The Peak District Riding Thread

^^ Not mapped, but I wrote that description by going to google, doing a walking route and then dragging the route onto what I could remember doing.

Then I went through the directions google produced and tidied them up.

I'll have the directions I actually used to get from Whaley Bridge to London written down in a little flip notebook at home, if you're /really/ keen.

Can anyone recommend where the most dramatic but easy to ride parts of the peak district are? I was thinking something along one of the rivers?

Rivers are OK, Manifold valley is nice but the valleys in Derbyshire are steep sided and so you miss the better scenery. For easy but scenic, look to the trails. There are three to choose from: Tissington Trail, High Peak Trail and Monsal Trail. They use disused railway lines and therefore get out of the valleys.

It's pretty scenic on the A57, particularly over the part that is the Snake Pass. It's a long climb on both sections but in fairness, not that steep save part of the climb out of Glossop. While I wouldn't normally advise such a prominent road, on a weekday morning the traffic is usually pretty light and not going to be a problem if you want to stick it in a low gear and twiddle.
From the A57 you also have access to the road up the Ladybower Reservoir and Howden Reservoir, part of which is on trails but pretty clean and ridable on a road bike, which is really good. You can also drop down through Bamford and into the Hope Valley and Edale, which is pretty stunning all year round.
The bit down to Grindleford is nice and easy and with a bit of a dig up to Eyam you can seen be headed through some wide open countryside through Foolow, Grindlow and into Tideswell. There's always going to be a bit of climbing, but none of the bits mentioned so far are the real biggies and the rewards at the top do make them enjoyable.

Alas roads next to the rivers tend to be quite up and down, and on the steep sides not always a lot of fun if climbing isn't your thing. Better to stick to the trade routes, like the bigger roads and railways if you can. The good thing about the Hope Valley is if, at the end of the day you don't really fancy climbing out, it's easy to hope on a train for cheap and almost all stations are within spitting distance of a good pub.

I should point out that the TSK, guiding and route planning service is always open to requests.

Not to dismiss TSK's route planning and guiding service but Evans have a Ride It sportive starting from New Mills on Sunday 24th June for anyone who wants a signposted and supported ride out to discover the Peak District. It features the Snake Pass and a lovely route through Edale too. Say hello if you do come along.

having lived around there, the Goyt Valley is alright for a short ride - from the Errwood car park it's one way to motor traffic and at the top it dumps you out near the Cat & Fiddle.
You could even do a loop involving Long Hill (which runs from Whaley Bridge to Buxton) - nice views over the valley from the main road and is just slightly downhill if you're going Buxton -> Whaley (once you've climbed out of Buxton).
Around Hollinsclough is quite nice.
Old Road, which runs from Whaley to Disley has quite nice views, but the cars tend to barrel along it (it's a rat run for those who want to avoid the A6 via New Mills).
There's an old railway which runs from New Mills leisure centre to Hayfield - a favourite for rides with kids or other novices.
The Peak Forest canal which terminates at Whaley Bridge has a branch off to Buxworth, and from Buxworth canal basin there's a nice track past the chemical works to Whitehough.
None of these are really rides in themselves, but little bits you could work into a route.
Back to Whaley Bridge there's the old Roman Road which runs from Whaley to Buxton, avoiding Long Hill. It's not all paved, so be prepared for a bumpy ride if you're not on a mountain bike. From the top of Elnor Lane heading southbound, take the left fork ("Old Road") and just follow that all the way, around the back of Whitehall outdoor pursuits centre. It drops you out onto the end of Long Hill on its descent into Buxton.

^^Sounds great, at a guess the profile looks like a nip through Wash, up Rushup Edge, a drop down Mam Nick and back over the Snake to Glossop. If so, that's a fantastic day out with some fine beer stops along the way. Strongly recommended. Hope the weather holds, sure everyone will have a good time.

