Over the coming weeks I’ve secured a pass out for a full day trip out on the bike (a rarity with young kids). I’ve never really rode in the Peak District apart from a couple of different loops out of Macclesfield Forest, so nows the time to make the most of a Saturday in the summer.

I’m open to any suggestions but at the minute it looks like I’ll be leaving the car with the family and travelling on the train from Staffs. After a quick look at stations I noticed Glossop was easy to get to and possibly a good starting point, so I was thinking to start there and maybe end in Macclesfield as this should let me see more of the area. Plus I wouldn’t my need to change trains once at Macclesfield, it’s a straight journey home and trains run till late.

If I was to stick to these start and end points has anyone got a rough route I could take in between? Places, landmarks, strava segments? I’ll be using strava to plan my route to put onto my Garmin.

I’m happy to ride all sorts of terrain from bridleways to the odd bit of hike a bike if needed.

50/60 miles in total.

Recommendations for food and drink stops during the day will be appreciated.

29er hardtail or 29er short travel?

Thanks in advance.

It’s doable, but it’s also really easy to under estimate the peak if you’re not familiar with it. It can often be much slower going than other places.

Yeah totally agree, I know the Macc Forest and Goyt valley areas that I have rode were lower on the average speeds but I’m happy to put my head down and climb. Last train wouldn’t be till 10pm so I’ve got almost a 14 hour window including food and rest stops.

Have a look for the Lord of the loops then. Could pick it up in glossop area and it ticks the 60 mile box. Doable in under 14 hours.

How about something like this as a basis:

glossop tpt + diversions over to langsett

Cut gate to ladybower

Some selected trails around the ladybower / hope area (careful don’t break yourself with too much climbing!)

Then either

1) over Jacobs ladder to Hayfield.
Back to Macclesfield via chinley churn, gout valley, Macclesfield forest (with cheeky options but careful on a weekend)

Or

2) Eldon hill/ peak forest to Buxton (bit of road work)

Buxton to danebridge – southish end of goyt

Cumberland brook

Macclesfield forest.

As said, you need to be careful about trail selection on a busy weekend

Thanks to both, I’ll start building a route online and see what the distance and elevation is looking like.

Where in Staffs do you need to get back to? I live in Stoke and I used to do a route catching the train to Macc and then cycling back to Stoke via Macc forest and Roaches, Leek, Congleton. Perhaps you could do something similar but start further away? Hope? Do you have the option to get away the night before and stay over somewhere cheap? Would save a lot of travelling time on the day of the ride.

I’d be getting the train from Stafford. What sort of distance was the Macc forest to Stoke route?
Overnight is possible but there wouldn’t be too much traveling on the day, 6.30 out of Stafford and I’m ready to ride by 8.30 depending on where I got the train too.

I noticed this morning that Dore & Totley could be another option for a start point and go east to west.

Macc to stoke via all the tech in the forest and roachs and lots of tracks/road was about 50/60 miles. If you did want to do that you could get the train to stafford from stoke or cycle back along the canal. But you’ve already done macc forest!
If you didn’t mind a bit of road and you fancy ending at home Dore to Stafford might work and you could cut through the white peak via either bakewell or matlock, both areas have a loads of off road although some of it is not particularly technical.
I think if you’re aim is to sample as much of the dark peak district tech as you can then perhaps Dore to Glossop would be ideal. You could cut through the Hope valley, sampling some of Stanage perhaps, then Ladybower and pick up Jacobs from edale to Hayfield.
There are others with a lot more knowledge on here than me, but if you need any further assistance with any of my suggestions then drop me a PM.

ahh actually I’ve been map checking. I think east to west would be better. The consensus seems to be majorly that jacobs ladder ending at edale is better, then you could carry straight on up to hope cross and potato alley or the beats and over the res. Glossop would likely be quicker to get to on the train from Stafford than Dore would be. hhmmm

I noticed this morning that Dore & Totley could be another option for a start point and go east to west.

I’d do that. Glossop is a bit of a rubbish starting point in comparison imo.

Some of my choices would be cheeky, but I’d do:

Something nice around Stanage
Bamford Edge
Win Hill (or fire road to The Beast)
Hope Brink
Jaggers Clough
Edale (eat)
Mam Tor
Rushup Edge (could cut shorter by doing Jacob’s ladder instead)
Roych Clough
Cracken Edge from Peep O Day farm
Canal to Buxworth/Whaley (pubs/eateries here)
Linglongs Road to the Goyt
Zig-zag climb to Cat&Fiddle
Cumberland Clough
Macc Forest

Don’t even think about the hardtail!

Some of the above is on this ride:
https://www.strava.com/activities/613302458

Some other bits here:
https://www.strava.com/activities/329439740

This shows how to get from Whaley to Goyt.
https://www.strava.com/activities/455012857

This is the climb out of the goyt (the zig zag bit).
https://www.strava.com/activities/300043704

Excellent, thanks a lot both of you.

Dore is actually quicker to get to, Stafford to Stockport, then its direct into Dore.

In true STW style I’ll ignore what you wrote about finishing in Macclesfield and suggest a loop from Glossop. Takes you over Jacob’s the right way (no idea why anyone would do it east to west 😀 ) and takes in a few of the best descents in the dark peak. The last bit after Langsett is pretty dull along the PBW though.

Oh, and take the full sus if doing this one, it’ll be more fun 😆