OT (ish): Any ride recommendations for the Peak district?

notsoblue

So I'm going to be in the Peak district for a couple of days this week, and I'm planning a day of riding. Does anyone know of any particularly scenic routes in the south of the area? Will be doing a loop starting/finishing in Bonsall near Matlock. Looking for expansive views, and nice tarmac Not too bothered about distance, or actively seeking out challenging climbs unless theres something worth seeing at the top! Any recommendations?

Might be "commuting" for a day or two between Bonsall and Sheffield next week. So theres a tenuous link to this forum.

Kieran_Burns

Ahem

just keep going down it... (Slack hill.... you want to hit 60mph on a bike? That's your hill)

Alternately:
A5012 to the A515
A515 south to Ashbourne
B5035 past Carsington Water (some hills to test your legs...)
Oh, and you have to do Cromford Hill. Be warned - it is VERY steep and goes in to a 30mph limit which you will have a very hard time sticking to

CiB

The cafe in Monyash - off the A515 south of Buxton - is a nice place to stop for a break. Very cycle friendly, good food and agreeable staff.

You've also got the Tissington trail from just above Ashbourne, a railway line converted to cycle track which is pretty smooth, but prob not best suited to full-on road tyres.

Kieran_Burns

CiB wrote:

The cafe in Monyash - off the A515 south of Buxton - is a nice place to stop for a break. Very cycle friendly, good food and agreeable staff.

You've also got the Tissington trail from just above Ashbourne, a railway line converted to cycle track which is pretty smooth, but prob not best suited to full-on road tyres.

I was going to mention the Trail but saw the comment about 'good roads' so decided against it (despite it being a very relaxing little run)

It's a bit rough in places at the moment. I was glad for my 28c tyres

rjsterry

Now why did my brother not take me up there last time I visited? I shall have words.

Kieran_Burns

rjsterry wrote:

Now why did my brother not take me up there last time I visited? I shall have words.

which bit?

notsoblue

Cheers fellas

I'll actually be starting on the A4015, Via Gelia. Will make a point of passing by the Cafe in Monyash. Any thoughts on a route that would take me from there to Castleton through Buxton? Perhaps coming back through Hope Valley, past Chatsworth House via Matlock. Thats about 50 miles.... Something like this: http://goo.gl/maps/k34W Any roads to avoid there?

rjsterry

The linked bit - Amber Lane was it? Looked like the sort of hill to pull over and do a quick bike check before getting going, but all the better for it.

Kieran_Burns

I hope you like hills..... 8) although I see you're doing Winnats downhill

I was going to say avoid the A6... hateful road, but cycling through Matlock Bath will be funky

Kieran_Burns

rjsterry wrote:

The linked bit - Amber Lane was it? Looked like the sort of hill to pull over and do a quick bike check before getting going, but all the better for it.

a friend did that on a carbon road bike - didn't even pdeal and he hit 60. Just pushed off at the top and didn't brake for the whole hill.

One of the most terrifying and exhilarating things he has ever done according to him - he got a little obsessed with coming off and leaving a big smear on the road.

notsoblue

Kieran_Burns wrote:

I hope you like hills..... 8) although I see you're doing Winnats downhill

I was going to say avoid the A6... hateful road, but cycling through Matlock Bath will be funky

I don't mind them, and I've tackled worse on LEJOG on a worse bike... Its not like its a long day of riding. How bad is the A6?

PBo

Kieran_Burns wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

The linked bit - Amber Lane was it? Looked like the sort of hill to pull over and do a quick bike check before getting going, but all the better for it.

a friend did that on a carbon road bike - didn't even pdeal and he hit 60. Just pushed off at the top and didn't brake for the whole hill.

One of the most terrifying and exhilarating things he has ever done according to him - he got a little obsessed with coming off and leaving a big smear on the road.

i don't have the cojones to do that

that's why i could never be a professional cyclist


....well that and weighing 85kg

...and having the lung capacity of an asthmatic flea

....and not being too keen on pain

....and being 42






......and the real clincher.....my bike's an alumnium flat bar roadie

Kieran_Burns

busy. Very busy. Lorries and impatient drivers abound.

Personally I would try and include the B6049 out of Castleton - that's a great road, down the A623 to the b6465 and turn right towards Chatsworth at Little Longston.

Got to warn you about the hills again....

rhext

Via Gellia, A515 and A6 are all busy single-carriageway roads. Via Gellia in particular is quite twisty and gets a lot of quarry traffic. If you don't mind constant traffic, the loop you show above will be a great ride, particularly the northern bit.

If it were me, however, I might be tempted to see whether I could construct something similar (but perhaps a little shorter) on the minor roads which thread through the area enclosed by your route. Eg instead of Via Gellia, how about Bonsall, Brightgate, Winster, Elton etc..... Coming back, once you've gone through the Chatsworth estate, you can turn left at Beeley and ride along the top of the valley instead of along the A6 (if your legs are still up to the climb at that point).

I say 'a little shorter' because it's hilly in there: the challenging climbs will find you; although in my view the peace and quiet plus the views will more than compensate.

notsoblue

Kieran_Burns wrote:

busy. Very busy. Lorries and impatient drivers abound.

Personally I would try and include the B6049 out of Castleton - that's a great road, down the A623 to the b6465 and turn right towards Chatsworth at Little Longston.

Got to warn you about the hills again....