Rode Snake Pass and the Whalley - Disley climb last week as part of an 85 loop.

eBay review: AAAA++++ would ride again

Planning to get a few days in Derbyshire in mid August, prob midweek. Hoping to do a couple of longish rides - prob one up towards Ladybower and one into Staffordshire, plus a morning of Matlock hill fun (I will get to Riber, I will). Suspect TSK guiding service is otherwise engaged (married by then?), but if not would be lovely to see you and Andy. Will post plans nearer the time if anyone else fancies a Peak District jaunt.

Rode Snake Pass and the Whalley - Disley climb last week as part of an 85 loop.

Is the Whalley - Disley climb where you climb from round the back of the train station and then drop down over the speed bumps back to the A6? If so, I like that one now that I've got the hang of the descent.

That sounds like it, yeah. Doing it the other way round is fun too - especially the 90 degree blind bend at the bottom of the hill by Whaley station. Had lots of fun bombing down there when I was little. If you take a right instead of going under the railway, that takes you up to Toddbrook reservoir. You can then ride over the dam and around the football field which brings you out on Macclesfield Road. Cross that and head towards Taxal and you'll eventually end up at Fernilee reservoir. You can then head up the Goyt Valley towards the cat & fiddle or Buxton. An excellent easy ride. For a challenge, cross Errwood dam and climb up to the Buxton road (Long Hill). You'll be wanting gears. Lots of gears.

^ & ^^

yes that's the one, the bumps make the descent interesting...

P.s. Long Hill from Whalley is a nice hill to "power" up (relatively speaking), think I've been down to the dam from there. V.steep and I got a good speed wiggle going towards the bottom as shoulders were too tense.

It's Whaley - Whalley makes me think of Whalley Range, a part of Manchester which isn't so great.

Ah yes, I live near Whalley Range so it's stored in predictive text. It's not that bad there... no hills to ride up tho.

Ringinglow Road

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For a minute I though you'd hauled that on fixed but closer inspection suggests a shiny spoke. Lovely De Rosa, I shall keep an eye out for you in the peaks.

What descent did you opt for?

Cheers TSK - I only make it back up from the smoke for a ride once a year or so these days but do say hello if you encounter me wheezing up some Derbyshire incline. I descended down to Hathersage on The Dale that day, had a coffee at Outdoors and then on for a bin lid bacon butty at Castleton prior to tackling Winnats Pass. Happy days!

Here's a route which drops into the Goyt Valley. Shows some of the views at least.

You can see the descent from Long Hill to the dam in this picture. There's a straight diagonal (from top right towards car park at bottom left) line with a white dot halfway along it just below the label which says "Near jct..."

I'm going to be in the Peak District for a spot of cycling from the 17th August. I'll be staying in Bakewell. One of my friends has selfishly decided to ruin it by having her wedding right in the middle of the weekend so I'll only really have the Sunday for a full day's cycling, as well as the Friday afternoon and Monday morning.

I'll be doing the Monsal Trail on Friday after I drop off my things at the B&B as it seems rude not to, but it's not likely to keep me occupied for very long as it appears to be under 10 miles end-to-end. Was thinking I could possibly ride to Nottingham on the Monday and get the train back to London from there. That leaves the Sunday and some post-Monsal Trail action for Friday afternoon. Any recommendations around the area? I'd like to keep it reasonably relaxed.

Fantastic ride out into the Peaks last weekend. We dinghied the organised ride due to the somewhat appalling weather conditions and one of our party due to be in Sheffield at 2pm so headed out of New Mills up through Whaley to Buxton via the Goyt Valley and Cat and Fiddle. Back round to Chapel-en-le-Frith and over to Hayfield. Then up over the Monk's Road to Charlesworth for what would have been a good view. Finished of with a trundle through the lovely environs of Marple Bridge/Mill Brow/Mellor and Aspenshaw. Not bad for a very wet day - the Goyt valley a particular delight in very misty conditions.

^ good choices, plenty of climbing on that route!

Been staying in Eyam since Saturday, and I've loved it round here. The hills are a real challenge but the downs make up for that. Can anyone recommend a good climb to try round here? Most of the roads would count, but are there any hidden gems?

Winnats Pass - just north of Castleton. Not too far from Eyam and a proper lung buster.