As I often work weekends I get quite a few days off in the week and I’m getting a bit bored of riding the local trails so I’m trying to broaden my horizons a little bit. I live minutes from Meadowhall train station in Sheffield and have figured out I can get a train to Hope which takes about 40 min.

So, does anyone know any good loops starting from Hope Station that take about 2-3 hours? Or can I just wing it and find my way as I go?

Any other suggestions and advice appreciated.

Probably worth going a station furthter to Edale,loops involving Mam Tor,Jacob’s ladder and Chapel Gate are all well worth looking at.
Ian

Either or really, plenty of good loops from hope and edale, or even carry on to chapel en le frith or chinley, loads of riding round there too 🙂 From hope, you could go up to Hollins cross, drop to ladybower, loop round there and back. Or loop south from the station over shatton moor and loop round up there.

From edale, as above, either Jacobs/pennine bridleway/Mam tor.

Hope station, in to Hope, along Edale road. Up the roman road to Hope cross then down the other side of roman road (potato alley). cross a57 climb to Lockerbrook farm then track through nabs wood down to Res. Turn right and head to Fairholmes. Follow road in front of Dam and along to the b’way with the stone pitching on the left. Up here to Whinstone Lee Tor. right along ridge and down to Cutthroat Bridge then pop out by pub on the A57. Tyrn right then left at lights to footpath across dam. over here, left at end, drop to disused railway. If you’re knackered you can take this all the way back to just outside hope or you could do the climb up through Aston back up and over to the roman road and back down the way you came to Hope

Get the V graphics dark peak book.. you can ride out to Ladybower/hope from the centre of Sheffield!!

Just buy the OS map, and the routes are pretty obvious.

There are quite a few routes on line (two examples below) and as @b r suggests just buy the OS Explorer Map it’s great fun pouring over it looking at route options

Hope Triple 8 Loop

Jacobs Ladder (Eadale station)

No need to restrict yourself to a circular route either. Start at Edale maybe and get the train home from Bamford, Hathersage or Edale?

If you turn right just after Hope Cross you go down the Beast, which is either a complete waste of space or the best descent in the country, depending on your point of view. It’s always one or the other, never inbetween.

Or pop into 18bikes in Hope and they will point you in the right direction….great bunch of lads.

some right rum uns in 18 bikes.

why use the train bud?

cut north up to greno woods, up through the woods, out the back over worral, bradfield etc. could even get over to cut gate if you have the legs.

man you could do 100 miles from your gaff!

Do you have to pre book bikes on these trains? I’d imagine they get pretty busy (especially over Easter when we’re going)

thanks

I *think* the train you get will be the same Manchester – Sheffield train that I get from Manchester which goes through Edale, Hope etc.

If this is the case there is no need to pre-book as they are all really old and grubby and often ferry walkers/mtbers etc in and out of the Peak District. There is usually a space for bikes in the end carriage.

It will be busy on a sunny Easter weekend though. That said, I’ve often got on and seen 6,7 or 8 bikes piled up in the bike rack and they’ve been fine with it. They seem pretty understanding and tolerant of the bikes so you’ll be fine, they’re pretty used to it I think. I’ve never had any problems anyway.

I’ll echo what people have said – you can’t go wrong really, there’s lots of options for rides out and back to the same station, or riding from one to another.

Would you be changing at Sheffield? – the Sheffield-Manchester train is rarely a problem for bikes, I don’t know about M/hall to Sheffield. It sounds like you’re talking midweek too, which’ll help!

By all means pop in and we can show you some ideas – we have a map on the wall. Sensible suggestions above.

The train guards are a bit more reasonable than the ones in the Chamonix valley then, when it comes to bikes!