Cycling in the Peak District

Map key

Overview map

Preface to the 2nd edition

Introduction

Geology

Wildlife

Plants and flowers

History

Art, culture and local festivities

When to go

Getting there

Getting around

Accommodation

Food and drink

Money

Bike setup/choice of bike

Cycling technique

What to wear

What to take

Maps

Waymarking and access

Emergencies and first aid

Using this guide

Day rides

Route 1 Ashopton loop via Derwent Reservoir

Route 1a Ladybower west and Thornhill extensions

Route 2 Rail Trails loop from Friden

Route 3 Chesterfield loop via Transpennine Trail

Route 4 Carsington Reservoir loop

Route 5 Middlewood loop via Lyme Park

Route 6 Ashbourne loop via Hognaston

Route 7 Chesterfield loop via Holymoorside and Leash Fen

Route 8 Tissington loop via Elton

Route 9 Wirksworth loop via Hartington

Route 10 Bakewell loop via Hartington

Route 11 Buxton loop via Bakewell (White Peak loop)

Route 12 Waterhouses loop via Morridge and Longnor

Route 13 Penistone loop via Holmfirth

Route 14 Tideswell loop via Peak Forest

Route 15 Leek loop via the Roaches

Route 16 Grindleford loop via Edale

Route 17 Tideswell loop via Mam Tor

Route 18 Middlewood loop via Pym Chair

Route 19 Marsden loop via Saddleworth Moor

Route 20 Macclesfield loop via the Roaches

Tour de Peak District

Day 1 Matlock to Dungworth

Day 2 Dungworth to Marsden

Day 3 Marsden to New Mills (main route)

Day 3a Marsden to Whaley Bridge (road route)

Day 4 New Mills (or Whaley Bridge) to Blackshaw Moor

Day 5 Blackshaw Moor to Matlock

Appendix A Route summary table and distance chart

Appendix B TdPD facilities table

Appendix C Accommodation on the TdPD

Appendix D Cycle maintenance

Hawthorn tree standing above limestone dales near Monsal Head (above Route 11)

Whereas paper maps used to be the norm for cycling, these days it’s hard to argue against electronic mapping on a smartphone – such as that provided by the Viewranger app (from app stores or www.viewranger.com/en-gb) or Memory Map (www.memory-map.co.uk). Both Ordnance Survey (OS) and OpenMapping (OpenCycleMap etc) are supported by Viewranger; just OS by Memory Map.

For those who still prefer paper maps, the OS 1:50,000 Landranger series normally offers the ideal weight-to-information compromise for cyclists (or if doing long-distance tours, the relevant pages taken from a 1:250,000 road atlas can be preferable). However, the Peak District is such a compact area, and the OS 1:25,000 Explorer series maps 1 and 24 cover so much of the region in just two maps, that these may well be the best choice for many routes.

The following Transpennine Trail maps may also be of use:

Map 1: West – Irish Sea to Yorkshire Map 2: Central – Derbyshire and Yorkshire

Ordnance Survey maps can be found in good bookstores in larger towns or online, but often the relevant local sheets can be found in village stores. Transpennine Trail maps are best bought in advance over the internet.

Note that the High Peak Trail (HPT) and Tissington Trail (TT) are not marked as such on some maps. Instead they are both marked as Pennine Bridleway (PBW). HPT runs roughly south-east from Parsley Hay to Cromford; TT runs roughly south from Parsley Hay to Ashbourne.

July 2021

2021 reprint route updates

May 2018

Update

With a cycling guide to the Cotswolds and a guide to outdoor photography (the latter with Jon Sparks - himself author of the Cicerone guide to the Lancashire Cycle Way), you’d expect a guide that offers a lot - even to a cyclist, such as I, who thinks they know the Peak District. I haven’t been disappointed and I doubt if you will be either. This is a guide that not only offers great routes into places off the beaten track, but gives fascinating insights along the way.

The routes utilise lanes and track wherever possible - short sections of main road are inevitable, (there is even a warning about a short section on route nineteen) - including elements of the famous, and growing, network of former railway tracks. The author offers a very good grading system for each ride - though all are aimed at riders of moderate fitness or better. Equally, it is well-worth reading the detail of each route and the initial general advice on “what bike” before setting off. Road bike alternatives are shown on the maps and described in the text. There are elements of easy technical mountain-biking on some routes, whist others can be completed on a performance road bike. A tourer would be ideal for most, but, remember descents can be as tough as ascents. In the photographs, you’ll see a variety of machines. Don’t worry too much, just read the guide and decide what suits you best. A bit of a walk is not always such a bad thing for the leisure or touring cyclist! By the way, the advice on crossing the ford at Bradbourne is excellent. Narrow road tyres are best kept for the bridge, in my opinion - so speaks the voice of experience!

Although we now associate the Peak District with beautiful scenery and tourists, the routes take you away from the crowds and into the nooks and corners rarely seen by the hordes. With routes ranging from 8 miles to the full tour - and a variety of options, this guide will take you somewhere new - even if you have climbed many Peak District hills already.

Steve, Seven Day Cyclist