey, that's my old stomping ground (Whaley Bridge, bit further along the road)!

did the last bit of the route I suggested today. Ignore the road closed sign after the climb out of great hucklow, it's passable on a bike.

Epic skid?

Camped at Greenacres Campsite opposite YHA Edale a few weeks ago and did four rides based on Jon Barton's Dark Peak trail book :

https://www.v-publishing.co.uk/books/categories/mountain-biking/peak-district-mountain-biking.html

Would definitely be interested in doing Kinder Circuit again, maybe a day out from Edale station?

End of September forum group epic?