i have been nominated to take 5 mates on a two day ride to the peaks. we Havent done anything like this before, so could do with route ideas for a 30 mile a day 2 day route with big views,, staying in very cheap accomodation. my mates are all fairly fit and competant so intermediate level techieness. Also what does each person need to take kit and tools/spareswise?

what about baseing youself in somewhere like castleton, at the YHA, of one of the many campsites in hope/castleton/edale and doing two routes from there, you could do the jacobs ladder/hayfield route on one day, and a big loop round ladybower the day after.

kit/tools, well if you're doing two day rides, just the normal stuff really, tubes/puncture repair kit etc, leave the rest at the hostel/campsite

MartynS – good call and exactly what I was thinking, except maybe my choice would be a boozer :-).

"except maybe my choice would be a boozer :-). "

Mine too….or the woodbine!!!

Route suggestions from MartynS are spot on.

Campsite for cheapness?

Can you stay at the Woodbine?

yep.. there's a B+b… or there was..

Cutgate could be an option in place of Jacobs, although I've not ridden Cutgate, just heard good things.

Can't miss Ladybower though IMO, from Hope taking in Roman Road (up), The Beast (down), over A57, Rowlee pastures (up), Lockerbrook (down), fire rd (up), Screaming Mile (down), fire rd (up), Hagg Farm (down), over the A57, round the reservoir, up through the woods and back down the Roman Rd.

good loop choice, Jacobs one day – Ladybower classic another. Stay in Edale you can start both from there… but then you'd miss out on cavedale and pindale….mmm, I'd stay for three days and you'd cover the highlights.

stay at edale yha if poss – better spot and secluded vs castleton – albeit nearer pubs…

camping site wise – all of a muchness – i like the ones in edale

route wise – get an OS and plot away – cavedale / pindale = very techy and fun – cut gate out to langsett and back is a cracker – jaccobs ladder too if your group is good ! Word of advice if using an mbr route do it t'other way round!! a loop up near stanage is good too

I would suggest doing a loop around ladybower and up to shatton moor as a couple of great descents on that ! cannot go wrong with the riding in the peak – only downer is the hordes of walkers and bikers at a weekend…

30 miles a day in the peak is quite hard on the body i find !

woodbine cafe is great if a tad expensive – i like the cafe at the fairholmes visitor centre too…

enjoy

paul

Good call for Stanage, although I'll not describe the route. Whilst well known, it's too cheeky to ride at a weekend. It's not too long either, about 12 miles IIRC, although we don't include Blackamoor, which would extend it.

I will say we start and finish at the Fox House pub. And a very nice pub it is too.