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Cycling in the Peak District

21 routes on lanes and tracks in and around the National Park

Guide to cycling in and around the Peak District National Park, on road or trail bike. 20 day routes and one multi-day cycle tour of the Peak District. All easily accessible from Sheffield and Manchester with routes starting from charming Derbyshire towns such as Ashbourne, Matlock, Bakewell and Buxton. Includes route profiles and 1:100000 mapping.

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Quick facts

  • Location: England – Peak District National Park, Derbyshire; easily accessible from Sheffield and Manchester
  • Routes covered: 20 graded day rides (13–58km/8–36 miles) plus the 5-day Tour de Peak District (250km/155 miles)
  • Typical duration: Day rides completable in a single day; Tour de Peak District takes 5 days
  • Difficulty: Graded from easy to hard; suitable for cyclists of all abilities; average fitness and reasonable road confidence required; technical mountain bike skills not essential
  • Bike type: Ideal for gravel or hybrid bikes; routes can be adapted for road bikes; road alternatives provided for all off-road sections
  • Key centres: Ashbourne, Matlock, Bakewell, Buxton, Chesterfield, Leek, Tideswell, Macclesfield, Holmfirth, Marsden
  • Highlights: Derwent Reservoir, Tissington Trail, Monsal Trail, the Roaches, Mam Tor, Morridge, Shatton Moor, Lyme Park, Carsington Reservoir, the canals of Chesterfield
  • Navigation/mapping: 1:100,000 mapping and elevation profiles included for every route; GPX files available to download
  • Accommodation & logistics: Tour de Peak District accommodation table included; practical notes on getting there, food and drink, and cycle maintenance
  • Best time to go: Late spring to mid-autumn; routes graded assuming dry conditions

Detailed overview

Cycle in the Peak District and explore one of England's most varied and rewarding cycling landscapes, from the gentle canal towpaths and rolling farmland around Chesterfield to the dramatic gritstone moorland of the Dark Peak and the limestone dales and old railway trails of the White Peak. Easily accessible from both Sheffield and Manchester, the Peak District National Park offers an outstanding range of cycling for riders of all abilities.

Suitable for cyclists of all abilities, this comprehensive Cicerone guidebook describes 20 graded day rides and a challenging 5-day Tour de Peak District of 250km (155 miles). Day routes range from 13 to 58km (8–36 miles), are ideal for gravel or hybrid bikes, and can be adapted for road bikes, with starting points in charming Derbyshire towns including Ashbourne, Matlock, Bakewell, and Buxton.

  • Choose from 20 graded day rides in and around the Peak District National Park, with circular routes centred on Ashbourne, Matlock, Bakewell, Buxton, and more, taking in Derwent Reservoir, Tissington, the Roaches, Mam Tor, and the canals and bridleways of Chesterfield.
  • Tackle the 5-day Tour de Peak District, a challenging 250km (155-mile) circumnavigation of the National Park starting and finishing in Matlock, taking in the Dark Peak moorland, the Cheshire fringe, and the limestone dales of the White Peak.
  • Select routes suited to your ability using clear grading across easy, moderate, and hard categories, taking account of distance, hills, terrain, and road confidence required, with road alternatives provided for all off-road sections on moderate and harder routes.
  • Navigate with confidence using 1:100,000 mapping and elevation profiles included for every route, alongside GPX files available to download for the full route and day rides.
  • Plan your Peak District cycling with practical advice on bike setup and choice, cycling technique, what to wear and take, accommodation on the Tour de Peak District, and food and drink in the charming market towns and villages of the National Park.
  • Deepen your experience of the region with introductory sections on the geology, wildlife, plants and flowers, history, and cultural highlights of the Peak District, one of Britain's most visited and best-loved National Parks.

Explore the lanes, tracks, and moorland of the Peak District with confidence using this trusted Cicerone guidebook. From a gentle loop around Carsington Reservoir to the full Tour de Peak District challenge, this is the essential companion for cycling in one of England's most accessible and rewarding National Parks.

