Advice needed please.

I have booked to stay in Castleton in May and would like a route including Mam Tor. I have walked up several times and promised to return on bike. Not too sure the best way to tackle it.
Perhaps included in a 4-5 hr ride, to finish around Hope/Castleton.

Castleton isn’t the best place to start a ride from in my opinion and you’re probably aware you can’t ride up to Mam Tor, you have to skirt round the side of it.
I’d set off from Mam Nick,round to Hollins Cross, Edale, Jaggers Clough, Hope Cross, left hand trail (can’t remember what it’s called) and down to Snake Pass. Across the road to Hagg Farm, Lockerbrook and then round to Fairholmes. Over the other side of the water and up to Whinstone Lee Tor. Down again to Snake Pass, over Yorkshire Bridge ad back up to Hope Cross. Roma Rd to Hope, Brough, Bradwell, through cement works singletrack, climb Pindale, Dirt Low Rake Rushup Edge and back to Mam Nick.

Thats a big day out barca bloody’ell! How many miles is that epic?

theres many a route you can choose from there……

barcas route is Ok and you can miss bits out if its a bit long for you or do it in different order , but it includes most of the decent stuff around there, ignoring the argument over best direction etc.

Look on map, and plot places you want to go. Only way up from Edale to Mam Tor for MTB is broken road. Brideleway to Hollins Cross is fun, and descent is great. Get yourself over to The Beast, and eventually descend Cavedale – even if you walk it 😉 – straight into Castleton.

Thanks for advice – will look at map for beat route.

That’s not a massive ride really twang. A nice day out and good in either direction. Another good day out can be had by coming out of Hope through Hayfield which would incorporate Jacobs Ladder and Roych Clough but keep coming as far as Mellor or even Marple.

up broken road

over the top, then through te gate, turn left and desend.
take the BW on the right back up to the top again and do the other desent into edale.

Allong the road and turn left to jaggers cough. Cant quite remember what order the beast, potato alley, screeming mile, hagg farm come up in, but aim to decend as many of them as you can.

Then either climb back up to hope cross and ride down the roman road, or ride back allog the resevoirs and though bamford to castleton. Its a suprisingly short distance on the road compared to off, even when your tired.

I’ve just looked at your description Steve and there are three different bridleways up to the road behind Mam Tor from Edale (two of which are via Hollins Cross) but the broken road climbs out of Castleton which is in the Hope Valley not the Vale of Edale. I think you’ve maybe got your route confused?

It’s also all a matter of opinion of course but I don’t find the broken road much fun descending and not a particular challenge climbing either. I dare say the the big air guys enjoy jumping off the ledges but I prefer to keep my wheels on the ground.