Routes in the Peak District

drewfromrisca

Can anyone recomeend any loops in the Peaks? I've never been that way and fancy a day up there.

ugo.santalucia

Browse my websiete, there's a couple of rides in the Peak District mapped, if you follow the links

http://ridewithugo.xtreemhost.com/mamtor.html

andy162

Here's on of my favourite leg stretchers.

I park up in a small carpark on Rails Road nr Stannington. Left up the hill out of the carpark & then head to Stannington. Make your way to Low Bradfield, then up to High Bradfield. Left at the top & aim for Langsett. You'll take in Strines, a tough 20% climb. From Langsett it's towards Holmfirth. Say "hello" to Nora Batty then it's up n over Holme Moss. Right at the bottom & next left t'wards Glossop. In Glossop you'll come to a crossroads (A57) straight on 100yds for a cuppa or left for the Snake Pass & a descent back to the motor. 3hrs (ish) start to finish.

ynyswen24

Park up in Hillsborough and pay respect to Tony Butterworths shop in Catchbar Lane then follow the Rivelin Valley Road out to the A57 and head up Moscar. Then either turn left onto the Strines Road for the route above or drop down to Ladybower Reservoir to go up the Snake the other way or take a left at Ladybower and head south towards the Hope Valley and Winnats Pass and Edale or loop back into Sheffield via Hathersage and the climb up to Fox House then Sheephill Road, Fullwood Lane and Redmires Road to drop down to Rivelin Valley Road.
Basically, you could just choose a few random roads off a road atlas and have a great time. You will.

amaferanga

The best cycling in the Peaks is on the minor roads, not busy A-roads like the A57.

I'd park up in somewhere like Hathersage. So so many options from there - just get onto bikehike and plot some routes that avoid the A-roads and you'll have a great ride.

Tom Butcher

Yes a lot does depend on what kind of roads you want to ride. I once saw a suggestion on a similar thread for a route that took in the A515 from Ashbourne to Buxton whereas to me the only time I'd ride that road that direction is the Long Eaton reliability ride.

Same thing with hills - going over the Strines is a nice route but it's hard going - a lot of steep up and down - I'd choose a route where you climb, spend some time rolling along the top of the hills then descend rather than making it as hard as possible - but each to their own.

drewfromrisca

Cheers folks. Plenty there to keep me occupied.

I am the god of hell fire

As already said the best bits of the Peak are the quieter roads
The Snake Pass and Woodhead are lovely rides but just too busy and narrow

My choice of a big day out would involve the following climbs:

Mam Nick from Edale
Abney from Hathersage
Monsal Head just because its after the descent from Cressbrook
Longstone Edge
Millers Dale over the A6 up to Flagg Lane
Froggat Edge - cracking 6% gradient for 14-18mins of pain (but not when youre likely to see HGV's from the quarries)

Winnats is a testosterone-fest just to say youve done it
Which obviously I have

Hathersage to Stannage via Dennis Knoll is equally compulsory in either direction

Descents are all mostly good

So a route combining all of the above????
Assuming you are coming from M1 South..........

Errrrrr

Park in Baslow - plenty of choice of cafes and pubs or B&Bs for afterwards
Ride to Curbar then Froggat
Sheepshill Rd then back up to Stannage
Follow the edge down to Hathersage
Up to Abney
Then Litton, Cressbrook and Monsal Dale
Cross the A6 towards Monyash (poss egg and chips stop)
Down to Millers Dale ( the wrong way I admit)
Tideswell, Little Hucklow, Pindale then Hope
Up the valley to Edale and Mam Nick
Down Winnats and along the valley again for a boring spin back to the car

Thats about 115km with 1700m of climb
And it misses out Longstone Edge and does Millers the wrong way

What are you looking to do?