Cycling in the Peak District presents 20 graded day rides in the national park, along with a challenging five-day 250km (155-mile) 'Tour de Peak District'. The circular day rides are centred around Ashbourne, Matlock, Bakewell, Buxton and many other charming Derbyshire towns, while the more challenging Tour de Peak District circumnavigates the National Park. Routes include sections of the Tissington Trail, Monsal Trail and Transpennine Trail, with a focus on quiet lanes, gratifying downhills and not overly technical bridleways, tracks and trails.
The routes are ideal for gravel/adventure bikes (or hybrid/cross), though most can be easily adapted for road bikes. Each ride features step-by-step route description accompanied by 1:100,000 mapping. Overview stats and profiles are provided to aid route selection, along with details of refreshments, parking facilities and cycle hire, and full accommodation listings for the Tour de Peak District. The guide also includes tips for cycling the routes and advice for novices. The scenic Peak District boasts an abundance of country lanes, tracks, towpaths and railway trails that are perfect for two-wheeled exploration.
CONTENTS
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
Maps
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.
HPT/TT on OS maps
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.
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