Busy even on a Wednesday morning? Ok, so I've changed the route to this: http://goo.gl/maps/R1SQ Would you head back to Bonsall from Little Longston via Bakewell or Chatsworth house?

notsoblue

rhext wrote:

Via Gellia, A515 and A6 are all busy single-carriageway roads. Via Gellia in particular is quite twisty and gets a lot of quarry traffic. If you don't mind constant traffic, the loop you show above will be a great ride, particularly the northern bit.

If it were me, however, I might be tempted to see whether I could construct something similar (but perhaps a little shorter) on the minor roads which thread through the area enclosed by your route. Eg instead of Via Gellia, how about Bonsall, Brightgate, Winster, Elton etc..... Coming back, once you've gone through the Chatsworth estate, you can turn left at Beeley and ride along the top of the valley instead of along the A6 (if your legs are still up to the climb at that point).

I say 'a little shorter' because it's hilly in there: the challenging climbs will find you; although in my view the peace and quiet plus the views will more than compensate.

I don't have a choice on Via Gelia I'm afraid, my starting point is in the deepest, darkest bit of that little valley!

Ok, new route! Avoiding a bit of the A6 and taking in Chatsworth: http://goo.gl/maps/0Cuv

rhext

Depends on the state of my legs...there's a b****d of a hill between Chatsworth and Bakewell. Chatsworth probably edges it on scenic grounds. Lots of tea shops (or should that be shoppes) in Bakewell, although Chatsworth has nice cafe too!

Remember a lot of heavy traffic in the peak district is related to quarrying and agriculture. The lorries roll during the week too!

rhext

The minor road up through Bonsall village is about 300m from your start point ;-)

But the route you've got planned looks great and I'd be perfectly happy riding it! You'll need your climbing legs though.

Kieran_Burns

Go via Chatsworth - Bakewell is a busy little town. the roads via Chatsworth have you dodging sheep, Bakewell has you dodging... errrr.... sheep (two legged though)

Little Longstone, Great Longstone, Hassop. (lanes are small here) Head to Baslow and then take the Chatsworth lanes (b6012)

Please note that I always head for quiet small roads - I prefer spinning along with no cars around and some of these are SMALL roads

Yes - the A6 is always flipping busy. It is one of my least favourite roads. I'll do most anything to avoid it, and a bike on some stretches would incense some people

Kieran_Burns

Oh... Cattle Grids at Winnats.

Both ends.

The ones at the bottom are a bugger 'cos you've got a great straight stretch leading to it, but there's a car park for Speedwell Cavern, plus shop, so it's best to take it easy. Shame though, 'cos you could get some insane speeds....

notsoblue

Ok, latest incarnation: http://goo.gl/maps/8N1k

Looking forward to it, just a bit more of an intricate route than I had initially planned. Shame Garmin 800 not arriving till November

Kieran_Burns

Intricate, but you have a real mix of roads - the only flat bits in the Peaks at the top or bottom of the hills....

cyclopsbiker

I can't see the route...but would recommend you go through Hope, just down the road from Castleton....and stop at the Woodbine Cafe (next to petrol station)....they're very bike friendly (pop your bike out the back) and do great bacon butties, homemade cakes and pints of tea/coffee.
there's a bike shop behind the fruit shop "18 Bikes" if you need anything for yr bike

enjoy

notsoblue

cyclopsbiker wrote:

I can't see the route...but would recommend you go through Hope, just down the road from Castleton....and stop at the Woodbine Cafe (next to petrol station)....they're very bike friendly (pop your bike out the back) and do great bacon butties, homemade cakes and pints of tea/coffee.
there's a bike shop behind the fruit shop "18 Bikes" if you need anything for yr bike

enjoy

Noted! Going through Hope

CiB

Looks good. I see that you've omitted Monyash; if you turn off the Buxton Rd A515 into Monyash the road labelled The Rake is a big long drop that'll see you hit 40 sitting up with no additional effort. The downside to that is that you have to drag yourself plus a gutful of cake back up the other side onto the A515 after your snack break.

cyclopsbiker

cool....say hello to Judith if she's around.....she's my mother!!! obviously I am biased but seriously, the cafe is well known and is really bike friendly - all the bike clubs use her place as a stop off at the weekends.

notsoblue

So this was the route I did last Wednesday: http://goo.gl/maps/lIpW

At 70 miles it was a bit longer than I had initially planned but the weather was gorgeous! A cold start but the sun soon warmed me up. There was a roadblock on the A515, so I had to turn around at one point and make a detour through Youlgreave, but this meant I got to go through Monyash. Nice ride down into the village, and an excellent slice of Carrot Cake at the pub opposite the school. Back to the A515, and a turnoff before Buxton through Cowdale, then along the A6 for a while (Not as bad as I thought it was going to be, quite quiet, and traffic was slow due to lots of bends) and up to Peak Forest. Great views up this way, lots of long straight descents. Then up to Winnats Road, and down the 20% rim cooker that is Winnat's Pass down into Castleton. Brakes on the whole way down, felt like I was going to fall over the handlebars it was so steep. When I got to the bottom my rims and tyres felt hot to the touch... (I wonder how close I was to blow out? How do people handle alpine descents?!). Saw some poor bastard on a tourer about to head up Winnats Pass and I wished him good luck... The rest of the journey was gorgeous, through picturesque villages like Tidswell, passing through Bakewell and making a stop off at Haddon Hall (my mum works there, got a quick tour )

Lovely area, stunning scenery. Was great to test my legs on some nice climbs. To my surprise, and considering I'm used to the wilds of Embankment and Richmond Park, I coped well on a double.

Thanks for all the input chaps, made for a great ride in the end! Took some pictures, will post when I get home.