Good places to ride near Marple and around Manchester

Get train to Marple, Lakes road which leads down to the Roman Lakes is just over the road from the station. This ride starts and ends from the Roman Lakes car park but starting from the station would be good as you get the hill down to start and obviously a decent climb back up at the end.
You can also buy a MTB route booklet from the cafe at the centre which gives other rides including longer ones in the area.

This is a the route I do quite often it takes about 2 - 3hrs and is my favourite local ride.
It's my take on the various Mellor / Rowarth / Roman Lakes routes and I like it as there are no REALLY tough climbs but some great decents.

Set off from Roman Lakes out of the main car park and turn left along the river, through the tunnel, past farm house, then at first track junction turn sharp left up the track, across Golf course until you reach junction with broken road.
Turn left up steep hill (it's hard work) until you reach broken road, turn right up to crest with houses on left, down nice singletrack until you reach broken road. Turn left up hill, past house on left, then downhill into Brook Bottom and tarmac.
Keep going through Brook Bottom, past pub and up hill until you reach a metal bench on right.
Go up track directly opposite bench (this is a lovely long technical climb, do-able all the way up), past Golf course on right. At first junction bear right with GC still on your right until you reach the proper road with the Club house on the opposite side of the road.
Turn left and follow the road round and up the hill past the bench until you reach a crossroads with a rocky track going down to your right alongside the edge of the wood, go down here (it's very bumpy) until you (CAUTION) reach the main road.
Turn right along road for about 200yrds then sharp left onto great single track for about 1/2 mile. At the tarmaced road turn right down the hill. Stay on this road for about 1 mile (at the junction bear left up the dead end) go past the lovey house on the left and then at the farm go up the bridleway through the gate (steep and muddy).
Once at the top turn left and keep going along the double track until you reach the top of the Eliminator (this starts rough, evens out in the middle, then gets really rough at the bottom), join the road and go past the Little Mill pub, up the hill all the way to the T junction. Turn left and carry on until you reach the junction with another main road. opposite are two tracks, go along the rougher one bearing left.
You will eventually come back to the crossroads at the wood, this is the start of your massive decent to the finish, retrace your route all the way back down the way you came, down the technical decent that you earlier climbed up (it's even better going down), right at the metal bench, until you reach the red phone box in Brook Bottom. There is a steep track next to it, go down it for about 1/2 mile (it's fast and brilliant), At the bottom turn left under the bridge, past Strines station and then after about 50 yards turn right up the bridleway, over the railway bridge, past the farm, then just over a small bridge is a gate on the left, through this and along the track, bear right in the dip and up, keep going and you will eventually reach the farm and tunnel that you went through at the start, retrace back to car park.

Mawdz19 wrote:

Mellor Magic and Mellor Mania routes can be purchased from here, starting from the Roman Lakes.

http://www.bikemaps.co.uk/peak_district.htm

Yeah I've recently started doing mtbing and have been doing the Mellor Magic and Mania routes- went last Friday doing the one that goes up and across Lantern Pike- top, top fun 8)

I'd definitely recommend purchasing them, they're only like £2.50 or something and I would never have discovered half those routes on my own at all yet alone in a couple of rides, as with the maps.

Bought the Hayfield routes as well but reckon I'll need to hone my skills a bit more first before tackling them.