Peak District - Tissington Trail on 23s ?

Silly Old Hector

On holiday near Dovedale and looking for some advice.

Family want to cycle the Tissington Trail, which should be fine on hire bikes, but I have my road bike on new'ish 23mm GP4000s2.

Is the surface suitable for these small tyres or should I go my separate way on the local B Roads ?

fenix

I don't think you'd have a problem. I've ridden similar trails to the Tissington on my road bike with 23mm GP4000s.

When I did the Tissington though we'd just hired the bikes there.

(unless you're looking for an excuse to get some proper rides in, and then yes definitely you need to go your own way)

Wardster00

I have cycled the Tisington trail on 23's and while it is doable, I did get a puncture and felt unsteady.

Some sections are gravel as well which would make it easy to fall off. If I were you, I would get up early and take the road bike out for a thrash up some the local hills and then hire a bike to ride with the family during the day.

ugo.santalucia

it's fine

giropaul

You'll be absolutely fine.
I'd avoid it when wet though, the limestone slurry sets hard on your bike and takes a lot of washing off, I've even had the transmission totally crudded up.
There's also the High Peak trail, which joins the Tissington trail near Parsley Hay. From Ashbourne it's quite possible to get a 50 mile ride done without leaving the trails at all.

DeVlaeminck

giropaul wrote:

You'll be absolutely fine.
I'd avoid it when wet though, the limestone slurry sets hard on your bike and takes a lot of washing off, I've even had the transmission totally crudded up.
There's also the High Peak trail, which joins the Tissington trail near Parsley Hay. From Ashbourne it's quite possible to get a 50 mile ride done without leaving the trails at all.

Pretty much sums it up - some of the crushed limestone (I think) sections really stick to your bike in the wet.

Also if you are doing a longish ride you might want to plan where to stop as while there are loads of little snack bar type stops along the trail (Tissington and High Peak) the only one with any indoor seating at all is Middleton Top. If you want a proper cafe then you could come off the trail and go into Tissington where there is at least one proper cafe. Sitting outside at Parsley Hay always seems absolutely freezing even on relatively mild days.

ilovegrace

I ran the tissington trail in 1988 , well 13 miles of it , the most boring run i have ever don , and i have done some boring ones.
regards
ILG

Silly Old Hector

Thanks to all for the advice.

Trail was good (we looped up and down to Alsop and Tissington) - gentle 2% almost all the way to Hartington halt into a gentle headwind. Kids were fine. Mrs Hector not so sure of the saddle :roll: Our lunch stop in Tissington tea room was timed to perfection, as the rain came down.

A hell of a lot better than having to dip on and off the A515 :shock:

I left them, headed to Hartington, Hulme End then looped back 'home' via Alstonefield/Ilam and a gentle 14% slope up to Blore :oops: Wasn't a big distance, but I had been out a while.

Bike is now covered in the limestone 'cement'

Enjoyable on the B Roads.

ugo.santalucia

ilovegrace wrote:

I ran the tissington trail in 1988 , well 13 miles of it , the most boring run i have ever don , and i have done some boring ones.
regards
ILG

I agree, it's really nothing special... the Monsal trail is better, but pretty much only the bit with the three tunnels, the rest is very boring too