The Peak District Riding Thread

Ahhh I get ya. Just been for our tea at the Rose and Crown at Allgreave. Lovely bit of lamb.

If I ride next Sat it'll be part hills part commute. More time pressure. Enjoy yours & I hope mid-ride jab goes ok.

Will add it to the places to visit list.

Fingers crossed I don't have an adverse reaction, but having watched stage 1 today, an achey arm and maybe a bit of a headache is just summat I should deal with and crack on with the ride regardless.

If you go for lunch, I would advise skipping lunch and driving a few hundred yards up the road to Blaze Farm which sells its own ice cream and has farm yard animals that you can pet. The farm is also a great stop on a longer bike ride.

Don't know if they still do it, not been for a few years, but Blaze farm did a rather splendid pistachio ice cream, maybe I'll call in next time I'm out that way.

Ah yeah, one of the big coffeefix day rides stopped there bitd. I'd forgotten but defo one to take the 8yo out to. Ta.

That would be good. I can probably figure it from your image if not. 👍

I 'rode' Old Road today out of Buxton, (off the A5004). Considered it a test dummy situation, with me being the dummy. Short story is that it still consists of smashed up rocks and a sliver of broken road that teases you for about a mile even though you can't ride on it. Essentially impassable without walking (stumbling) or hike a bike or serious injury lol. That is before you think about it on a loaded tourer or in bad weather. It does avoid the busy traffic = 0 cars on it. The dog that tried to attack me a couple of years ago from the farm at the bottom wasn't there today either, so I guess that is a plus too. Maybe he got bored.

Road bike? It's doable in a gravel biek, but there's a few trials sections that may make you put a foot down

Lovely ride out today, just over 40miles, flirted with the Peak District, stopped for a brew at Wincle Brewery (again, really good strong brew) before heading out to Rudyard, up over Biddulph Moor, and back home.
Thankfully the forecast rain didn't materialise, though it did get a bit warm on the way back in.

I just think it should be signed at the bottom so people know what to expect then they can make a choice. It's probably a better option than the A5004 for those with chunky tyres and a light load.

Lovely ride this morning, got a little too warm towards the end though!
Brief route outline, Congleton- Gawsworth- Sutton/Langley- Macc Forest- Wildboarclough- Gradbach- Flash- Longnor- Warslow- Royal Cottage- Roaches- Meerbrook- Rudyard- Biddulph Moor- Congleton.
Tea n cake were taken at Flash Cafe on the Buxton Road, very busy at 10am, quite a few guys chatting shit about Kom-ing that climb, fookin strava wankers! Not one of em mentioned the stunning views, probably too busy eating their front tyres to look up and enjoy some fantastic moorland scenery.
Anyhoo, few snaps from today. Hope you're all enjoying the sunshine.
J

Good effort! I was out earlier in the week and it was hot enough. Even just a gentle stroll round Rivi Pike earlier today was enough for me and I've abandoned all afternoon bike errands.

Very jealous. Bad knee means I’m off the bike and getting fat. Warslow back up towards the Roaches is a long hard slog.

Being honest, it was a little too warm, but still very enjoyable, just spending the afternoon putting plenty of water back in.
@atk That Dark Peak ride looks a good un.
@%~} sorry to hear about the knee, slog is the right word for it.

Jeez it’s warm today! Nice 50km spin on one of my two days off without the kids.
Brickworks was in full sun and a headwind so not ideal.
Which coffee shop do people prefer round there? The one midway up brickworks, the coffee shack thing just before it or push on to Whaley and the bake house?

Coffee at Kickback on the Brickworks is superb. I have been buying their beans but they’re expensive so I’ve stopped. There’s not a great deal of choice as far as food goes there.

Cakes etc are great at the Bakehouse but the coffee is only okay and can take a long time to appear.

Yeh I agree about bake house coffee- too hot and too much water in the Americano for me

Would anyone fancy a gravel ride one evening in next couple of weeks? Ideally start in Marple for me but happy to be persuaded otherwise! I can lead a 90min-3 hour route to suit

Yesterday's ride: A not-so-shortcut.

Been trying to get a bit of bike fitness back by riding up things. Bit off a bit more than I could chew yesterday. Had stitched together a few routes round the Peak to make a big gravel-based loop that went roughly: Manchester > Hartshead Pike > Longdendale Trail > that other ex-rail trail from Dunford Bridge > Langsett > the Bradfields > Hathersage > Chapel > Lyme Park > Manchester.

Started out well, found a single puddle on the way up Hartshead. Never really ridden out this way before and it was a nice surprise to find a few 14% gradients so close to the city.

From there it was a drop down to Heyrod and a few short road sections before returning to the gravel above Brushes Reservoir, heading towards Arnfield Lane and down to the start of the Longdendale Trail.

From there it was rail trail, that bastard grassy climb, sheep dodging and that difficult road crossing before ending up on Windle Edge. Little climb, big descent, big right turn at the bottom and more rail trail towards Manchester Road. Mandatory stop at Bank View, this time went vegan breakfast. Eyes bigger than stomach, such deep fried, very sluggish.

While plowing through the food, I did some idle map checking. I knew I was about 1/3 of the way round the route, easily a couple hours behind schedule and it was a fair bit hotter than the forecast. The next section was all new-to-me riding. Despite the temptation of glorious gravel, delightful double track and fascinating food stops, I wasn't convinced my legs would be up to it. I didn't fancy turning back (although now that would have been a sensible option) and the climbs on the way to Strines were equally unappealing. That left one option: taking the shortest route, up over Cut Gate.

It's been dry, I'd heard rumors of trail work around the Bog of Doom. I've only ever ridden it from the south and figured the long and flowing descent you enjoy in that direction way might be rideable in reverse, so I set off. 2h later I arrived at the end of Howden Reservoir. I feel I rode enough of the climb and more than the descent than I thought I would. The slick gravelkings just about holding on when they needed too and the bike soaking up just enough of the bumps as I crashed along the rocky sections. That said, there was still a lot of pushing!

I stopped taking pictures after this. There was more glorious gravel down the east side of the reservoirs. Being 7 or so hours into the ride, with the prospect of more climbs whichever way I tried to get home, I slowly resigned myself to packing it all in and catching the train home. Due to mass ticket machine failures the journey ended up being free. Silver linings and such.

Still, it's a little frustrating not having the consistency or speed to pull off some of longer bigger rides. That's on me though, I haven't put the miles in for a few years now and it won't come back overnight. Hopefully snap out of this funk before Wednesday and the first of the Peak Audax Marple rides.

Interested, though probably not till next week

Yep! Friday this week or any day other than Wednesday next week would work. Beyond that usually not-Wednesday is fine.

Anyone got some good gravel routes out of Sheffield? I keep exploring, but I’m mostly finding myself either on road or thinking that I really should have brought my mountain bike.

Paging @Landslide! He seems to have been getting out and about a fair bit, might have some pro tips.