The Peak District Riding Thread

It’s a pity they took away the steam winch at the top. A because I’m a history steam geek and B because they could charge a fair fee ££ to pull bikes up there. I see now why everyone else was going the other way!

Peak District trails update. They’re basically all trashed! Thick mud, rocks washed all over the place. Not ideal

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They're pretty good round Sheffield. 🤷

No Cowlow Lane? Nearly killed me

Everything is pretty good round Sheffield! We’re dealing with less enlightened people over here who don’t even want a free bike track when local offers to build it, never mind maintain bridleways!

Lovely (but knackering, bit off peak fitness) ride today.
Started out flat, onto slightly undulating, then got a bit hillier, took in Hanging Gate and Wincle, stopped on the bridge at Wincle for a smoke and a piece of ginger cake, no hot tasty beverage though (forgot to take any money), took a wrong turn at Swythamley, ended back up in Wincle (meaning I did two extra hills!), got back on course, Rushton to Bosley, up over the Cloud, back home to Congleton.
50 miles all in, need to work on my hills, remember brew fundage, and not get lost.

Heading to visit family in Stoke in a few weeks, will be taking my MTB to escape for a day. What would be a good trail(s) to try, it being my first Peak riding ever?

Not exactly a MTB trail but if you get across to Waterhouses the Manifold Trail is a really flat way to get into the middle of the Peaks

Couple of the lads I work with seem to spend quite a bit of time in/around Macc Forest, not too far from Stoke.

Cannock Chase for waymarked graded trails. Not PD though.

Or if you have a car any of the peaks classic loops are worth a drive eg the Edale, rushups edge, hayfield, jacobs ladder loop.. though you’d want to enjoy rocky steep trails which not everyone does

I do have a car, and enjoy steep rocky stuff. Edale seems like a good shout, easy enough to loop from, might try that

Yeh the classic Edale loop is this https://www.mbr.co.uk/routes/northern-england/peak_district/mountain-bike-route-–-edale-round-277159 but once you get to hayfield area you can extend up to the shooting cabin on side of kinder, or do a loop of lantern pike and chinley churn. Decent cafes and chippy in Hayfield. Not much in Edale.
Or park on the old mam tor road out of castleton and start from that side, then castleton has more cafes etc

Perfect, thanks!

Message if you need routes, more accurate locations etc.? Enjoy

Exactly a year to the day (without realising) I attempted Blaze Hill to Pym Chair again this morning. A gentler pedal out and slow seated climbing Pott Shrigley, Blaze & Pike Rd like a spent domestique would give me the best chance to make it up without stopping and walking.

Slight concern that it was a headwind again, with the cloud building over the hill in the East in my view after Pike Rd a sign of a Helm Wind maybe?

It was the slowest of climbs <5mph filled with doubts but I made it up, so I never have to go there again. Although I might go back with a guaranteed tailwind sometime.

Headed up to Higher Disley afterwards, then enjoyed the best Peanut Butter & Jam sandwich ever as I went over unnecessary hill to rejoin the A6 back towards Mcr.

Appx 50/50 on friendly waves back from other riders. A few puzzled looks as I shouted "Where're you from?" with each wave.

Bang on 3hrs / 40miles pretty much.

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Did that take you up the Jenkins chapel climb?

Edit: I can see from the bottom map that it did. You’d have enjoyed the scenery more if you’d reversed the route, in my opinion anyway.

The road over from Kettleshulme to Disley is a joy. Great views of Manchester over Lyme park.

Nice work getting up! If I wanted to be rested for Pym Chair I'd have gone Brickworks over Blaze though. The descent down past Windgather rocks is lovely isn't it?

A few puzzled looks as I shouted "Where're you from?" with each wave.

Did lol

enjoyed the scenery more if you’d reversed the route

Yeah, it is lovely that way - up windgather then up the "dead man" as we called it, did it plenty when I first moved up here on the club Sunday rides pre parenthood. I had a bone to pick after walking from the last right hander on pym chair last year otherwise I'd have probably done a brickworks + windgather route tbh. I think the goyt valley climb to c&f is closed now otherwise that might have been on the cards instead of Disley.

Brickworks over Blaze

Yes definitely an easier approach. I was keen to do it the hard way though as that was my same route last year (although I rode out a different route via Prestbury then iirc and hadn't gone easy getting there).

Windgather descent certainly lovelier than the ascent ;)

Hope you're feeling ok post covid +ve?

Hope you're feeling ok post covid +ve?

Managing thanks! Can't complain really. It's not good but definitely having it easier than a lot of people.

I saw 1 clubrun on Strava go up the goyt climb at the weekend at least so I think it's passable!

Goyt valley still open and will be for another month allegedly

The Goyt tree felling was due to begin may 24 but it’s been shunted back a month because the access road isn’t ready.

The general consensus is that you’ll still get through at weekends with some manners and respect.

Be prepared for a climb if you do get turned back though.

Anyone got details of the closure? Been meaning to get over there for a MTB loop. Assume forest road down to taxal would be closed too?

Glad it's not too bad for you, hope it improves and there's no long term stuff.