I’m heading over to the Peaks tomorrow for a couple of days or so.

I camped in Edale last year and did quite a bit of walking. I loved the area, so this time I’m going with the bike and planning on doing a bivi too.

Firstly can anyone recommend a parking spot, paid or non paid, I dont mind?

Which direction is the best, clockwise or anti clockwise?

Cut Gate will be a bog fest ATM

The Peaks are great in bad weather in general as its rocky and well drained. However there are some exceptions and one is Cut Gate path. Its basically a river bed in places in the middle of marshy land. Amazing when dry and one of the best descents in the UK going north IMHO but I wouldn’t touch it with a bargepole if its been raining a fair bit, it’ll be a soggy bog and very miserable to ride. Which would be shame but theres loads of other peaks trails that’ll be fine.

I did read it would be boggy. Any better all weather trails to ride instead?

I’ve only really walked/road cycled in the Peaks, not really done any mountain biking.

Bloke said Cut Throat, not Cut Gate. Best place to park overnight is probably somewhere like Hope and then ride round or over Win Hill, Roman Rd or Jagger’s Clough.

There are plenty of residential type streets there where you can leave overnight without it looking unattended or annoying people who are easily annoyed.

Exciting news coming up on this soon…

Cut Gate Path: Collaboration, Consideration, Conservation, Action?

Cutthroat will be buggy at the bottom too. But we’ve also been busy on there

[video]http://vimeo.com/164624504[/video]

[video]http://vimeo.com/169599195[/video]

But I realise that doesn’t answer your question! Parking, I think you can park overnight on the A57 by ladybower or on the Bamford Road from ladybower bridge. there’s a couple of big laybys down that way, especially just beyond the Yorkshire Bridge pub.

Regarding route; it’s been tipping it down. Cut Gate will be boggy as will the bottom of Cutthroat. Cutthroat I think you’ll be ok on if you stay to the line shown in the vid, Cut Gate I’d avoid if it were me for a bit.

You could spear over towards Castleton and do Cavedale/Pindale for the craic. Bivi spots aren’t my forte though.

If you’re just doing the Ladybower loop it’s not a huge ride. Oh, and clockswise to get the Lockerbrook descent in the right direction. 🙂

Closest parking spot is on the A57 next to Cutthroat Bridge, but it’s on the A57 so would be noisy. You could also try one of the car parks on the roadside on the minor road up to Fairholmes, which would also be almost on your route. Only guessing though, car parks and laybys have “no overnight stays” restrictions and I’m not sure if this is policed. Only place I know people sleep over is on the broken road just the other side of Castleton

Don’t think the bloke was asking about dossing in his car neither nor being able to park ‘at’ Ladybower. I’m assuming a bivi means dossing in a tent/tarp up on Derwent Edge, Slippery Stones or somewhere else interesting.