Anyone done this? What’s it like? Is it easy enough to find the way?
Me and a mate are planning on doing this on Monday and then riding another 20 miles home from Langsett. We’ve no fancy bike GPS devices so I’ll have to figure out a route prior to setting off, just wondered if anyone knew of one already that’s off road and easy to explain, lol.
We’ve day passes from the wives and kids so it’ll be a steady pace with a few beer stops, no rush. Looking forward to it!

Should be relatively easy if you know the peak a bit.
Hope station – thornhill – Aston – Roman rd
Either beast or potato alley and then up the other side to Hagg
Along and down the screaming mile to reservoir
North to the top of reservoir (either side but I’d cross over and go on the fire road)
Then join Cut Gate all the way to Langsett.

If all of that sounds unfamiliar then you might struggle to do it without a map at least.

I recognise the names but that’s about it, lol.
Google maps here I come!

You could get off at Bamford then just go back up to the derwent arms pub on the road, up derwent edge and then down to fairholmes.

You’ll be struggling for beer stops. A more pub-centric but less satisfactory route would take you round to Thornhill, along the bridleway towards Yorkshire Bridge (pub). A short spin along the road will get you to the Ladybower Inn – more drink. Then up Whinstone Lee Tor and down past Two Barns to the aforementioned fire road. More drink, less fun. I’d go with superficial’s route and have a beer or two at the end. Don’t forget to take plenty of pork pies though.

I’d 2nd the route suggested by superficial, from what little I know of the area it sounds like the most direct route. This site should help you identify the tracks mentioned:
http://monkeyspoon.com/peak-district-mountain-biking-route-map

Worth noting that Cut Gate may well have returned to it’s boggy state after Wednesday and yesterday’s rain, the rest of the route should be absolutely fine though.

I don’t mind the pub at Langsett being the first one, there are another 4 or 5 on the way home from there that I know of.
Thanks for the routes

Looks a useful site that Jekkyl, ta.

Should be a good ride, me and a mate got the train to Sheffield last October and rode back via lady canning to fairholme and cutgate over to langsett, it’ll take longer than you think 😀

I’ll upload a few pics and a report when I get back

We rode to Wombwell station and then got the train to Bamford as looking on the map it seemed closer to the off road sections. We went up to Ladybower and from there got on the Roman Road route suggested by Superficial. At Fairholmes the map suggested Howden Clough to Cutgate was a shorter option so we took that and quickly regretted it. It was a boggy unrideable mess but we carried on as the map looked like it met Cut Gate at some point soon. We kept pushing the bikes but there was no noticeable connection to Cut Gate. We ended up in the middle of the moor pushing over soaked sponge like grass, hard balls of grass, pete bogs (up to the knee some times!) and bracken. We ended up dragging the bikes up a very steep hill to this point.

After a lot more pushing over soggy shit we saw Cut Gate. This was on one hand a relief as we were back on track but on the other hand more frustration as it was sodden in parts and rocky in others.
The views were fantastic, the air was clean, the weather was favourable but I’m not a fan of the rocks that seem to be everywhere. It was either fire roads or trails covered in rocks that meant slow descents.
I’ve been to the Peak twice now and think it’s a great place but crap for free flowing rides. I doubt I’ll take my bike back.
Ache today after clocking up 45 hilly miles but glad I did it.

lol. oh dear, sounds like you had a bad time of it. As regards flow and speed, if you had followed the suggested route potato alley is very fast and rocky, as is the descent down to ladybower on Nabbs wood, both great fun descents. oh well, least it wasn’t raining and you both made it through alive. 😀 – any pics of either of you and bikes in a bog? could do with my day at work brightening.

That’s a pity – Cut gate isn’t the flowiest trail! I wouldn’t write the Dark Peak off though if you’re looking for flow trails, as Jekkyl says the Lockerbrook descent is fast and great fun (IMO). Also try Whinstone Lee Tor to the Ladybower Inn, that flows well other than the middle section, and Hagg farm as well (though it’s a bit rockier).

Sounds like you had a big day out.

Yes, Howden Clough was a terrible idea [/captain hindsight] 😆

Aside from the fact that you went the wrong way and ended up on a bog march, you are correct in saying that there are not many flow trails in the Peak – and especially not on the well-known (/sanctioned) routes. i would, however respectfully suggest that the rocky descents are to be ridden at speed for maximum pleasure 😉

Sounds like a good day out – I can’t ride I’m jealous despite the bogs.

Shane you didn’t get to Mickleden edge. That’s really fast and flowy.

Done that from Hope to Holmfirth (cup of tea at fairholme). Love Cutgate even when the weather and ground conditions are poor. Never get tired of the “this feels miles away”. Pleased you had an epic, there good for the soul. Try Cutgate in both directions during a prolonged dry spell for speed and laughs, makes a great out n back from Langsett on a summer night. 🙂

😆 I think someone should go up there and clear all the rocks out of the way, it would be loads better then!

Strava says I did Potato Alley, is this it?

No bog pics, sorry. As soon as the leg went in I pulled it straight back out, lol. Some of them stank though, really bad!

Looking at the map, we ended up pushing up a section called ‘High Stones’ on Howden Edge which was 200m higher than Derwent. I literally had to drag the bike up on its side, lol. Wasn’t funny at the time though when my feet were wet, we were getting knackered, 30 miles from home and the phone battery was dying.

Yes, that’s the top bit of Potato Alley, gets very rocky lower down.

Still don’t understand why you decided to head up Howden Clough rather than continue round to the start of Cut Gate (which is rideable in both directions). I’ve done the High Peak Marathon race and the section along the watershed (not really a ridge) either side of Cut Gate is testing to say the least.

On the map Howden Clough was closer and looked to be a bit of a shortcut. I won’t be doing it again!

Sounds like you had a bit of an epic there. Whenever I find myself on that sort of ride and it gets frustrating I ask myself “where would I rather be?”. Don’t write the Peak off yet for biking, it can take a while before you “get” it. As has been said, a bit of speed and momentum make all the difference, but you need confidence to do that. Give it another go with a bit more grrr and you will be a step closer!