1 hour loops-any ideas? chesterfield

mark145max

mark here, anyone know any interesting routes around dronfield/chesterfield area that i could try for a good blast on an evening? Needs to be no more then an hour circuit.
Cheers mark

geoff_ss

I suggest you buy yourself an OS Landranger (!:50,000) sheet 119 and work yourself out a route to the west of the A61 towards Chatsworth via (say) Holymoorside, Milthorpe or Holmesfield depending on where you start from.

I know the area quite well but as I don't live in Chesterfield/Dronfield I never start from there and avoid them anyway. There's huge scope in that part of the Peak but I hope you like hills.

Geoff

VW1300_1974

Try www.mapmyride.com

Found this really useful, especially with the elevation displayed!

hammerite

Never riden the area, but was driving through the other week and I thought south of Chesterfield out towards Matlock, Ashover, and Ogston Reservoir looked like quite a nice area for a ride. Plenty of quiet lanes and not too many big hills if you want to avoid hills. When you want the hills as Geoff said just head to the peak.

geoff_ss

hammerite wrote:

Never riden the area, but was driving through the other week and I thought south of Chesterfield out towards Matlock, Ashover, and Ogston Reservoir looked like quite a nice area for a ride. Plenty of quiet lanes and not too many big hills if you want to avoid hills. When you want the hills as Geoff said just head to the peak.

They're my local lanes! They're generally pretty steep once you get off the classified ones. It's basically the Erewash valley and the climbs up onto the tops can be quite demanding. I used to sail on Ogston Reservoir as did Ellen MacArthur before she went on to rather grander things

Geoff

hammerite

Geoff_SS wrote:

They're my local lanes! They're generally pretty steep once you get off the classified ones. It's basically the Erewash valley and the climbs up onto the tops can be quite demanding. I used to sail on Ogston Reservoir as did Ellen MacArthur before she went on to rather grander things

Geoff

I didn't know Erewash valley stretched that far. I used to run for Long Eaton which was classed as Erewash, our hill training consisted of running up and down a bridge that went over the M1!!

geoff_ss

hammerite wrote:

Geoff_SS wrote:

They're my local lanes! They're generally pretty steep once you get off the classified ones. It's basically the Erewash valley and the climbs up onto the tops can be quite demanding. I used to sail on Ogston Reservoir as did Ellen MacArthur before she went on to rather grander things

Geoff

I didn't know Erewash valley stretched that far. I used to run for Long Eaton which was classed as Erewash, our hill training consisted of running up and down a bridge that went over the M1!!

Oops, my mistake! I was born in the Erewash valley (Eastwood). I should have said Amber Valley :oops: My excuse is that they're not far apart where I live now ... that, and old age.

That motorway bridge has bad memories for me. I once got blown out of a 'take no prisoners' training ride there and had to grovel home on my own. I couldn't believe I'd ridden Belper, Derby, Leicester, Nottingham, Belper and it was still only 1pm - I was totally knackered. I didn't go again. Lived in Sawley when we first got married in '67

Geoff

Woolfie

You could try a route from dronfield / chesterfield heading over along Eastern Moor to the top of Pudding Pie Hill above Old Brampton then head over towards Curbar Edge, down Curbar edge (v. steep) and then turn right and up the long gradual climb of Froggatt Edge then back to Owler bar and return to Dronfield / Chesterfield via Holmesfield -depending on where you are starting from it could be just over an hour though!

hammerite

Geoff_SS wrote:

Oops, my mistake! I was born in the Erewash valley (Eastwood). I should have said Amber Valley :oops: My excuse is that they're not far apart where I live now ... that, and old age.

That motorway bridge has bad memories for me. I once got blown out of a 'take no prisoners' training ride there and had to grovel home on my own. I couldn't believe I'd ridden Belper, Derby, Leicester, Nottingham, Belper and it was still only 1pm - I was totally knackered. I didn't go again. Lived in Sawley when we first got married in '67

Geoff

Amber Valley covers a fair area too. My OH has family in Tupton and Wingerworth, and they originally hail from Shirland which all must be right on your doorstep.

mark145max

Thanks geoff,hammerite woolfie and vw1300 for the help, seems to me a loop incorporating chatsworth would be a good ride. I am a beginner but have a decent level of fitness coming from a running background so I see the hills as being part of the challenge. Just as well really being situated where I am, there's no getting away from them!

"mapmyride" sounds interesting, sounds like a useful tool, cheers VW1300!

geoff_ss

If you return from Chatsworth via Baslow towards Chesterfield then take the the left fork at the Robin Hood Inn. The 'B' road is far quieter than the main A619 and only very slightly further.

btw hammerite I meant the actual Amber valley NOT the Parliamentary Constituency of the same name. That's rather more limited

Geoff