I'm planning to do roughly this route tomorrow:
http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?lnk=http://www.cs.nott.ac.uk/~jqm/Long_Matlock.gpx

I haven't ridden all of it before (particularly the bits further North and West – does it all look sensible, or are there bits I could improve? (in case it isn't clear, the direction I am doing it is Matlock -> Baslow -> Calver -> Monsall Head -> Brushfield -> Blackwell -> Monsall Head -> Bakewell -> Rowsley -> Darley Dale.)

cheers,

Joe

do you live round there joe?

looks good btw – downloaded and nay do in the next couple of weeks

btw i know of a good addition

yes, in Belper.

Is the addition legal or naughty? I'm not sure if I need any extra mind – 50 miles seems like quite a ride!

Joe

legal

email you

how did you get on?

Joe /Gee… slight hijack… going up to the peaks (edale) while I know a bit round there… I could do with some classic route recommendations… you guys got anything to hand?

Cheers Neil.

the vgraphics routes are ace. when are you up – could show you around

cheers fella, appreciate the offer… could do an exchange program, ever need a guide for exmoor / dartmoor / quantocks…

Will email ya…

cool

Cheers for the route advice. In the end I overslept and due to time constraints (started at 11ish!) and being bloody slow, only managed 43 miles of the route, did a (quite nice – bermed and loose) shortcut from Priestwood across to Miller's Dale, and skipped the bit where I was going to go up and do the golf course descent in Bakewell. Still, a fantastic 7.5 hours of riding, and so many good trails – Baslow Edge, the rocky bit from Longstone Edge down to Rowland, the crazy steps at Monsal Head, the Northwood / Copywood singletrack, the insane climb out of Monsal Dale and the great fun climb up Back Lane in Darley Dale. I don't think I've ever done a ride with that quantity of fantastic riding in it, or with so much variation in riding – everything from wooded singletrack to lovely rocky stuff.

Joe

fancy doing it again in couple of weeks joe?

fancy doing it again in couple of weeks joe?

Would love to, but first baby is due next Wednesday, so probably not!

Have also plotted a related route that takes in almost all of the best legal trails I know in the White Peak. It is quite long, but would be ace to do some time once I am less baby busy and have about 15 hours in a day to spare (so I'm probably looking at 16 years in the future!).

http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?lnk=http://www.cs.nott.ac.uk/~jqm/White_Peak_Long.gpx

Thinking about it, the v-graphics people really ought to do a book of long rides, they are good rides, but you always end up having to link a load of them up to get a decent ride, and long rides are always the ones where you end up riding trails that are unknown to you.

Joe