Where and when to go

Seasons

Best in the drier months - later spring to mid-autumn; difficulty grades and route description all assume dry conditions

Centres

Macclesfield, Middlewood, Ashbourne, Waterhouses, Leek, Tideswell, Bamford, Buxton, Whaley Bridge, Marsden, Holmfirth, Penistone

Difficulty

Routes are graded from easy to hard taking account of distance, hills, terrain and A-road riding. While technical mountain-bike skills are not essential, some short sections of easy to moderately-technical off-road may be encountered. For moderate and harder routes, there are road alternatives for all of these off-road sections, and you can choose which option best suits your individual preferences (and bike!) on a section by section basis. Average fitness and reasonable road-confidence is required.

Must See

A gentle short route around the canals and bridleways of Chesterfield; a moderate ride along Morridge; a tough ascent of the old Mam Tor road then on tracks over Shatton Moor; the 5-day Tour de Peak District

Table of 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 table of accommodation


Appendix C Accommodation on the TdPD


Appendix D Cycle maintenance

Which format is best for me?

Printed book

A guidebook with detailed route descriptions, stage breakdowns, accommodation listings, profiles and maps — everything you need on the trail.

ISBN9781852848781
AvailabilityPublished
Published17 November 2025
Reprinted30 June 2027
Weight 250g

eBook

The complete digital edition of the guidebook, with full route descriptions, accommodation listings, profiles and maps, ready to use on any device.

Updates

  1. Updated

    TdPD diversion Darley Dale to Beeley Moor

    TdPD diversion Darley Dale to Beeley Moor near start of route, just beyond Matlock)

    The road up past Hell Bank Plantation remains closed to all traffic, including cyclists and walkers due to an ongoing landslip. This looks to be long term, although currently it is stated as opening in 2025.

    As a result I have decided to change the TdPD route here onto mostly quieter backroads in the hope of avoiding future issues on this. Although do note, there is no gentle way out of Matlock!

    At Darley Dale, continue past the cycleway turn into Whitworth Park to the road end. Turn briefly right onto the A6 then first left at the traffic lights onto Chesterfield Road. Take the second left onto Park Lane opposite Oddford Lane). On a bend left, this becomes Hallmoor Lane and starts climbing in earnest.

    After roughly 600m, continue ahead where a steep hill Long Hill) forks right. At the road end roughly 650m further), turn right up Foggs Hill, then right up Bent Lane. Continue uphill, steeply at times, for about 2.5km. Turn right onto Chesterfield Road at the top.

    After about 1.5km those with bikes capable of off-road tracks can short-cut across the unsurfaced continuation of Flash Lane to a road junction. Otherwise, continue to an awkward junction beware of traffic emerging from the side-road on the right) and turn sharp left.

    Where this joins the far end of the unsurfaced Flash Lane, turn right or straight across if you have short-cut over Flash Lane). You rejoin the original route where a side road joins from the left.

    NB I would avoid the “official diversion route” up Chesterfield Road from Rowsley – this is a narrow road up a sustained and extremely steep 20%) hill with hairpins in woodland and can get very busy.

    A GPX file is available for this diversion.

  2. Updated

Meet the author

Chiz Dakin

Chiz Dakin

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Chiz Dakin's cycle touring adventures almost happened by accident, when after a local photography trip by bike she realised that she'd done 50 miles in a single day with a reasonably heavy load. This led to the disconnected logic that if she could do that once, she was now ready to tackle multi-day cycle touring, and two weeks later set out on the Land's End to John o' Groats route.

Since then she's done several other multi-day trips including a pioneering Welsh coast cycle route (600 miles and 16km of ascent) but still maintains that you don't need to be seriously fit or fast to enjoy long multi-day routes. (She certainly makes no claim to being either!) She has also recently won an award for her photography.